Accessibility
All STARaCom Professors and their research team have priority access to the affiliated laboratory listed below. Each lab is managed by STARaCom funded Research Professionals (RPs) who
i) work with users on the technical details of their request (e.g., design of hardware, measurements),
ii) schedule usage of the facility, and where appropriate,
iii) fabricate hardware and/or perform measurements. Additionally, industry collaborators also routinely access facilities as part of the ongoing TBD industry partnership grants and contracts. RPs are vital to the success of these interactions.
Services
STARaCom launched the Facility Access Program for Entrepreneurs to support industry. STARaCom contributes 50% of the shared test/fabrication costs for work done at a STARaCom affiliated lab.
Common Infrastructure
i) the Poly-Grames Research Center (Poly) manufactures and tests radiofrequency components, circuits, and antennas with capabilities to measure the parameters of structures up to 750 GHz, and design communication systems in the 50 to 75 GHz, and 0.14 to 0.22 THz bands;
ii) the Photonic Systems Group optical fiber transmission systems testbeds (McGill) are used to support of academic and partnered industry research (e.g., NSERC Alliance grants) to develop Digital Signal Processing engines and optical/optoelectronic device technologies;
iii) the Communications and Microelectronic Integration Laboratory (ETS) fabricastes low temperature cofired ceramics and MEMS technologies for circuit, sensor and packaging applications and end-to-end wireless systems modeling and testing equipment;
iv) the Research Laboratory to Develop and Assess Smart Process Applications (UQAM) enables research in TBD; and
v) the RF laboratory at INRS is equipped with 1 – 70 GHz RF facilities, including an anechoic chamber, a full-automated hybrid near/far-field antenna measurement system, and microwave and millimeter-wave measurement instruments.
Deployment of network of Research Professionals (RPs): From April 1, 2020, to the present, STARaCom invested $1.18M ($392K/yr) to finance 12 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) RPs at 11 Nodes. Financing was matched by the Nodes demonstrating the Cluster wide commitment to STARaCom. As noted above, RPs provide direct service in support of basic and applied research. They are knowledge and technology transfer agents to the STARaCom end user and industry community. RPs maintain facilities in a research ready condition projects an “open for business" message to STARaCom research teams and the broader Quebec ICT user community.
Scheduling, and management of these facilities is done locally by onsite RPs. This web page describes in detail the functionality and services offered by each Node.
STARaCom academia, industry, and government researchers are growing their research enterprises. The grant and contract revenue growth rate is ~ 15% per year for all 3 user sectors. Significantly, STARaCom researchers execute hardware research. Funding, resourcing, and delivering hardware research is expensive, and funding increases enabled shift and increase in hardware research and development.
For any questions or to make a request, please contact Maru Basanez
The STARaCom Facility Access Program for Entrepreneurs (FAPE) was created to support recently founded SMEs by contributing to the shared test/fabrication costs for work done at a lab or facility associated with STARaCom.
STARaCom will contribute up to a maximum of 50% of the test or fabrication cost. The FAPE Grant is awarded as a payment to the institution that performed the test/fabrication upon completion of the work and presentation of an invoice.
A completed application form and the quote for the test/fabrication should be emailed toMaru Basanez.
STARaCom will provide an additional contribution to student salaries (“top-ups”) working on collaborative grant projects involving two or more STARaCom members as investigators.
A top-up of $3,000 per student per year (up to a maximum of $6,000 per grant per year) will be contributed by STARaCom to grant applications submitted.
STARaCom’s cash commitment will be recorded in a support letter that can be included with the grant application. Financial commitments will be made until the budget allocated for the Collaborative Grants Supplement Program is exhausted.
Grant application should have at least two (2) STARaCom members as investigators.
If you wish to apply, please send the form and all documents required toMaru Basanez.
Download formSTARaCom will contribute 50% of the cost of small equipment or consumables per application. Applications may be made as many times as desired. Allocation is based on scientific excellence, need for equipment or consumables and fair distribution of resources.
Applications are judged based on contribution and impact of equipment or consumables to collaborative research efforts. The Equipment/Consumables Grant is awarded as reimbursement after purchase.
Equipment/Consumables will be used to carry out collaborative research, and applicants will be STARaCom members or their PDF, PhD or MEng/MSc student.
If you wish to apply, please send the form and all documents required toMaru Basanez.
Download formSTARaCom will contribute 50% of the travel expenses, to a maximum of $1,000 per application, for a PDF, PhD or MEng/MSc student (see eligibility criteria below) to present research results at a conference. Allocation of grants is based on scientific excellence of the paper (e.g., conference quality) and fair distribution of resources.
The Travel Grant is awarded as reimbursement upon completion of travel and upon submission of required documentation (i.e., receipts). Travel Grant application(s) should be made before travelling. Students may reapply for the grant as many times as they wish.
Application can be made by a PDF, PhD or MEng/MSc student supervised by a STARaCom member and whose research results are in collaboration with at least one other STARaCom member (i.e., authorship must reflect the collaboration).
If you wish to apply, please send the form and all documents required toMaru Basanez.
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