Creating knowledge that expands human possibilities


CIFAR brings together top international researchers to create new knowledge that will change Canada and the world. Today, our global research networks are working on some of the most interesting and pressing questions of our time. Read more

Research Programs
12 Research Programs Cosmology and Gravity Earth System Evolution Experience-based Brain and Biological Development Genetic Networks Institutions, Organizations and Growth Integrated Microbial Biodiversity Nanoelectronics Neural Computation and Adaptive Perception Quantum Information Processing Quantum Materials Social Interactions, Identity and Well-Being Successful Societies

12 Research Programs

Each CIFAR program convenes leaders from many disciplines and institutions to collaborate on answering a major question in advanced researchLearn More

Cosmology and Gravity

Creating a comprehensive story of the structure and evolution of the UniverseLearn More

Earth System Evolution

Providing complex context for how our world has evolved over millions of yearsLearn More

Experience-based Brain and Biological Development

Exploring how early social experiences affect lifelong development and healthLearn More

Genetic Networks

Discovering how genes interact with one another to make us healthy or sickLearn More

Institutions, Organizations and Growth

Decoding the effect of institutions and organizations on economic growthLearn More

Integrated Microbial Biodiversity

Exploring the diverse microbial world that surrounds and permeates human lifeLearn More

Nanoelectronics

Harnessing the power of materials at the nanometre scaleLearn More

Neural Computation and Adaptive Perception

Unlocking the mystery of how to recreate human-style learning in computersLearn More

Quantum Information Processing

Understanding and exploiting the strange properties of the quantum worldLearn More

Quantum Materials

Exploring materials whose unusual properties could revolutionize technologyLearn More

Social Interactions, Identity and Well-Being

Building social science concepts into traditional economic modelsLearn More

Successful Societies

Exploring what makes societies successfulLearn More

  • What we do

    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

    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

    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

    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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  • Inspiring Leadership Event

    Inspiring Leadership Event

    Join CIFAR’s exceptional community of leaders in academia, business and government as we gather to pay tribute to CIFAR’s retiring President and CEO Chaviva Hošek and to mark the Institute’s 30th anniversary.

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