NSERC Engage is a collaborative research and development program where businesses may access university researchers to help solve an innovative technological problem. Recently, 10 NSERC Engage partnerships were formed between Canadian companies and Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Computer Science.
In addition to helping businesses find academic partners to help conduct R&D projects, businesses who apply for NSERC Engage may also receive up to $25,000 in research grants from the federal government. These grants, paid directly to the research institution, offset a large portion of researcher wages and a variety of other research costs. Projects should span no longer than 6 months and have tangible results upon completion.
The following NSERC Engage projects were successfully awarded research grants to complete innovative R&D activities. If your business has a similar project planned, consider using NSERC Engage grants to access a team of researchers and their research facilities.
NSERC Engage Successful Research Projects at Dalhousie University
Located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Computer Science is on the forefront of computer engineering technologies within Canada. They are a premier destination for youth entering the computer sciences field, and also assist with the research and development of innovative technologies that are increasing the competitiveness of Canadian businesses.
10 NSERC Engage projects were completed through the Faculty of Computer Science over the last year, of which some of the most interesting projects were:
Web Translation Services: Making the Internet More Accessible
International businesses must be accessible by customers in all of the markets they serve. Successful global companies must provide websites and electronic media to customers in a variety of languages. The easiest way for companies to do this is to setup multiple websites that have domains unique to the market or language. However, consistently publishing pages to a range of websites can be difficult, time demanding, and costly.
Proximify is a Canadian web services company is solving this issue by developing an automated content management system (CMS) that translates the HTML and CSS text of an existing webpage, then republishes this content in another language on a company’s international website.
Efficient Reporting and Investigation of Internet Browser Bugs
Software can sometimes behave in ways that it is not engineered to. At that point, the software may crash leading to data loss or even security threats. Although software development firms invest in the testing of software before it is launched, the full extent of problems that may come from a program is unknown until the product is adopted by a large number of users. When users experience crashes, details of these occurrences can be shared with the developers who can then patch or fix the issue.
Crash data is often stored in binary form, which can make the identification of a singular issue extremely difficult. Google wants to change this, which is why in partnership with Dalhousie, the company is investigating ways to tag/annotate parts of the code that suggest errors are occurring, which will help to determine a root cause faster.
Speech-to-Text Technology Innovates Healthcare Records
Hand-writing a patient’s medical information is an outdated and error-prone way to approach healthcare in the 21st century. When recording data from assessments such as radiology tests, doctors and healthcare professionals must have a way to accurately keep information in a structured, detailed way.
One way to help healthcare professionals keep records more accurately and efficiently is to implement a voice-to-text computing system that would be able to analyse and record a variety of medical terminology. Building a database for these terms, including abbreviations, and a computer program to contain medical records is a big job, however Dalhousie University and web document management company Palomino are collaborating to develop a system that solves the issue and advances Canada’s healthcare industry.
Professional Event Database for Workshops, Conferences, and Networking
There are an overwhelming number of websites online that list professional events such as conferences, workshops, and networking opportunities. Because these event listings are scattered across multiple sites, industry professionals miss events that could benefit them or their business. If there was a way to consolidate all of these listings in one place, it would make finding and registering for events a much easier process.
Analytic-OR has joined with Dalhousie University to automate the compilation of online event listings. The platform being developed through a NSERC Engage partnership will enable users to search events by their geography or industry to find valuable opportunities to grow or meet like-minded professionals.
How to Access NSERC Engage Grants for Small Business Research
If your business has a research and development project that may qualify for Canadian government funding through NSERC Engage, please contact Mentor Works.
We can help confirm your eligibility and provide comprehensive application support. This approach greatly reduces the amount of time and effort needed to apply for program and receive small business grants.
Recent NSERC Engage Research Grants News:
- Three Ways Your Business Could Benefit from an Academic Partnership
- R&D for Cannabis Beer Receives $45K in NSERC & OCI Grants
- NSERC Engage and NSERC Alliance: Collaborative Research Funding
- NSERC Engage and CRD Funding Updates Expected Later in 2019
- NSERC Awards Canadian Technology Grants for Robotic Lumber Application