The five-year funding for college’s applied research division, IDEAWORKS, is part of NSERC’s Mobilize program, intended to enhance the college’s existing research programs in seven key strategic areas: advanced manufacturing, energy and power, digital health, health technology, Internet of Things, unmanned sensor systems, and sustainability.

In addition to creating hundreds of student research jobs over the next five years, the funding will also allow IDEAWORKS to expand its technical expertise to help local and regional companies become more efficient and more accurate in process and product development, the development of new products, and improving product and process quality.

IDEAWORKS oversees multiple innovation centres and research labs, including the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), the mHealth and eHealth Development and Innovation Centre (MEDIC), the Energy and Power Innovation Centre (EPIC), the Unmanned and Remote Sensing Innovation Centre (URSIC), the Sensor Systems and Internet of Things (IoT) Lab, the Centre for Emerging Research Initiatives (CERI), the Centre for Climate Change Management (CCCM), and a research chair in Sustainability.

The funding is part of an announced federal investment of $85 million for 76 grants  through the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program, managed by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. This applied research funding will help colleges, CEGEPs and polytechnics across the country address a wide range of regional applied research priorities for industry, health, and not-for-profit community-based organizations. 

Two Mohawk researchers will be sharing their research with a global audience in April at the Sixteenth International Conference on Systems (ICONS).

Dr. Esteve Hassan, Mohawk’s Industrial Research Chair for IIoT Applications and Dr. Bilal Momani, a researcher at Mohawk’s IDEAWORKS and professor at Mohawk’s School of Engineering Technology, have been invited to present at the engineering conference which attracts researchers from around the world.

Their academic research papers build upon their applied research work at the college’s Sensor Systems and Internet of Things Lab, which supports the adoption of industrial IoT technologies through the development of proof-of-concept and prototype systems.

Their first paper, New approach to efficiently assess the power consumption of Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices, explores an emerging approach that can help FPGA vendors more accurately specify the energy consumption information of their products.

Their second paper, Assessing the performance of Mobile Ad-Hoc Network (MANET) routing protocols, highlights the increasing importance of decentralized wireless networks and explores some new mechanisms for planning suitable routing protocols and other configurations.

The papers will be available at the end of April. To request a copy of the papers, please email IDEAWORKS.

Thanks to the significant amount of data collected from space, public domain satellites are often positioned as useful tools for monitoring crop health. But are they useful enough for farmers to ditch their more expensive drones and UAVs?

A new case study from Mohawk College’s IDEAWORKS is highlighting how open-source data could make precision agriculture more affordable, reducing the need for individual farms to make significant investments in remote monitoring- but that it is not without its limitations.

Mohawk researcher Soham Shah explored how open source data could be used in conjunction with Canadian resources such as the Canadian Crop Metrics Application to improve agricultural productivity.

The case study and full research report are available online.

Upcoming webinar showcases how drones can be used to monitor crop health.

In agriculture, nothing is more important than the health of your crop- and the earlier you can address crop health issues, the better. New technology is making it possible to discover issues with crops before they are even visible to the human eye.

On March 2, Greg Matzke will be sharing the research results from his study that explored how multispectral sensors, when installed on a UAV (drone) could help determine the growth conditions of various types of vegetation such as wine crops in the Niagara on the Lake area.

The researchers mounted Multispectral cameras with RGB (Red, Green, Blue) near infrared and red edge bands on a DJI Inspire 1 Pro drone in order to determine the growth conditions of various types of vegetation. As near infrared and red edge bands are not visible to human eye, they can easily detect deficiency of chlorophyll, green pigment in the plants responsible for photosynthesis process and this allows for early intervention.

Greg Matzke is a professor in the Chemical, Environmental and Biotechnology Department at Mohawk College. His research project was supported by the IDEAWORKS Catalyst Fund (ICF), which provides funding to support new applied research and innovative scholarship in teaching and learning at Mohawk College.

