--- Business Leaders and Philanthropists Invest in Perimeter
Institute
WATERLOO REGION, Ontario /PR
Newswire/ - Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) has
forged strategic new partnerships that will inject more
than $4
million into fundamental research, training, and
outreach at the Institute.
The
philanthropic investments come from five additions to Perimeter's
successful private-public partnership: Gluskin Sheff, the Riddell
Family Charitable Foundation, Cenovus Energy, the Peter and Shelagh
Godsoe Family Foundation, and the RBC Foundation.
The
investments were announced during Convergence, a unique conference
at Perimeter where many of the world's leading physicists have
gathered to probe the field's most exciting ideas and chart a
course for the future.
"We
are immensely grateful to the business leaders and philanthropists
who today join the private-public partnership that powers
Perimeter," said Neil
Turok, Director of the Institute. "With hundreds of
scientists from around the world converging at Perimeter this week,
it is the perfect occasion to celebrate the vision of our unique
group of supporters. Their belief in us inspires us to succeed in
our research, training, and outreach efforts."
Turok
was joined in welcoming the new partners by Perimeter Founder and
Board Chair Mike
Lazaridis, and BMO Financial Group CEO Bill
Downe, who, in 2011, spearheaded his
organization's $4
million investment to create the BMO Financial Group
Isaac Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics at Perimeter
Institute.
The
new partnerships will provide over $4
million in support of:
Scientific Research:
The Gluskin Sheff Freeman Dyson Chair in
Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute, supported
with $2
million from Gluskin Sheff, matched by Perimeter, will
support Perimeter Faculty member Freddy Cachazo, a world leader in
quantum field theory.
The Clay Riddell Paul Dirac Chair in
Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute,
with $1
million from the Riddell Family Charitable Foundation,
matched by Perimeter, to support the research of Perimeter Faculty
member Pedro
Vieira, a rising star in mathematical physics.
The Cenovus Energy James Clerk Maxwell Chair
in Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute, which
provides $300,000 from
Cenovus Energy, matched by Perimeter, to support a
three-month-per-year visiting position to be held
by Subir
Sachdev in conjunction with his position
at Harvard.
Training of Future Physics Pioneers:
The Peter and Shelagh Godsoe Family Foundation
Award for Exceptional Emerging Talent, a $500,000endowed
fund to provide extraordinary young, yet-undiscovered physics stars
with the support they need to truly shine in the field.
Educational Outreach:
The RBC Foundation is
donating $300,000 over
three years as Presenting
Partner of Perimeter's International Summer School for Young
Physicists (ISSYP), a program that gives talented Canadian
and international high school students an inside look at research
in a world-leading facility. This donation builds on
RBC's $400,000 support
over the past four years.
Perimeter Founder and Board Chair Mike
Lazaridis said, "Perimeter is honoured to have a
vibrant and growing family of partners who share our vision. Their
support enables brilliant minds to tackle the deepest questions of
our time, and fuels an innovation ecosystem that is building a
brighter future for generations of Canadians."
Perimeter Director Neil
Turok said the investments come at a watershed moment
for fundamental physics.
"We
live in tremendously exciting times. Experiments are revealing the
universe with unprecedented clarity, from the quantum to the
cosmos," said Turok. "There are huge opportunities for the
breakthrough ideas which will allow us to make sense of it all.
Such understanding is priceless. Today's theoretical physics spawns
the technologies of tomorrow."
The
Chairs announced today join a growing complement of prestigious
positions at Perimeter, each named for one of history's greatest
physicists and envisioned to become among the most attractive
research positions in theoretical physics worldwide. Perimeter's
Research Chairs program provides support for a range of talent,
from early-career faculty reaching their peak years of research
productivity to renowned physics pioneers.
Speaking at Perimeter, BMO CEO Bill
Downe said: "The attendance of so many brilliant
thinkers in Waterloo for the Convergence conference demonstrates
the extent to which Perimeter Institute has firmly established
itself as a global leader in scientific research, training, and
educational outreach."
He
continued: "Today, we are here celebrating something every bit as
important to our country and our competitiveness as the strength of
our economy, our productivity, and the wisdom of our public policy.
