Challenge What’s Possible

At Carleton University, we know that solving big problems demands that we challenge conventional modes of thinking and doing, and imagine new possibilities. We believe that by working together, we can design a better future.

We have grown to become one of the most resourceful and productive hubs of learning and growth, forging real partnerships to create research and education that tackles tough, complex challenges and improves lives. Discover these stories of innovative, inclusive and sustainable impact.

A doctor touches an image of a brain on an augmented reality display, design concept to reflect mental illness.

Personalized Treatment for Mental Illness

Identifying causes for a more effective clinical response

Health and Wellness | 3 min. read

Mental illness is a medical puzzle. People with conditions such as major depressive disorder comprise diverse populations. Some individuals have […]

Solar panels and wind turbines

Reducing Renewable Energy Uncertainty

Working towards accurate wind and solar power forecasts

Sustainability | 3 min. read

Two of the most important technologies for mitigating global warming, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, are wind […]

A view of a park with two park benches and lots of greenery.

The Natural Path to Happiness

Happiness Lab explores the link between nature and well-being

Health and Wellness | 3 min. read

It's now been three years since COVID-19 entered our collective consciousness. While the physical health implications of the pandemic received […]

Vegetation grown in a modular farm to address food access issues

Growing Food Year-Round

Modular Farming Company Breaks Down Barriers to Food Access

Sustainability | 3 min. read

Access to nutritious and affordable food is a Canada-wide challenge that disproportionately affects rural and remote communities. While 12.7 per […]

Two hands holding the steering wheel of a simulator designed to help older adults with driving.

Keeping Older Adults Safe on the Road

Driving Simulator Research Will Help People Remain Independent

Technology for Good | 3 min. read

As people age, natural declines in physical and cognitive function affect our ability to process information and make decisions. This […]

A woman wearing a virtual reality headset and holding a virtual reality controller, with a LED screen on a wall in the background.

The New Virtual Classroom

How holograms and immersive environments are transforming education

Technology for Good | 3 min. read

A group of students sits inside a classroom at the school in Mayo, Yukon, a small village about 400 kilometres […]

A multi-touch display with health data.

Improving Doctor-Patient Communications

Interactive technology makes it easier to share and discuss health data

Health and Wellness | 3 min. read

The human body is an incredibly complex machine. When it stops working properly, the doctors trained to fix it often […]

Mountain pine beetle - credit:Ron Long, Simon Fraser University, Bugwood.org

Fighting An Invasion

Scientists and policy experts work to stop spread of invasive species

Sustainability | 3 min. read

In the early 1990s the mountain pine beetle outbreak began in British Columbia, wiping out more than half of the […]

An elder patient puts her hand on the hand of a caregiver.

Detecting Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Early

Researchers Create Non-Invasive Tool That Uses Saliva

Health and Wellness | 3 min. read

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are devastating neurodegenerative diseases, primarily seen in those over the age of 65 and collectively affecting nearly […]

A design concept representing carbon neutrality and net-zero. A hand holds a net-zero icon which is surrounded by other smaller icons representing emissions targets.

Net-Zero Now

Researcher helps accelerate decarbonization in Canada

Sustainability | 3 min. read

To ward off the worst impacts of climate change, Canada has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. That means […]

Screws of a cruise ship in the Atlantic

Tackling Global Warming

Entrepreneurs raise over $10 million for innovative approach to removing carbon

Sustainability | 3 min. read

Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and replacing them with renewable sources of clean energy is the most important front […]

A design concept depicting chronic pain in a spinal column with inflammation

Targeting Chronic Pain

Carleton Research Partnership Aims to Develop Safe and Effective Drug Treatments

Health and Wellness | 3 min. read

One in four people around the world experience chronic pain, outnumbering everybody who suffers from diabetes, heart disease and cancer […]

Tags: Health

A family of 3 in the kitchen preparing food with the a gardening pod resting on the kitchen counter.

High-Tech Food Security

Start-up Develops Indoor Gardening Solution

Sustainability | 3 min. read

Two of the biggest worries on the minds of Canadians are climate change and the rising cost of groceries. A […]

Aerial view of an net zero residential community

Next Gen Net Zero

Ontario Townhouse Development Offers Energy-Efficient Living Without Sacrifices

Sustainability | 3 min. read

Almost half of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions come from burning fuel for heat and electricity in homes, offices and industrial […]

Ewan Reid stands in front of a space exploration rover

Extraterrestrial Exploration

Using Tech and AI to Unlock Potential of Moon, Mars and Address Issues on Earth

Technology for Good | 3 min. read

Although the possibility of settlements on Mars or mining on the moon ignites the imagination, space exploration delivers many more […]

Carleton University master's student Emilie Stewart-Jones gathering data for her research

Permafrost Thaw and Our Climate

Research Helping Canada's North Plan for the Future

Sustainability | 3 min. read

About 40 per cent of Canada's land mass is underlain by permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen ground beneath the […]

Prof. Cynthia Cruickshank

Building to Net Zero

Innovations in Building Technology Key to Fighting Climate Change

Sustainability | 3 min. read

In Canada, nearly 30 per cent of the energy consumed is used to heat and cool our buildings, producing more […]

A close up sho of microplastics on some fingertips.

