Grants and Contributions

Rise Women's Legal Centre will work with victims of violence who have lived experiences with the justice system, advocates and anti-violence workers, to create a guide that will more fully meet the needs of victims of violence who need to access a peace bond.

The Project will support the development of polarisation resolved single photon sensors over a broad range of photon energies (THz - telecom - visible) using photoexcitation of trions in gate defined quantum circuits in 2D quantum materials. Unique advantages of 2D quantum materials include bandgap tunability, photon polarisation to valley optical transitions, high quantum coherence and trion binding energy exceeding room temperature. The Project will support the development of quantum sensors in that quantum transport of a single electron from source to drain through a quantum dot (QD) proceeds at a specific value of back-gate voltage. When a single photon is absorbed in a QD, an exciton is created. An electron coherently interacts with the exciton forming a trion, changing the required back-gate voltage and quenching transport. Hence, the presence of a single exciton absorbed by a single photon can be electrically detected at a single electron level. The team will also explore methods to enhance the photon-electron interaction such as coupling to an optical cavity. The Project will advance the state-of-the art technologies for single photon sensing by the development of 2D materials-based quantum sensors.

With an increasing global demand for seaweed derived products and ingredients, as well as a broader public understanding of the important environmental services provided by our marine flora, there is growing interest from young entrepreneurs to develop Canada’s seaweed cultivation industry to achieve financial, societal, and environmental benefits. In this context, Merinov and NRC are developing projects to support the development of larger, better managed, and more sustainable seaweed cultivation industry while supporting marine habitat conservation and preserving the genetic resources native to Canada’s marine zones, with a focus on Atlantic Canada. This project will support a sustainable seaweed aquaculture industry for the main cultivated species in the Atlantic coast of Canada, the sugar kelp. Biobanking is crucial to reach this goal, as the preservation of properly characterized strains will allow the preservation of genotype and phenotype diversity for conservation, improvement of cultivated strains, and increased population resistance to various natural (climate cycle, parasites, disease, etc.) or anthropogenic (climate change, development, aquaculture, oil spills, etc.) disturbances. To define which strains/populations to biobank, there is a need to better understand the seaweed ecology and population delimitation and if the environment influences their phenotype or quality. Three main linked objectives will be developed here: 1) defining morphology and genetics of the sugar kelp populations, 2) developing technology and identify which populations to biobank and 3) developing a bank of seed strains with selected characteristics. Samples of wild sugar kelp will be collected in two provinces where seaweed aquaculture is rising: Quebec and Nova Scotia. A better understanding of the population genetics and gene flow through a high resolution assessment of wild and cultivated populations will also provide important relevant information to management agencies and to the industry

Innovation in nanophotonics has been driven by major advances in nanofabrication. As nanophotonic devices have a nearly limitless design space, equally critical has been the ability to simulate light interaction with complex nanostructures. Advanced nanophotonic design commonly relies on computationally expensive 3D simulations. This project directly addresses the use of AI to assist with the design of photonic components, both for “classical” devices where improvements in performance or size will be sought, as well as design of new devices such as optical phased arrays, which rely on grating couplers as fundamental blocks. Artificial Intelligence will be used to develop efficient and accurate surrogate models for subwavelength grating structures. This will reduce the scale of simulations by a factor of hundreds and enable efficient design of advanced nanophotonic components that require metamaterials.

This collaboration with UCSC will support the design of new technologies for the CAL2.0 upgrade of the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) instrument. Specifically, UCSC will: (1) develop simulations to inform CAL2.0 project hardware design, (2) design and deliver custom coronagraphic mask hardware to HAA to be deployed into GPI/CAL2.0, (3) design real-time adaptive optics software. The overall goal of the CAL2.0 project is to enhance the GPI instrument’s sensitivity such that it will directly detect fainter extrasolar planets than was previously possible.

Improve processes with acquisition of CNC equipment (semi-automated)

Integrate productivity coaching and production improvements

Build a basketball court in support of outdoor spaces in a rural indigenous community

Enhance the product offering of an existing outfitting operation

Expand manufacturing facility and purchase equipment that add capabilities