TRI-COUNCIL GRANTS AWARDED THIS FISCAL YEAR (April to November 2021)

TRI-COUNCIL GRANTS AWARDED THIS FISCAL YEAR

(April to November 2021)

NSERC Engage

Engage grants connect innovative companies with the knowledge and expertise found in universities and colleges. These grants aim to solve company-specific problems and develop research partnerships between the private and post-secondary sectors.

PROJECT TITLE: New post-COVID-19 and naturebased, architectural solutions for enhancing personal wellness at home

Awarded: $25K

Partner: Kirkor Architects and Planners

Principal Investigator: Phil Fung, FAST Project summary: Toronto-based Kirkor Architects and Planners seek novel architectural solutions to promote building occupant wellness for the “new normal”—a trend of remote working, at-home learning and athome leisure expected to persist beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Kirkor seeks an empirical understanding of how biophilic features—natural elements that enhance wellness outcomes—can be integrated into their future architectural designs. The Humber team will therefore experimentally test types of putative biophilic features able to be incorporated into building infrastructure (e.g., houseplants, food crops, nature imagery and aquarium fish) for their wellness-enhancing effects.

PROJECT TITLE: Digital Transformation of Operational Processes

Awarded: $25K

Partner: NTN Bearing Corporation of Canada Ltd. Principal Investigator: Mark Stoiko, FB Project summary: NTN Corporation manufactures and distributes a wide range of ball and roller bearings, serving the automotive, industrial and recreational markets. Existing operational processes are no longer effective. This project’s research outcomes would be implementing and testing digital transformation models in all aspects of operations, including manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain, which could contribute to the enterprise’s survival within the pandemic and beyond. This research project will identify the best digital transformation model, digitally linking the operations of all three sectors, manufacturing, engineering and supply chain.

PROJECT TITLE: Indoor Navigation System-Wayfinding

Awarded: $25K

Partner: Circuit Plus Inc.

Principal Investigator: Daryoush Mortazavi, PhD., FAST Project summary: Daily shoppers, visitors and patients, who rely solely on in-person experiences, spend a long time finding their destined items and location, with continuous interactions, which increases the risk of contagious diseases like COVID-19. Circuit Plus Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and tests electronic devices in different categories—Industrial, commercial, and health care for low power, high-efficiency devices and can provide applied solutions for the enterprises currently unfulfilled in the market. Circuit Plus is experiencing challenges in the form of a lack of knowledge in new technologies and expertise in embedding this technology in products. The research team will develop and test a mobile application and a most reliable solution for indoor wayfinding leveraging IoT technology, cloud computing, and mobile app development.

PROJECT TITLE: Digital Transformation of Ontario’s ADR Sector

Awarded: $25K

Partner: ADR Institute of Ontario

Principal Investigator: Mary Lee, FAST Co-Investigator: Rameen Sabet Project summary: The global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have abruptly shifted the Ontario Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) sector towards the use of online dispute resolution and virtual platforms for courts, tribunals, and other dispute resolution hearings and processes. The ADR Institute of Ontario’s (ADRIO) current database management system (DMS) has limited functionality to provide client relationship management and related client-practitioner engagement identification. The technical challenge experienced by ADRIO is their limited resources and expertise to change the existing DMS into a more intuitive and accessible customer interface. This project aims to transform how ADR practitioners interact with their clients, better understand the needs and challenges experienced by ADR practitioners and identify new evolving practices.

PROJECT TITLE: Robotic Painting Arm Development

Awarded: $25K

Partner: Mechatronic Diagnostics Ltd. Principal Investigator: Seyed-Youns Sadat-Nejad, FAST Co-Investigator: Mehrdad Iravani-Tabrizipour Project summary: Mechatronic Diagnostics Ltd. is an automotive diagnostic and repair centre and is challenged in finding expert painters and reducing the health hazards for its existing painters. This project aims at developing an automated painting robotic system that is installable in the painting booth. The proposed solution will allow the industrial partner to operate vehicle painting in their repair shop booth in an automatic manner, which will optimize the workforce and increase staff safety.

NSERC CCSIF

The College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) grants allow researchers at colleges/polytechnics and community organizations to co-create innovative solutions to complex social challenges.

PROJECT TITLE: Developing a Best Practice Model for Mental Health Crisis Care: A Community-Engaged Approach

Awarded Amount: $360K

Partners: (a) TAIBU Community Health Centre and (b) Middlesex-London Paramedic Service

Principal Investigator: Polly Ford Jones, PhD., FHSW Co-Investigators: Sheryl Thompson and Danielle Pomeroy Project summary: When experiencing a mental health crisis, many people rely on emergency services such as 9-1-1 dispatchers, paramedic services, police services and hospital emergency department services. Many of these first response services lack sufficient resources and training and have few options to offer when providing care. This project will bring together community-based service providers and emergency care providers to develop a best practice model for response to mental health crisis care. This project plans to highlight and develop practices that appropriately support all members of the community requiring emergency mental health support with particular attention paid to those of lower socioeconomic status, Black and Indigenous communities, People of Colour, and LGBT2SQ+ and immigrant communities. In addition to a best practice model, the project aims to co-develop workshops and training for practitioners working in these fields.

PROJECT TITLE: Digital Narratives: Indigenous Economic Development

Awarded Amount: $360K

Partners: (a) Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business and (b) First Nations University of Canada Principal Investigator: Audrey Wubbenhorst, FMCA Project summary: Research by CCAB argues that economic development in Indigenous communities correlates positively to social impact. In addition, Indigenous economic development contributes to the overall Canadian economy. While the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for more Indigenous content in Canadian classrooms, there is little available for post-secondary professors. This project will start to close that gap through a series of multimedia cases of successful Indigenous business models. Each year will focus on a different theme: Entrepreneurship (Year One), Collaboration and Partnerships (Year Two) and Skill Development (Year Three). The research team will deliberately include cases from across Canada reflecting the diversity of Indigenous communities. Working with First Nations University, the research team will pilot these materials with students and “test” them for usability and engagement.