Perimeter's boundless potential for unlocking new knowledge places
it at the very frontier of discovery. Its thinkers can change our
world by pushing the boundaries of our current understanding of
physical laws. We couldn't be more proud of our association with
the Institute – for us it has been a rare privilege. We made a
historic gift a few years ago in the hope it would serve as a
catalyst for other funders; it's terrific to see visionary new
partners stepping forward to support and celebrate Canadian science
and the possibilities that will fire the imagination of the next
generation of scientists."
Two
more Chairs were established in 2013 with a $4
million investment by the Krembil Foundation. The
Krembil Foundation Galileo Galilei Chair supports Davide
Gaiotto, while The Krembil Foundation William Rowan Hamilton
Chair in Theoretical Physics supports Kevin
Costello.
Mark
Krembil, President of the Foundation, said, "We believe
Perimeter Institute's track record of recruitment makes for an
exciting investment in Canada's intellectual
capital. Kevin, a brilliant young Irish mathematician, is a real
coup for Canada.
And Davide was winner of the New Horizons in Physics Prize, an
international honour that Perimeter researchers have earned three
years in a row."
The
New Horizons in Physics Prize is a global award from the
Breakthrough Prize Foundation, recognizing exceptional early-career
physicists. Perimeter Institute Faculty members Natalia
Toro and Philip
Schuster were awarded the honour in 2014, and Perimeter
Institute Faculty member Freddy Cachazo earned the distinction in
2013.
Quotes about
these strategic investments in Perimeter
Institute:
Jeremy
Freedman, President & Chief Executive Officer of Gluskin
Sheff (supporters
of the Freeman Dyson Chair): "We felt a resonance with Perimeter
Institute because it was evident to us that they shared our belief
that Canadian institutions can be among the best in the world at
what they do. It all starts with attracting and developing
world-class talent. Freddy Cachazo, for example, was recruited
before he won the New Horizons Prize. We invest in organizations
with great teams and clear, ambitious missions, and Perimeter
Institute is such an organization."
Find
out about the chairholder Freddy Cachazo here.
Clay
Riddell (of
the Riddell Family Charitable Foundation, supporters of the Paul
Dirac Chair): "Just 15 years since Perimeter's inception, the
Institute's scientific excellence at global levels is outstanding.
I attribute this to the smart vision, strong leadership, and
successful partnership behind the Institute. I'm confident in
Perimeter's national role in accelerating research and discovery,
and that is why our family foundation is investing through the
Institute's unique Chairs program."
Find
out about the chairholder Pedro
Vieira here.
Harbir
Chhina, Executive Vice-President, Oil Sands, for Cenovus
Energy (supporters
of the Cenovus Energy James Clerk Maxwell Chair in Theoretical
Physics at Perimeter Institute): "If we are to truly innovate,
fundamental research is vital to the nation's future. Perimeter is
spearheading the ecosystem necessary for the experiments and
commercialization that follow. As a company that places a high
value on innovation, we are pleased to join the Institute's
partnership and support a scientist whose pathway into the quantum
realm holds great promise for our technological future."
Find
out about the chairholder Subir
Sachdev here.
Peter
Godsoe (supporter
of the Peter and Shelagh Godsoe Family Foundation Award for
Exceptional Emerging Talent): "We are interested in helping
exceptional students at the PhD and Master's level, particularly
those whose talents have not yet been fully appreciated. As an
independent centre, Perimeter remains extremely flexible to seeking
the best physics talent, regardless of geographic or economic
background, and our foundation is pleased to support this
effort."
Find
out about Perimeter's outstanding training programs here.
Shari
Austin, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship of RBC and
Executive Director of the RBC Foundation (Presenting
Partner of the International Summer School for Young Physicists):
"Perimeter's programs for youth, teachers and the public are
seeding future generations of scientific thinkers. RBC is proud to
support high school students looking to learn more about
theoretical physics prior to their post-secondary studies."
Find
out about ISSYP and other educational outreach
initiatives here.
About Perimeter Institute
Perimeter Institute is the world's largest research hub devoted to
theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999
to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our
universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos.
Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that
fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes
innovation, and that today's theoretical physics is tomorrow's
technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit
Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the
Governments of Ontario and Canada,
that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of
scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through
award-winning educational outreach and public engagement.
Media
Inquiries: Eamon
O'Flynn, External Relations Specialist, eoflynn@perimeterinstitute.ca,
+1-519-569-7600 x5071,
@Perimeter
Source: Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics