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Transformation through collaboration: Connections for a shared world
Innovation Issue 37: Fall 2022

Transformation through collaboration: Connections for a shared world

A pattern of tiles comprising colours, textures and photos of a highway, a police officer wearing a VR headset and two people silhouetted against the sky as they travel on foot.

This publication is made possible, in part, with the support of the Research Support Fund.

Message from the Vice-President, Research and Innovation


Message from the Vice-President, Research and Innovation

Collaboration is essential to great research and discovery. Bringing diverse perspectives, tapping a wide range of expertise, engaging in partnerships and working with key stakeholders across communities, disciplines and globally are important. It is critical to find pathways through the greatest problems and challenges and to drive innovation and real-world solutions that will generate a lasting impact. 
Steven N. Liss, PhD
Vice-President, Research and Innovation

Intersection

Two images: a view of a lake with a skyline of trees beside a top-down look at the lake’s calm surface, its algae blooms creating an abstract texture.


Raising the bar on predicting nutrient loads in Ontario streams

Algae blooms in Ontario’s Great Lakes can be more than a nuisance. They have the power to halt the growth of aquatic life, harm local residents and tourism, and disrupt water supplies in extreme cases. 

Two people stand closely together in a dark room, silhouetted by a neon sign above them that says "Media is Everything."


Detecting fake social media accounts a matter of national importance

It can be nearly impossible to tell the difference between computer-generated and human-generated content online due to significant development in the ability of computers to write text that mimics human language. 

In Our Community

Two police officers stand in a room, both wearing face masks. One police officer wears a VR headset branded with a Dark Slope company logo.


Improving police response to mental health crises through immersive simulation training

Police officers are improving their ability to respond to and de-escalate mental health crisis situations using immersive, scenario-based simulation training developed by a Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) researcher and her collaborators, an ongoing project that has recently expanded to include the option to deliver training via virtual reality (VR).

360 Degrees

Two superimposed images implying human migration. On top: the earth's continents formed out of light. Beneath: several human figures silhouetted against the sky.


How AI could be a useful tool in refugee hearings

How can artificial intelligence (AI) be used to assist judges who are tasked with making life-changing legal decisions on if asylum seekers can stay in Canada?

A person seen through glass doors holds an iPad in a well-lit office space.


Measuring immigration policy change impacts

A change to Canadian immigration policies to assess applicants’ foreign education credentials as part of entry through the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) is having an overall positive impact on migrants’ labour market outcomes such as employment rates and earnings, but there is still an opportunity to improve the effects.

Urban Futures

Aerial shot of a foggy highway with a few cars. There are open green fields to either side of the highway. Sparse housing can be seen in the distance.


Finding on-demand transit solutions for low-density areas

As populations grow in small cities and towns, so does the need for reliable, efficient and cost-effective public transit systems. The traditional public transit model used in larger cities with a fleet of buses and subway cars moving residents along designated routes doesn’t always serve the needs of residents in low-density areas.

Culture

A colorful impressionistic graphic of mountains formed from the edges of water-color bleed. On one peak stands a green tree. Silhouettes of birds fly across the face of a pink sun.


Mapping the arts: How a digital map fosters connection and collaboration

From a national organization advocating for greater visibility and financial support for the live music industry to a small grassroots organization offering mentorship and networking opportunities for writers, arts service organizations (ASOs) provide crucial support for Canadian artists.

Partner to Innovate

A construction site where heavy equipment is being used to drive metal poles into the ground.


Enabling wider adoption of geothermal energy technology

Geothermal energy technology has the potential to offer environmental and financial benefits when it comes to heating and cooling buildings. One challenge, however, has been scaling down the needed infrastructure to be suitable for use in low- and mid-rise buildings, including residential homes. 

Two images: a salad bowl of mixed vegetables, eggs and plant protein on a white surface beside a close-up texture of salmon flesh.


Mimicking meat: Creating a next-generation plant protein

A near-perfect piece of protein is sizzling on your grill. Its texture, taste and appearance all mimic your favourite cut of meat, like a salmon fillet, a chicken breast or a juicy steak, turning plant protein into a delicious entrée. 

Meet the Expert

In a production studio, two people make funny faces along with a blue horse puppet while they look through an empty picture frame, creating the impression that they are the picture inside the frame.

 

Teaching preschoolers about anti-racism with CBC Kids

An opportunity to educate preschool-aged children about race and anti-racism also became a learning opportunity for early childhood studies professor Janelle Brady when she collaborated with CBC Kids to develop a video series called Proud to Be Me. The video series gave her a new way to present her research, this time directly to children.