The free webinar will be held on Thursday, March 2, 2021 from 2 p.m.- 3 p.m. and is open to Mohawk College employees, students and the public.

Register here.

Three upcoming webinars hosted by Mohawk faculty and staff will highlight innovative approaches to college teaching and learning.

The webinars are part of the 2020-2021 IDEAWORKS webinar series and will showcase research findings related to the scholarship of teaching and learning research projects:

• The Wellness Connection Program & The Power of Peer Mentorship will take place on February 4, 2021, at 2 p.m.
• Mind the Gap: Arts-based strategies for Enhancing Essential Employability Skills will take place on February 16, 2021, at 2 p.m. 
• Impact of Experiential Learning Camp Retreat on Student Success will take place on March 18, 2021, at 2 p.m.

The three research projects were supported by the IDEAWORKS Catalyst Fund (ICF), which provides funding to support new applied research and innovative scholarship in teaching and learning at Mohawk College.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, commonly abbreviated to SoTL, is an emerging research field focused on improving student learning, enhancing educational quality, and sharing results to a community of teacher-scholars.

In addition to the SoTL Webinars, IDEAWORKS will be hosting a webinar on March 2, 2021, that will share the applied research findings of an agricultural industry project.

Recordings of past SoTL Webinars are also available to watch at Mohawk College’s YouTube Channel:

• Can College Students Really Work as Partners with Faculty? Testing a Student-Faculty Partnership for Co-constructing an ECE Outdoor Play Resource
• Enhancing Industry Training in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
• How to create a positive learning environment with the Start-Stop-Continue app

The webinars are open to Mohawk College employees, students, and the public.

For registration and further information:

• Register for The Wellness Connection Program & The Power of Peer Mentorship webinar.
• Register for Mind the Gap: Arts-based strategies for Enhancing Essential Employability Skills webinar.
• Register for the Impact of Experiential Learning Camp Retreat on Student Success webinar.

Upcoming webinar showcases how drones can be used to monitor crop health.

In agriculture, nothing is more important than the health of your crop- and the earlier you can address crop health issues, the better. New technology is making it possible to discover issues with crops before they are even visible to the human eye.

On March 2, Greg Matzke will be sharing the research results from his study that explored how multispectral sensors, when installed on a UAV (drone) could help determine the growth conditions of various types of vegetation such as wine crops in the Niagara on the Lake area.

The researchers mounted Multispectral cameras with RGB (Red, Green, Blue) near infrared and red edge bands on a DJI Inspire 1 Pro drone in order to determine the growth conditions of various types of vegetation. As near infrared and red edge bands are not visible to human eye, they can easily detect deficiency of chlorophyll, green pigment in the plants responsible for photosynthesis process and this allows for early intervention.

Greg Matzke is a professor in the Chemical, Environmental and Biotechnology Department at Mohawk College. His research project was supported by the IDEAWORKS Catalyst Fund (ICF), which provides funding to support new applied research and innovative scholarship in teaching and learning at Mohawk College.

The free webinar will be held on Thursday, March 2, 2021 from 2 p.m.- 3 p.m. and is open to Mohawk College employees, students and the public.

Register here.

Communication is an essential transferable skill. Yet, many learners struggle with oral and written expression.

On February 16, Dr. Christine Boyko-Head and Glenys McQueen-Fuente will showcase the results of their research project that explored how learners could overcome the threat of the blank page through music, storytelling, cartooning, role-playing, laughter and fun. Their project used applied arts-based strategies to mind/mine the communication gap in learners and help them become more confident, motivated and articulate. In the words of one observer, “this isn’t your ordinary communication classroom – they’re having too much fun”.

Dr. Boyko-Head is a professor of communications at Mohawk College. Ms. McQueen-Fuentes is a recently retired professor of dramatic arts at Brock University. Their research project was supported by the IDEAWORKS Catalyst Fund (ICF), which provides funding to support new applied research and innovative scholarship in teaching and learning at Mohawk College.

