Creating knowledge that expands human possibilities
CIFAR is a Canadian non-profit research institute that has been changing the world of research and building Canada’s research capacity for 30 years. Today, our researchers are working on big questions with the potential to improve human health and the environment, transform technology, build strong societies, understand human culture and even chart the universe. Read more
12 Research Programs
Each CIFAR program convenes leaders from many disciplines and institutions to collaborate on answering a major question in advanced researchLearn MoreCosmology and Gravity
Creating a comprehensive story of the structure and evolution of the UniverseLearn MoreEarth System Evolution
Providing complex context for how our world has evolved over millions of yearsLearn MoreExperience-based Brain and Biological Development
Exploring how early social experiences affect lifelong development and healthLearn MoreGenetic Networks
Discovering how genes interact with one another to make us healthy or sickLearn MoreInstitutions, Organizations and Growth
Decoding the effect of institutions and organizations on economic growthLearn MoreIntegrated Microbial Biodiversity
Exploring the diverse microbial world that surrounds and permeates human lifeLearn MoreNanoelectronics
Harnessing the power of materials at the nanometre scaleLearn MoreNeural Computation and Adaptive Perception
Unlocking the mystery of how to recreate human-style learning in computersLearn MoreQuantum Information Processing
Understanding and exploiting the strange properties of the quantum worldLearn MoreQuantum Materials
Exploring materials whose unusual properties could revolutionize technologyLearn MoreSocial Interactions, Identity and Well-Being
Building social science concepts into traditional economic modelsLearn MoreSuccessful Societies
Exploring what makes societies successfulLearn More-
What we do
CIFAR embraces intellectual curiosity. We assemble leading Canadian and international researchers to collaborate on complex questions with scientific, economic, social and cultural importance.
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Who we are
Founded in 1982 with a multidisciplinary collaborative research model, CIFAR aims to create knowledge breakthroughs, advance Canada’s research community and fuel innovation.
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Support CIFAR
We invite you to become part of the CIFAR community. Your support will help make Canada the intellectual home for some of the world’s greatest collaborative advanced research.
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Junior Fellow Academy
The Junior Fellow Academy is an elite program that offers leadership and learning opportunities for gifted young scholars. CIFAR broadens their horizons and accelerates their professional development. New Junior Fellowships to begin in the summer/fall of 2012 are now being advertised with an application deadline of January 20, 2012.
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Next Big Question
Many of the Institute’s researchers have provided surprising and entertaining arguments related to what they think is the Next Big Question. This year, the presenters explained their perspectives on the nature of identity and responded to some of your questions.
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Support CIFAR
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- Thursday, January 26, 2012 Researchers discover reasons for the global rise of monogamous cultures
A team of researchers, led by CIFAR’s Joseph Henrich, conducted a comprehensive study to explore why monogamous marriage had become the dominant cultural institution in developed nations.
Read more - Thursday, January 26, 2012 Vijayendra Rao shares insights into how to improve effectiveness of foreign aid
In The Globe and Mail, CIFAR’s Vijayendra Rao shares his view that foreign aid agencies can enhance the effectiveness of their aid by making efforts to learn from their mistakes.
Read more - Friday, January 20, 2012 International team of scientists achieves secure “cloud” computing with quantum computers
A team of scientists, including CIFAR Junior Fellow Anne Broadbent, have demonstrated that “blind quantum computing” is now possible.
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Upcoming Events
- Tuesday, January 31, 2012Earth System Evolution program meeting
Location: Hawaii (private meeting)