Ryerson researchers receive NSERC Alliance Grants to support collaborative projects

February 08, 2021

Eight Ryerson researchers have secured close to $2.5 million in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

The NSERC Alliance Grants support innovative collaborations across a range of topics between Ryerson researchers and partners from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. The projects include creating a comprehensive, multidisciplinary Smart Campus digital twin for Ryerson, utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve point-of-care ultrasound systems used in neonatal intensive care units, and developing a nanotechnology-enhanced delivery method involving natural anti-cancer drugs, such as cannabinoids and curcuminoids, for use in targeted cancer therapy.

Other projects receiving grants include designing a non-invasive solution for recognizing certified products for warranty purposes, enhancing the anaerobic digestibility of municipal sludge, examining and improving concrete structures, developing online energy management platforms for large building portfolios, and using data science and operations research to optimize manufacturing production scheduling.

“Congratulations to the researchers and collaborators who have received these NSERC Alliance Grants. These grants will enable our faculty and their partners to develop solutions that will benefit Canadians, from health-care innovations to infrastructure material improvements. Leveraging strong partnerships is crucial to advancing our research,” said Steven N. Liss, Ryerson’s vice-president, research and innovation.

New Ryerson projects being funded by NSERC Alliance Grants

Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science

Ebrahim Bagheri (Partner: Warranty Life): Data analytics for device identification

Elsayed Elbeshbishy (Partners: inCTRL Solutions Inc., Trojan Technologies, USP Technologies): Enhancing Anaerobic Digestibility of Municipal Sludges by Physicochemical Pre-treatment

Ling Guan (Partner: Dapasoft Inc.): I-POCUS: An Intelligent Point-of-Care Ultrasound System for Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Canada’s Hospitals

Naimul Khan (Partner: AWE Company Limited): Research and development of a cloud-based context-aware API for semantic scene understanding

Reza Kianoush (Partner: PROF&E Ltd.): Experimental and analytical studies on shrinkage cracking control in reinforced concrete structure using Shrinkage-Compensating Concrete (SCC)

Jennifer McArthur (Partner: FuseForward Solutions Group): Smart Campus Integrated Platform Development

Jennifer McArthur (Partner: Parity Go Inc.): Development of an online energy management platform for large building portfolios.

Sharareh Taghipour (Partner: Axiom Group Inc.): Real-time Optimization of Production Scheduling

Faculty of Science

Jahan Tavakkoli (Partners: Northern Green Canada Inc., Toronto Poly Clinic Inc.): Ultrasound Mediated Cannabinoid/Curcuminoid Loaded Nano Drug Delivery Systems

Learn more about the NSERC Alliance grants. (external link, opens in new window)

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