The free webinar will be held on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 from 2 p.m.- 3 p.m. and is open to Mohawk College employees, students and the public.

Register here.

Webinar will help faculty and academics discover how to integrate peer mentorship in an academic program.

Research has shown that education and training can improve social mobility, jobs and incomes, and health outcomes. But for many Ontarian students, barriers such as mental and physical health issues, poverty, and addiction, can prevent them from realizing all the advantages of a post-secondary experience.

On February 4, Lisa Alfano, Sara Ali and Cheryl Richesin will be sharing their research findings from the Mohawk Academic Upgrading Wellness Connection, a peer mentorship program. Their research study explored how a preventative approach could help students who face barriers and result in higher motivation, perseverance, resiliency, and retention rates. Through a combination of workshops, one-on-one and group meetings, and community referrals, the Wellness Connection provided students with the academic and career readiness, interpersonal, and coping skills they needed to successfully complete upgrading and transition to their next steps. Part of the program’s effectiveness lies in its delivery by an Academic Upgrading graduate.

Lisa Alfano and Cheryl Richesin are Professors of Communications in the Academic Upgrading program at Mohawk College. Sara Ali was a Wellness Peer Mentor in Mohawk’s Community Access and Engagement and is now a Triage Officer for Accessible Learning & Counselling Services.

The project was supported by the IDEAWORKS Catalyst Fund (ICF), which provides funding to support new applied research and innovative scholarship in teaching and learning at Mohawk College.

The free webinar will be held on Thursday, February 4, 2021 from 2 p.m.- 3 p.m. and is open to Mohawk College employees, students and the public.

Register here.

The white paper, “Mohawk College’s Net Zero Energy and Zero Carbon Building- A Living Lab for high efficiency and renewable energy technologies in buildings,” provides an overview of the design criteria and technologies that were considered and used to achieve this innovative building. It summarizes and puts into context the effort undertaken by Mohawk staff and faculty to incorporate global best practices for net zero buildings. The paper explores how, by integrating sustainability principles in the design phase, the project team of Mohawk, EllisDon, mcCallumSather, RDH and B+H are able achieve significant energy savings- up to 80% less than the average educational service building.

The lead author is Mohawk College student and IDEAWORKS research assistant Rutul Bhavsar. The white paper was co-authored with Dr. Tony Cupido, Mohawk’s Research Chair in Sustainability and Dr. Mariano Arriaga, General Manager of the Energy and Power Innovation Centre. The research team was supported by Stephen Jankus and Clyde Sterry of Mohawk’s Facility Operations & Engineering Services group.

The Joyce Centre for Partnership and Innovation was designed as a living lab, integrating academic and applied research activities into the building’s day-to-day operations. For Electrical Engineering Technology student, Rutul, the opportunity to research the impact of on an award-winning building has been a highlight of his time at Mohawk.

“It was a great learning experience working on the white paper,” says Rutul. “This project has helped me understand how various technologies used in Mohawk College’s building and other modern buildings can improve occupant comfort and reduce environmental impacts.”

The white paper is available for download on Journal of Green Building’s website.

Simon Coulson, General Manager of the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) at Mohawk College, partnered with researchers at McMaster University to evaluate the suitability of Ti-553, a titanium alloy, for use in 3D printed implants.

Most 3D printed implants are manufactured using the Ti64 titanium alloy powder. The McMaster University research team wanted to understand if the topography (or surface features) of Ti-553 could improve the osseointegration of implants. Because Ti-553 is not a commercially available material for Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), they partnered with Mohawk College to produce the metal samples needed for the research study. Simon and his team validated the additive manufacturing process parameters needed to produce components from this novel material and manufactured the samples for the study.

The findings, along with the parameters for Ti-553, were recently published in Nanotechnology, an academic journal, and also published in 3D Printing Industry and in Metal AM magazine online.

Since 2007, staff and students working at MEDIC have helped government organizations, not-for-profits, and businesses develop and implement innovative digital health solutions to improve patient care all over the world.

