The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation has announced seven “commercialization-ready” academic research projects receiving a combined $540,000 from this year’s Climate Impact Grants.

NBIF and economic development agency Opportunities New Brunswick created the Climate Impact Research Fund to accelerate the development and implementation of technology for climate change mitigation and adaptation, building on $1.5 million of grants handed out by a similar Climate Impact Fund that NBIF administered over the last two years as part of its applied research funding activities.

“The invaluable support from the NBIF Climate Impact Research Fund ensures that our research findings will be tailored to meet the demands of the automotive industry, accelerating the transition to clean transportation and making EVs more cost-effective for the public,” said Clodualdo Aranas, a University of New Brunswick researcher working on electric vehicle technology that does not require rare earth metals.

Here’s a look at the researchers whose work is receiving funding, which were chosen out of 24 applicants:

Moulay Akhloufi

Université de Moncton

“Leveraging AI for Enhanced Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Mitigation,” $90,000

Akhloufi’s project is working with NBPower and PME Energy to develop and implement AI tools to improve the efficiency and resilience of power transmission systems.

Clodualdo Aranas

University of New Brunswick

“Rare-earth-free permanent magnets with high energy density for electric vehicles,” $90,000

Aranas is developing new magnets from transition metals such as iron and nickel, which may have the properties needed to compete with the very strong rare-earth magnets conventionally used in electric car motors.

Ian Church

University of New Brunswick

“A coastal site assessment digital twin: Linking ocean sensors to physical oceanographic simulation modelling to plan for climate adaptation,” $90,000

Church and his ocean mapping research group will be partnering with Port of Belledune to create maps and digital models aimed at helping the port prepare for climate change.

Shabnam Jabari

University of New Brunswick

“Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation through Advanced Urban Digital Twins and Augmented Reality,” $90,000

Jabari is developing digital twin tools intended to help New Brunswick municipalities prepare their infrastructure for climate change.

Nicolas Pichaud

Université de Moncton

“Honeybees’ resilience to climate change: problems and solutions,” $90,000

Pichaud and his team plan to soon trial a nutritional supplement for honeybees to evaluate its effectiveness in making them more resilient to climate fluctuations.

Heather Major

University of New Brunswick

“Phenotypic plasticity or adaptation? Response of Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) to ocean warming in the Bay of Fundy/Gulf of Maine,” $60,000

Major plans to study the population of Atlantic Puffins from Machias Seal Island in the Bay of Fundy, using this species as a model to inform how other species and ecosystems are responding to climate changes and rising ocean temperatures. The project is intended to help inform policy regarding ocean resources.

Shivam Saxena

University of New Brunswick

“Using Vehicle to Anything (V2X) to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change“, $30,000

Saxena plans to research methods of offsetting electricity demand from electric vehicle charging.