Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research enables Canadian researchers to work on international research teams that are custom built to transform their fields of study. Founded in 1982, CIFAR has embraced a groundbreaking research model that creates knowledge breakthroughs, advances Canada’s research community and drives innovation.

CIFAR research is aimed at creating knowledge with the potential to change profoundly how we understand our world. Supporting nearly 400 researchers in 16 countries, CIFAR’s research model is uniquely suited to long-term, multidisciplinary and collaborative advanced research.

CIFAR is a not-for-profit organization, supported by individuals, foundations and corporations, as well as funding from the Government of Canada and the Provinces of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.

Operations

CIFAR has an annual budget of $16 million Canadian dollars and employs 31 full time staff members. This staff supports the research of nearly 400 researchers, of which about half are located within Canada while the rest are located abroad. The staff is directly responsible to the Chairman and the Board of Directors, who are responsible for funding allocation and approval of research programs. In 2001 Chaviva Hošek was appointed president and CEO.

Research topics

As of 2007, CIFAR supports research in 12 major multidisciplinary areas:

• Cosmology and Gravity (established 1986)
• Earth System Evolution (established 1992)
• Integrated Microbial Biodiversity (established 2007)
• Experience-based Brain and Biological Development (established 2003)
• Genetic Networks (established 2005)
• Institutions, Organizations, and Growth (established 2004)
• Nanoelectronics (established 1999)
• Neural Computation and Adaptive Perception (established 2004)
• Quantum Materials (established 1987)
• Quantum Information Processing (established 2002)
• Social Interactions, Identity and Well-Being (established 2005)
• Successful Societies (established 2002)

Archived Programs

• Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
• Evolutionary Biology
• Population Health
• Human Development
• Laws and the Determinants of Social Order
• Economic Growth and Policy
• Science of Soft Surfaces and Interfaces

Process

CIFAR sets its own research agenda, and works with senior academics around the world to identify major new areas of scholarly research where Canada has major potential to lead. The organization assembles diverse groups of scholars in its programs, many of whom are established leaders in their fields, and others of who are rising academic stars. The organization invests only in the researchers themselves, not in buildings, equipment, or laboratory supplies.

CIFAR supports advanced research by providing program members with such time-freeing benefits as teaching release, funding to hire graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, and general research funding.

The hallmark of the CIFAR research model is the unusual spirit of "deep collaboration" that is encouraged at regular program meetings. These meetings exist to bring together researchers from different countries, institutions, disciplines and levels of experience, who might never otherwise meet.

History

CIFAR was founded by Dr. James Fraser Mustard. The first 25 years of its history is covered in the book A Generation of Excellence by Craig Brown.

Since the Institute’s inception, 14 Nobel Laureates have been associated with CIFAR.

• Willard Boyle
• George A. Akerlof
• Sidney Altman
• Philip W. Anderson
• Kenneth Arrow
• Walter Gilbert
• Leland H. Hartwell
• Daniel Kahneman
• Robert B. Laughlin
• Anthony J. Leggett
• Roger B. Myerson
• John C. Polanyi
• Richard J. Roberts
• Michael Smith

See also

• Canadian government scientific research organizations
• Canadian university scientific research organizations
• Canadian industrial research and development organizations

External links

• Canadian Institute for Advanced Research