Thermo-photovoltaic (TPV) systems are optical heat engines that convert radiant heat to electricity using a photovoltaic cell. TPV is a highly promising technology that can potentially be used to generate electric power from any high-temperature heat source including concentrated solar radiation, industrial waste heat, heat from radioisotope decay, and fuel combustion systems. However, the performance […]

This research project seeks to identify and draw attention to the historical factors leading to the underrepresentation of Indigenous workers in unionized sectors of the construction industry; the problematic relationship between Indigenous workers and their non-Indigenous counterparts, employers and trade unionists; and past and present efforts to address these problems. This work will aid in […]

Through historical research, I examine the role of queer history to demonstrate how, and in what ways, oppression evolves into resistance. Focusing on visual culture, such as photographs, home video’s and films, as well as ephemera, letters and personal papers, the goal is to shed light on the dark corners of queer history. By illuminating […]

Wild bees are vital to our parks, gardens, greenspaces and ecosystem services, but we know surprisingly little about their habitat requirements and dietary breadth. In this proposal, we will characterize wild bee nutrition including their health and microbiomes across Canada. The postdoc will learn skills in bioinformatics, science writing and science communication. The W. Garfield […]

Technology is not neutral. Look at the keyboard it assumes right handedness. For example, the number pad and arrow keys are on the right. Similarly, the inherent biases of software computer programs are at best foreign entities and at worst tools of colonization when introduced to Indigenous communities. In line with CanadaCanada’s goals to promote […]

Water quality in the watersheds of the Great Lakes are under ever-increasing pressures from population growth, urban expansion, economic development, nutrient enrichment, and climate change. We aim to develop a statistical model to understand the relative influence of anthropogenic stressors on water quality for the central Lake Ontario watershed surrounding the cities of Oshawa, Whitby, […]

Humans possess the ability to see objects as having the same color even when viewed under different illuminations. Cameras inherently lack this capability. A process called auto white balance (AWB) has to be applied by the camera to mimic this behavior of the human visual system. AWB is one of the first steps in a […]

This project would address basic unanswered questions about how the application of environmentally benign process (i.e., biohydrometallurgy) on mine ores and tailings can leach and extract base and, precious that are essential for today’s “smarter” technologies. Bioprocessing methods for bio-extraction and bio-recovery of elements offer a new potential sustainable alternative compared to chemical conventional approaches. […]

Camera enabled AI-based personal assistants will need to recognize human actions in order to be safe and effective. Current machine learning approaches for action recognition require extensive datasets of annotated videos that depicting the actions to be recognized. Such datasets are expensive to acquire. The goal of this project is to decrease the annotation required […]

The proposed research project is to program artificial intelligence, as produced by technology company EAIGLE, to monitor animals’ behaviour at the Toronto Zoo. The program will be capable of distinguishing where animals are in their enclosures, between individual animals, and which behaviours they are producing under different contexts. This technology will allow zoos, conservation areas, […]

The proposed project involves the development of a microgrid energy management system (or microgrid control unit – MCU) to synchronize the actions of devices such as batteries, solar panels, and other generators to achieve increased energy savings. The MCU will allow all devices to interact and exchange information seamlessly, in a “plug and play” fashion. […]

The inclusion of touch and physical sensations from within Virtual Reality and other Mixed Reality experiences provides exciting opportunities from both an entertainment and academic perspective. Enhancing immersive integration within these environments is useful, beneficial and thus highly desired- whether we are looking to develop skills for use in challenging technical and medical or dangerous […]