It started with the creation of the Client Registry, a system that identifies and aggregates all parts of a patient’s health care history, providing practitioners with a detailed picture of the people they treat. The open-source software is used throughout the world, including close to home by eHealth Ontario.

MEDIC also created a tool for developers to communicate more easily in eHealth Ontario’s development environment, facilitating the process of improving digital health software. Called Everest, it reduces the time developers need to learn digital health software architecture language before doing meaningful work to improve the system.

In 2016, MEDIC has received Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) funding to assist small and medium digital health enterprises with innovation. Thanks to this funding that has allowed Mohawk to host Canada’s only Technology Access Centre (TAC) in Digital Health, MEDIC can develop digital health software, test solutions developed by other businesses, provide training, and host events like Apps for Health and FHIR North.

MEDIC hasn’t stopped there. Here are three ways one of Mohawk’s crown jewels is improving health care across the globe:

MEDIC makes it easier for digital health companies to launch their products in Ontario.

You’ve built the perfect Health IT product and it’s functioning perfectly in your tests. But will it work when it is being deployed in one of Ontario’s 463 hospitals?

That’s the question that eHealth Ontario and MEDIC wanted to answer when they collaborated to build the eHealth Ontario Innovation Lab. The online, open-access platform, helps health care companies test their products in a virtual environment, ensuring that their innovative new product will work in tandem with a patient’s electronic health record (EHR).

MEDIC’s team of software developers and network engineers built and continue to host the test environment, which includes patient records set up with dummy data to simulate the 14.57 million Ontarians. With the Innovation Lab, it’s possible for companies to quickly scale their product to serve the entire province, troubleshooting their products before they are deployed to hospitals and clinics. The result? Better technology and better patient care.

MEDIC supported digital health in Tanzania.

Immunization records also got a boost in Tanzania, thanks to a partnership between MEDIC and PATH, a global leader in health innovation. The project, funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, helps clinics in the largely rural country to manage vaccination supplies and patient reporting for 500,000 children and counting.

It also overcomes issues with Internet in rural and remote settings. The digital system enables practitioners to work offline. Patient and vaccination stock data is synched once a month, making it shareable between other eHealth systems in Tanzania. Clinics have been equipped with solar power charging systems for tablets to ensure patient and vaccination supply information can always be recorded electronically.

MEDIC is ensuring the sustainability of the system by training Tanzanian software developers to operate and change it as needed, building capacity in the country so that they have sustainable solutions.

MEDIC is Canada’s only Technology Access Centre in Digital Health.

In 2016, MEDIC has received Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) funding to assist small and medium digital health enterprises with innovation. Thanks to this funding that has allowed Mohawk to host Canada’s only Technology Access Centre (TAC) in Digital Health, MEDIC can develop digital health software, test solutions developed by other businesses, provide training, and host events like Apps for Health and FHIR North. Since its founding, over 400 companies from across Canada have come to MEDIC to leverage their testing, tooling, teaming and training services, and take their products from idea to commercialization.

Mohawk, with its IDEAWORKS applied research centre, was ranked 16th last year among Canada’s top 50 research colleges and was 23rd on the national list in 2017. The current top-10 ranking reflects the Hamilton college’s strategic commitment to research and innovation over the past four years, as spelled out in its 2016 five-year strategic plan.

“This latest recognition is a result of the dedication of our research teams and the strong relationship Mohawk has with our industry, community and government partners,” says Mohawk College President Ron McKerlie. “With two research chairs now in place, we will continue to push forward with our applied research efforts, for the benefit of our students, our research partners and the local economy.”

In addition, RE$EARCH Infosource confirms that Mohawk is the second-ranked large college in Canada in industry research income ($5.4 million) and industry research intensity (industry grants and contracts as a percentage of total research income).

