The INRS Foundation is proud to announce the first winners of the new FISES (Fonds pour l'innovation et le soutien à l'entrepreneuriat scientifique) grants in partnership with the Service des partenariats stratégiques et du soutien à l'innovation (SePSSI). These grants are designed to encourage innovative entrepreneurial projects led by INRS students.
The three 2024 recipients are :
Connor Rowe, PhD student in energy and materials science, Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications: $2,000
“For me, receiving this scholarship represents an opportunity to take the first step towards transforming my research project into a concrete impact on the industry. In the short term, the bursary I receive will enable my co-founder and I to create a website to communicate our idea to the world. The bursary also represents the level and availability of support for students and future entrepreneurs at INRS through organizations such as the INRS Foundation.”
His project: He developed a revolutionary real-time spectrum analyzer (RTSA) based on a patented photonic time-lens technology. For everything from telecommunications to fundamental scientific research, gain the most complete visualization of a signal with tens of GHz of bandwidth at sub-nanosecond speeds, orders of magnitude beƩer than state-of-the-art electronic technologies.
Nicolas Perron, PhD student in energy and materials science, Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications: $1,000
“I'd like to express my gratitude to the INRS Foundation for awarding me a scholarship. This opportunity brings me one step closer to setting up a business, and is also a gesture of confidence on the part of INRS, demonstrating its support for my entrepreneurial project.”
His project: The growth of artificial intelligence is having a major impact in Canada and elsewhere! These changes are having a major impact on network infrastructure, network switches and computational systems, and will force them to reach nearly 10% of global energy consumption by 2030. With their photonic switch, they plan to reduce the energy required for daily operation by more than 100 times, and the costs associated with the components they use by more than 50%.
Emre Yurdusev, doctoral student in biology, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie: $1,000
“Receiving this scholarship is a recognition that goes far beyond the financial aspect. The entrepreneurial journey is often littered with challenges, uncertainties, and questioning that can sometimes shake determination and morale. This kind of recognition acts as a valuable validation of our efforts and vision, an encouragement to keep going despite the ups and downs. The fact that this recognition comes from INRS, a community I'm proud to be part of, adds an even more special dimension. It feels like the support of a family that believes in us and our ambitions, and it motivates me to go even further with this project that is so close to my heart.”
His project: Nemrod Biotech is developing a breakthrough technology for rapid identification and isolation of microorganisms of interest, based on nucleosensors that directly transform the detection of targeted microbial activities into visual signals. This innovation promises to significantly accelerate the discovery of microbial solutions in environmental, agri-food, and health sectors
The selection process took place in two stages. From the eight applications received, five finalists were selected for a second round of evaluation. These candidates presented their entrepreneurial project in a three-minute “pitch” format, followed by a question-and-answer session with the evaluation committee, dubbed our “dragons” for the occasion.
We would like to thank the selection committee, made up of Caroline Montminy, Vice-President, Burgundy Asset Management, and member of the Board of Directors of the INRS Foundation, Marc-André St-Yves, INRS graduate and Lead Research and Innovation, Espace Inc, Élise Comtois, Executive Director of the INRS Foundation, and Karine Souffez, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation Support, INRS.
The competition was administered by Louise Savard, Scientific Entrepreneurship Advisor at INRS, whom we also warmly thank for her involvement.
Although three projects were rewarded, all candidates will benefit from personalized coaching from INRS's Strategic Partnerships and Innovation Support Department to further develop their entrepreneurial ideas and skills.
The FISES grants are a new way of encouraging innovation and strengthening the entrepreneurial culture at INRS. This inaugural competition, launched this fall and closed on November 7, marks an important step in our commitment to supporting students in their bold initiatives.
Congratulations to our winners and thanks to everyone involved in this success!