Improving winter road safety and reshaping how we control waterborne diseases are the themes of two University of Guelph research projects that have received funding through the Ontario Research Fund (ORF).
This funding is part of more than $92 million invested by the Ontario government to support research projects at universities, colleges, research institutes and research hospitals across the province.
“This investment will support our researchers as they create cutting-edge, sustainable solutions to enhance the capabilities of Ontario’s infrastructure and public health sectors,” says Dr. Shayan Sharif, interim vice-president, research and innovation. “We thank the Government of Ontario for helping us transform these discoveries into solutions that promote health and safety in our communities.”
“When we invest in research, we invest in our province’s future,” says Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “These critical investments will ensure Ontario’s researchers can continue making discoveries that drive key sectors, create good-paying jobs, and improve the lives of all Ontarians.”
Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence
Dr. Bahram Gharabaghi
Dr. Bahram Gharabaghi, professor in the School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, will develop the next generation of “smart” salt trucks designed to improve road safety, reduce traffic accidents and mitigate environmental concerns associated with road salt during the winter.
Currently, salt trucks in Ontario are operated manually. Drivers use hands-on controls to dispense salt and brine and adjust the rate and amount being applied while operating plow blades and watching the road at the same time. The planning process for salt application is also manual and generally based on judgement and past experiences of road maintenance departments.
Gharabaghi says a lack of automation and consistency can lead to challenges. Roads remain slippery without enough salt and overapplication wastes resources. Additionally, overapplication near salt vulnerable areas (SVAs) – freshwater sources that may be contaminated by road salt – results in runoff that can harm ecosystems.
The tools being developed by Gharabaghi and his team – including Drs. Amir Aliabadi and Ed McBean, professors in the School of Engineering – will equip trucks with real-time, mobile road, weather and surface monitoring technology for precision salt application. Built-in, remotely operated control systems will apply salt and brine at optimum rates and combinations that are automatically calculated using road condition sensors, a vehicle’s GPS location and weather forecasts for that area. SVAs will also be mapped out and factored into these calculations to protect them from overexposure.
Together, these technologies will revolutionize winter road maintenance systems across the province to make driving safer, save resource costs and protect ecological areas.
The Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence (ORF-RE) program provides research institutions with funding to support operational costs of major projects that generate strategic value for the province.
Ontario Research Fund – Research Infrastructure
Dr. David McCarthy
Dr. David McCarthy, professor in the School of Environmental Sciences, Ontario Agricultural College and Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Waterborne Pathogens: Surveillance, Prediction and Mitigation, will develop innovative technologies that will enable earlier detection and better control of waterborne diseases.
McCarthy says current disease surveillance methods for water systems are limited. Poor sampling methods, expensive and time-consuming analytical methods, and incorrect identification of disease sources can reduce the efficiency of management strategies aiming to control pathogens in our waters. Without fully understanding where they come from, how they travel and where they end up, this can lead to costly mistakes and persistent health risks. Traditional water treatment methods are also expensive and often harmful to the environment.
Under this project, McCarthy and his team will develop accessible, integrated solutions for the surveillance, prediction and treatment of waterborne pathogens. These include technologies that can detect pathogens and their sources in near real-time – which McCarthy says is critical for disease risk reduction; modelling tools for pathogen tracking and risk assessment so that health organizations can respond to threats more accurately; and sustainable, cost-effective water infrastructure treatment systems to better control infectious agents in agriculture, recreation and drinking water scenarios.
The Ontario Research Fund – Research Infrastructure (ORF-RI) program’s Small Infrastructure Fund co-funds with the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF). Other U of G researchers also receiving these matching funds were awarded JELF funding in August 2023 and September 2024.
The ORF-RI program provides research institutions with funding to help support infrastructure needs, including modern facilities and equipment.