“Our faculty and student researchers are committed to help partners address the challenges to their success and provide practical innovative solutions,” says Dean of Applied Research Jeffrey McIsaac. “We appreciate the confidence of our partners and the college leadership as we continue to raise the bar for applied research in Canada.”

Mohawk students, faculty and staff collaborate with industry, government and community partners on applied research projects in a number of key areas:

• MEDIC (mHealth and eHealth Development and Innovation Centre)
• AMIC (Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre)
• EPIC (Energy and Power Innovation Centre)
• Health Technology Innovation Centre
• Augmented and Virtual Reality
• Industrial Internet of Things Research*
• Sustainability Research*
• Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)
• Digital Accessibility
• Cybersecurity and Big Data
• Student Success & Social Innovation

(*includes research chair)

A deep well of applied research knowledge to benefit companies

This collaboration will foster the sharing of information and lead to the creation of an R&D program to develop solutions that would spur the adoption of this revolutionary technology by Québec and Ontario manufacturing companies. Under this same agreement, collaborative projects involving CRIQ and Mohawk College experts will give rise to an exchange program that will benefit students and trainees.

Continuous professional training for workers

Mohawk College has developed several courses in additive manufacturing, including a 14-hour training course for a national industry training program. Thanks to CRIQ’s participation, this industry training course will now be available to francophone clients in Québec. In addition, in the coming years the two institutions will jointly organize periodic seminars and symposia.

The annual awards recognize companies that display creative thinking and innovation in the development of a new product, service, process, partnership or campaign. Nominees must be able to prove that their innovation is having an impact on the business. The innovation must be proven, measured and reported through revenue or other key performance indicators. Nominees must also be headquartered in Canada.

The winners will be announced at an awards celebration in Toronto later this month.

The first priority needs to be college-specific funding for applied research, McKerlie told the Associate Minister. Mohawk has a strong record of attracting companies that want to develop and test ground-breaking ideas in arenas such as Digital Health, Additive Manufacturing (3D printing) and Energy Distribution.

“It is critical for government to understand that we can do more if the provincial strategy and investments can better appreciate what college applied research and college and industry collaborations can deliver,” he said.

Up to now, most of the funding from both levels of government has been geared toward universities. Provincial support industry-college collaborations will enable more companies to take advantage of colleges like Mohawk can offer.

Any funding for applied research needs to be available over several years, he said. The current system doesn’t guarantee that projects will get funding from year to year which makes it challenging for the colleges who must support it with the resources available to them and for the industry partners who want to know that their projects will be supported from start to finish.

McKerlie finished his presentation by asking the province to invest in college facilities that support their applied research work.

“It’s critical that government see this kind of infrastructure investment as meaningful and productive as any other kind of infrastructure investment,” he said. “Without the ability to partner with government on these new facilities, all colleges – not just Mohawk – will become limited in their critical role of supporting innovation.”

Mohawk’s call for greater investment into applied research and infrastructure at Ontario’s college echoes that of College’s Ontario, the advocacy organization that represents the province’s 24 community colleges.

“Ontario must strengthen its commitment to innovation,” said Linda Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario ahead of the budget consultations on Thursday. “Investments in applied research projects at colleges will develop real-world innovations for greater numbers of businesses.”

For more information on applied research at Mohawk College visit: http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/ideaworks

Story by Mohawk College Communications

By Blake Mancini

When you’re living in an age that is notorious for its dependence on smartphones and new technology- and where we face criticism for this dependency it’s often difficult to see the positive side of our reliance of technology. Every day, we are changing and modifying how we live our lives thanks to new apps and electronic devices that help us with banking, checking the weather and most recently, keeping up to date on our health.

Mobile health, or mHealth as it is also known, is having a big effect on how we, as consumers, track our own health - and its affecting the industry immensely. From wearable devices such as Fitbits, and smartphone tools such as Apple’s “Health “ application, keeping track of your health while has become easier than ever.

Michael Shreve, the director of Health Information Systems at the MedicAlert Foundation of Canada, believes that mobile health is going to have a dramatic effect on how healthcare is delivered.