Microplastics Pollution and Your Health

Using Technology to Find a Growing Environmental Threat

Sustainability | 3 min. read

Plastic pollution was already viewed as one of the most pressing environmental issues on the planet when, this spring, researchers […]

Close up of a cricket on a green leaf

Edible Insects

Why Cricket Protein Could be a Game-Changer

Sustainability | 3 min. read

Our planet's population is expected to reach nearly 11 billion by the end of this century, which will create a […]

Side view of an office building at night

Remote, Hybrid or In-Office

New Research Examines Post-Pandemic Work Preferences

The New Economy | 5 min. read

At the beginning of 2021, 32 per cent of Canadian employees worked most of their hours from home, compared with […]

Obruta's docking system on a representative satellite

Mission Critical Technology

Start-up Aims to Make Spacecraft More Sustainable

The New Economy | 3 min. read

As more and more companies and countries launch satellites and other spacecraft into orbit, the value of the global space […]

Tags: Technology

Dr. Paul Beaulé works with Carleton University researcher Andrew Speirs to improve orthopedic surgery innovations and the implants used

Improving Orthopedic Implants and Surgery

Researchers use Robotic Arm to Support Orthopedic Innovations

Health and Wellness | 3 min. read

Hip and knee replacements are two of the most common surgical procedures in Canada, with nearly 140,000 operations a year […]

Tags: Health

Promotional image for FireWork app featuring a runner

Connecting Fans, Athletes and Brands

App Helps Athletes Build Their Brand and Partnerships

The New Economy | 3 min. read

Every four years the world is introduced to new Olympic heroes, as athletes who have worked for years to master […]

A lab technician at work

New Research Suggests Link Between Contaminants And Diabetes

Chemicals found in clothing, cookware, furniture & pesticides among the reasons

Health and Wellness | 3 min. read

Right now, nearly one in three Canadians—11 million people—are living with diabetes or prediabetes, and the numbers are on the […]

Tags: Health

Carleton University's John Anderson looks to find ways to improve cognitive abilities in older adults

Improving Cognitive Abilities in Older Adults

Challenging the Declines Associated with Aging Brains

Health and Wellness | 3 min. read

The human brain is the most complex organ in the body and the most powerful computer in the universe. It […]

Tags: Health

Carleton University's Maria Rogers

Success at School and Beyond

Helping Child and Youth Mental Health Through Education

Health and Wellness | 3 min. read

Roughly 1.2 million children and youth in Canada experience mental health challenges, from anxiety and depression to eating disorders and […]

Tags: Health

A view of Earth from the International Space Station

Preparing for Space Travel

No longer science fiction, research project examines how humans live in space

Technology for Good | 3 min. read

As long-distance space travel transforms from a science fiction fantasy to a near-future reality, humanity is faced with a complex challenge: Can people socially and culturally adapt to and survive spending years hurtling across the universe in a contained, artificial space?

Inside the Large Hadron Collider's ATLAS detector at CERN. Photo by CERN.

Research, Innovation & COVID-19

Uncovering the Universe’s Secrets and Driving Real-World Applications at CERN

Technology for Good | 4 min. read

For nearly seven decades, CERN—the European Organization for Nuclear Research, based in Geneva—has been at the forefront of world-changing innovations, […]

Tags: Technology

A team of Carleton University robotics researchers

Paging Dr. Robot

Using Medical Robots to Reduce Risks for Health-Care Workers

Technology for Good | 3 min. read

The robot wheels into the hospital room of a patient who is coughing and feverous—symptoms typically associated with COVID-19 or a number of other contagious illnesses.

Tags: Health, Technology

Carleton University economics graduate James Nguyen

Cybersecurity Beyond ‘Y2Q’

Stopping Cyber Attacks Today and Tomorrow

Technology for Good | 4 min. read

In the not-too-distant future, a new generation of powerful computers will transform our world in myriad ways, from advances in […]

Tags: Security, Technology

A senior citizen working in a smart home kitchen.

Smart Home Solutions

Supportive Home Automation to Help Seniors Age in Place

Health and Wellness | 3 min. read

By 2037, an estimated 10.4 million Canadians will be 65 or older, about 25 per cent of the population compared […]

Tags: Health, Technology

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