CIFAR Global Science for
Global Challenges
Presenter name
About CIFAR
Creates transformative knowledge that
addresses questions of importance to Canada
and the world
Connects Canada’s and the world’s best
researchers through 11 global research networks
Networks are highly interdisciplinary and deeply
collaborative; supported over extended periods
Focus around four themes: improving human
health, transforming technology, building strong
societies and sustaining
the Earth
Connecting Canada
to the World
Over 50% of 340 CIFAR
researchers are outside Canada.
At 104 institutions in 16 countries.
~1,400 graduate and postgraduate
students. Over 120 international
guests from 14 countries last year.
Countries with CIFAR researchers
Countries with CIFAR collaborators
Countries with no CIFAR researchers
Founded on
Research Excellence
Nearly 40% of CIFAR fellows are in the
top 1% of their fields.
15 Nobel Laureates have been associated
with CIFAR since CIFAR’s founding in 1982.
20% of researchers receive major awards
each year.
Leaders working to answer big questions
in multidisciplinary networks.
32 Years of Creating
Transformative Knowledge
CIFAR programs have:
Advanced our understanding of the way socio-economic
status profoundly affects health outcomes
Contributed to the Snowball Earth hypothesis, that our world
was entirely ice-covered more than 650 million years ago
Showed how the nature of governments and institutions is
important for why nations succeed or fail
Explained how earlier childhood experience “gets under the
skin” and affects us throughout the rest of our lives
Advanced the fields of artificial intelligence and machine
learning, e.g. voice recognition in the Android phone
CIFAR 2.0
Themes & Programs
Transforming
Technology
-Nanoelectronics
-Neural Computation
& Adaptive Perception
-Quantum Information
Processing
-Quantum Materials
Sustaining
the Earth
-Cosmology & Gravity
-Earth System Evolution
-Integrated Microbial
Biodiversity
Building
Strong Societies
-Institutions, Organizations
& Growth
-Social Interactions,
Identity & Wellbeing
-Successful Societies
Improving
Human Health
-Child & Brain
Development
-Genetic Networks
CIFAR 2.0: Addressing Questions of
Importance to the World
Driving impact by
creating
transformative
knowledge
Broadening our
global reach
Nurturing the
world’s promising
early-career
researchers
Engaging
stakeholders through
knowledge
outreach
Engaging partners
Fostering a culture
based on
transparency,
outward-focus
& risk-taking
CIFAR 2.0
Looking Outward
Global Reach
Through
Partnerships
Connecting Canadian researchers
with the world and finding new
partners to open up our networks
and expand our reach.
Complex Questions
of Importance to Canada
and the world
Answering complex, important
questions that are identified in an
open, consultative way and require
different disciplines to come together
to meet today’s global challenges.
Impact Through
Research Excellence
in Action
Networking the very best minds,
sharing new knowledge broadly
and engaging young scholars for
increased impact in the world.
CIFAR 2.0
New Initiatives & Goals
Global Call for Ideas
– Address complex, important questions
for the future of humanity
– Broaden our global reach
Global Academy
– Develop the next generation of research
leaders in Canada & abroad
Research into Action
– Create greater impact through
knowledge outreach and exchange
Partnership & Collaborations (e.g. The Banff Centre)
– Create a culture of partnerships to extend our
impact on the questions that matter most
Current Funding
Allocation by Themes
Improving
Human Health
$2 million (13%)
Building
Strong Societies
$4 million (25%)
2013-2014
Budget
CAD$16 million
Sustaining
Earth
$5 million (31%)
Transforming
Technology
$5 million (31%)
CIFAR Research
Portfolio Evolution
EXPLORATION
PROGRAM
CIFAR Research
Portfolio Evolution
EXPLORATION
PROGRAM
CIFAR Program
Genetic Networks
Devoted to discovering how genes interact with one another
and finding the root causes to many complex genetic diseases.
Founded 2005
Program Directors, Brenda Andrews,
Frederick Roth, University of Toronto
Number of fellows and advisors: 19
Number of institutions: 10
Disciplines: functional genomics, genetics,
computational biophysics, bioinformatics,
systems biology focusing on yeast, roundworm,
mouse and human genes
Pooled screening results
from 29 breast cancer cell
lines reveal the genes
implicated in four known
subtypes of breast cancer.
CIFAR Program
Integrated Microbial Biodiversity
Explores the diverse microbial world that surrounds
and permeates human life.
Founded 2007
Program Director, Patrick Keeling,
University of British Columbia
Number of fellows and advisors: 33
Number of institutions: 21
Disciplines: bioinformatics, microbial comparative
genomics, micropaleontology, molecular evolution,
protistology, virology
A light micrograph of the
human intestinal parasite,
Blastocystis.
CIFAR Program
Successful Societies
Explores the roots of social inequalities.
Founded 2002
Program Director, Peter Hall & Michelle Lamont, Harvard
Number of fellows and advisors: 17
Number of institutions: 11
Disciplines: cultural studies, developmental and organizational
psychology, history, philosophy, political science,
political economics, sociology,
A vibrant market community
in Malawi.
CIFAR Program Institutions,
Organizations & Growth
Takes an integrated approach to the question of what makes
some countries rich and others poor.
Founded 2004
Program Director, Elhanan Helpman,
Harvard University
Number of fellows and advisors: 29
Number of institutions: 14
Disciplines: economics, history, political science,
anthropology
New York Times bestseller
on the origins of power,
poverty and prosperity.
CIFAR Global
Academy
CIFAR Global Scholars are elite fellowships that build
research and leadership capacity in gifted young scholars.
Only program of its kind in Canada.
CIFAR Global Academy includes a suite of early-career programs
including winter and summer schools and workshops.
CIFAR Portfolio Renewal
2013 — CIFAR issues its first-ever
Global Call for Ideas
Resulted in over 260 responses
Seven developed into full proposals
through workshop processes
2014 — 4 new research programs
selected for start-up
Knowledge Outreach
• Now an important point of
accountability for CIFAR's mission
• CIFAR connects fellows with policy
makers, business leaders and
practitioners
• By sharing knowledge produced in
programs, stakeholders are better
positioned to act
Thank you