“Right now, mobile health applications are consumer centric tools to help individuals track or monitor their health,” says Shreve. “Wearables tracking devices are provided by some advanced healthcare settings to track outpatient or post-op health. Over time devices and applications wlll merge and will be able to provide both the individual and or their caregiver instant access to their current state of health.”

“Wearables have greatly increased the ability to capture diagnostic information, and as smartphones evolve, many of these sensors will become standard features of newer phones.”

The MedicAlert Foundation is a Canadian charity that maintains over one million Canadian health records for first responders. In 2015, Mohawk College’s mHealth & eHealth Development and Innovation Centre (MEDIC) worked with the MedicAlert Foundation of Canada to create an app, available for iPhones and Android, which pushes boundaries in the field of mobile health. Intended for first responders in the field, the app allows them easy access to MedicAlert member information.

Shreve says that the application will have a positive impact on the way first responders handle patients while in the field, with a few quick clicks paramedics will be able to see the Member’s full record,

“MedicAlert believes that first responders can deliver better and quicker care if they know the health concerns of the individual. This application will allow MedicAlert to provide first responders with easier and simpler access to our member information.”

Currently, the information is only available via the 24/7 MedicAlert telephone hotline, where trained professionals have access to over a million electronic health records. With the introduction to the new app, paramedics can access the information on their device instead of having to listen to an operator and take notes.

The app is different from other healthcare applications because of its efficiency in delivering MedicAlert’s member’s information to first responders.

“There are other applications that collect and display medical records for both the patient and first responders,” states Shreve. “However, our application is focused soley on the needs of first responders who are providing emergency care, and will be rolled out to paramedics as a view-only tool.”

Working with Shreve on the project was Tara Oskam, an Advanced Diploma Software Development student at Mohawk College and a co-op student at MEDIC.

She considers the way the app was designed as a very important feature.

“We used high contrast colours so the application was easy to read and large buttons because paramedics generally wear gloves. Also, everything is accessible within two or three button clicks, because when you’re in an emergency you want to act quickly.”

“Great care was taken with the user experience design to ensure that paramedics would find the interface intuitive and easy to use,” says Shreve. “Patient information is organized for them by importance, and visual clues are given to let them know whether or not a patient has allergies, medications or special needs.”

According to Oskam, this app is a phenomenal example of how mHealth is beginning to affect the world of digital health and health care.

“Let’s say someone is incoherent and couldn’t tell paramedics what their allergies are, but are severely allergic to a certain pain medication, now the paramedic would know that and wouldn’t administer it on the way to the hospital,” explains Oskam.

“That could save someone’s life.”

But what exactly does the future of mHealth hold? It has already begun to changed the world of healthcare, and according to Shreve, will continue to do so exponentially over the next several years..

“mHealth will enable a dramatic shift in how healthcare will be delivered in the future,” says Shreve.

“Think doctor in your pocket.”

About the author:

Blake Mancini is final year student in Mohawk College’s Journalism program. He is completing his internship with iDeaWORKS, Mohawk’s department of applied research and innovation. 

In 2016, NRC-IRAP will provide funding to Mohawk College for up to ten SMEs to work with MEDIC, which is globally recognized for its digital health expertise.

The new agreement marks the third time that MEDIC has received support from NRC-IRAP to foster SME growth in the healthcare technology sector. Since 2013, MEDIC has helped 21 Ontario-based SMEs.

Customized service packages of up to 100 hours each will be available to five revenue-generating companies. As well, short service engagement packages of up to 20 hours each will be available to five start-up technology companies.

Available services at MEDIC include:

• Education and training in digital health.
• Support for new market entry and market expansion.
• Teaming services to enhance technical capacity and capabilities.
• Testing service to ensure product success and regulatory/security compliance.

A call for expressions of interest in the funded service packages will be open until February 5, 2016.

Criteria

• Canadian technology companies seeking digital health expertise.
• Revenue generating SME (Start-ups eligible for short engagement only)
• Selected projects will fit within MEDIC expertise.

How to apply:

If you are a Canadian SME that would like to work with MEDIC, please submit a 150-200 word overview of your company’s need and how MEDIC can help by February 5 to ideaworks@mohawkcollege.ca. A follow up interview may be scheduled for further information

Questions? Contact ideaworks@mohawkcollege.ca.

Associate Dean Kurt Muller of Media and Entertainment and his colleagues from across the college have received funding from the Applied Research and Innovation in Education (ARIE) Fund to purchase drones for an ambitious cross-disciplinary academic project.

The ARIE Fund project focuses on increasing students’ knowledge and ability around the use and maintenance sUAV (small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), also known as drones. This project will be the first partnership between Mohawk’s programs in aviation, journalism, creative photography, broadcasting, and television and communications media. The project will include a focus on training aviation students to provide maintenance and repair to the drones, and training media and entertainment students in the use and operation of drones.

The applied research will be led by Mark Laurie, PRT Aviation, who will focus on developing UAV technology knowledge. The pedagogical focus of this project will be led by Sue Prestedge, Journalism Coordinator; Scott Kenney, Creative Photography Coordinator; Tracey Kadish, Television: Broadcasting and Communications Media; Mark Laurie, Aviation; and Kurt Muller, Associate Dean, Media and Entertainment, who will support students as they receive training in the operation and maintenance of the drones. The project will also partner with Waterloo-based drone manufacturer Pointer Avionics. Pointer Avionics is also working with Continuing Education to offer a course in drone flight training.

The project will provide aviation technicians and media communication students with a competitive edge over graduates at other colleges who have not received this training. It is also the first step in the development of a post-graduate diploma on the use of drones and other camera technology.

For more information about the project, contact Mohawk’s Applied Research and Innovation department, iDeaWORKS at andrea.johnson4@mohawkcollege.ca

A live nursing simulation can be exciting and intense. Just as important as the simulation is the debrief that follows, a process that outlines what the students did right or could improve on.

With funding received from the Applied Research and Innovation in Education (ARIE) Fund, Health Sciences professor Christy Taberner will begin work on a technology mediated debriefing module that will make it even easier, for both students and faculty, to relive the learning exercise.

Her ARIE Fund project focuses on developing a mobile-based debriefing module that will allow for efficient debriefing of students following medical simulation activities. Simulations are powerful learning activities that model real medical situations; the debrief that follows the simulations allows students to reflect on their experiences, discuss emotions and get feedback. Debriefing is a very resource intensive experience and moving it online, while still maintaining a high-value student experience, will create more efficiency during the process.

This project will involve the participation of faculty from the practical nursing and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program as well as students, instructional designers and simulation technologists.

Once developed, the module will be able to be white labelled for other simulations in various health sciences programs at Mohawk.

For more information about the project, contact Mohawk’s Applied Research and Innovation department, iDeaWORKS at andrea.johnson4@mohawkcollege.ca

The McKeil School of Business professor is well known for her involvement with SURGE, Mohawk’s enterepreneurship connection and her commitment to her students in the Small Business and Entrepreenurship program. With the funding received from the Applied Research and Innovation in Education (ARIE) Fund, she wants to go one step further in promoting entrepreneurship education.

Sodtka’s ARIE project focuses on developing a blended entrepreneurship module that can be implemented and delivered in any program across the college. Recognizing that there is strong interest and support for more education and experiential learning around start-up business ventures, this module can become instrumental in providing students with an introduction and overview of entrepreneurship.

The project will be completed in partnership with Mohawk’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Program, SURGE, Innovation Factory, iDeaWORKS, the Hamilton Small Business and Enterprise Centre and other community partners.

This project will support the development of a module of integrated content that provides an overview of the foundations of entrepreneurship and that can be easily applied by faculty members to other programs of study.

For more information about the project, contact Mohawk’s Applied Research and Innovation department, iDeaWORKS at andrea.johnson4@mohawkcollege.ca

Hamilton, Ontario, November 25, 2011 — The Government of Canada will support 18 community colleges that partner with businesses to collaborate on applied research projects, including projects related to new clean energy technologies, more efficient forestry practices and technology designed to assist senior citizens. The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), announced these new partnerships at Mohawk College today.

“These new partnerships will provide skills training for students in the communities in which they are based, position Canadian colleges as a destination for top applied research talent and give local businesses in communities across the country access to the knowledge and resources they need to innovate and commercialize new products and services,” said Minister of State Goodyear. “These partnerships are necessary if we are to improve innovation in this country. Our government supports innovation because it creates jobs, improves the quality of life of Canadians and strengthens the economy.”

A total of 35 innovative partnerships between colleges and businesses will be provided with more than $13 million over a period of up to five years through the College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program. The projects announced today were selected for funding following a peer-reviewed competition. This announcement follows other CCI investments announced in 2009 and 2010, bringing total CCI investments to date to over $120 million for 182 projects at 53 colleges.

Mohawk College received over $2.2 million to build a comprehensive microgrid system that will help design and test power systems. The Mohawk College Applied Research Centre in Energy Technology will partner with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Horizon Utilities Corporation, General Electric, Langford and Associates Incorporated – Schneider, Fuseforward International Inc., and McMaster University to create the microgrid.

The CCI Program is a collaborative initiative jointly managed by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The program has also received the support of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges and Polytechnics Canada.

“These CCI investments provide colleges with access to the people, resources and tools they need to be at the forefront of innovation,” said Suzanne Fortier, President of NSERC, which administers the program. “The ultimate goal is to create sustainable partnerships that will help sharpen our innovative edge and have a positive impact on the bottom line of our country and industry.”

NSERC is a federal agency that helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for all Canadians. The agency supports some 30,000 post-secondary students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding more than 12,000 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging more than 1,500 Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects.

Mohawk is receiving more than $2.2 million over five years through the College and Community Innovation Program.  Mohawk is one of 18 community colleges across Canada to receive more than $13 million in total funding from the program. 

The Innovation Enhancement Grant will support a new Research Centre in Energy Technology at Mohawk College. The centre will launch an applied research project aimed at solving the challenges of connecting emerging small-scale localized power generation technologies, including solar panels and wind turbines, with existing power grids.

The applied research project will include the construction of a microgrid (a localized power grid) to test power generation, distribution, protection protocols and intelligent energy systems management.  The Mohawk College Applied Research Centre in Energy Technology will carry out the applied research project in partnership with Horizon Utilities, General Electric, Scheweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Langford and associates Incorporated – Schneider, Fuseforward International Inc. and McMaster University.

“Mohawk congratulates the Government of Canada for investing in applied research at community colleges,” says President Rob MacIsaac. ““Applied research projects offer students unique learning experiences and deliver innovative solutions for our industry partners. Together, we’re bringing new products and services to market that create jobs and build prosperity here in the Greater Hamilton Area and across the country.”

In June 2009, Mohawk received a $2.3 million College and Community Innovation Program grant to launch the Mohawk College Applied Research Centre in Health Informatics. The research centre is building and testing the first working prototype of a national electronic health records solution.

“The Government of Canada’s College and Community Innovation Program served as the catalyst for our industry collaborations and contributions to the emerging field of health informatics,” says Ted Scott, Mohawk’s Chief Innovation Officer. “With our new Applied Research Centre in Energy Technology, we intend to make a similar contribution by working with industry to adopt and integrate clean and renewal energy sources.”

Students, faculty and staff are currently working with industry partners on more than 40 applied research projects coordinated by Mohawk iDeaWORKS. The projects are coordinated by Mohawk iDeaWORKS which collaborates with small to medium-sized enterprises, private, non-profit and government organizations to promote innovation, productivity and competitiveness.