Centre for the Universe

Fundamental physics has entered its most exciting period in decades. Advanced experiments are revealing new phenomena and profound surprises. We believe that answers to some of the deepest questions in science are now within reach.

The Centre for the Universe at Perimeter Institute aims to establish Canada as a world leader in cosmology and transform our understanding of black holes, the big bang, dark matter, and dark energy. The Centre will provide a focal point for research at Perimeter, since all current evidence for physics beyond known forces and particles comes from the cosmos.

RESEARCHERS AND PARTNERS

Centre Director:

Scientific Patrons:

Steering Committee

Founding Partners:

Researchers

Distinguished Visiting
Research Chairs

 


RECRUITING THE WORLD'S BEST

The Centre will assemble a mix of eminent international leaders and rising young stars to undertake some of the most ambitious research in basic science. 
 
Perimeter will recruit several positions at senior and junior faculty levels. The Centre will also invest in workshops, visitors, and high-performance computing. Three prestigious postdoctoral fellowships are also being established, named after major figures in cosmology.

 


FOUNDING PARTNER INSTITUTES

Our founding partner institutes are: the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Physics (CITA); the Dunlap Institute at the University of Toronto; the Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Waterloo; and York University.

These institutes are involved in many of the most important astronomical instruments of our time, including the Square Kilometre Array, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, the Event Horizon Telescope, and CHIME.


TIES TO EXPERIMENT

Perimeter scientists are connected to some of the most important experiments of our time, including:

  • The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)
  • The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME)
  • The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Institute (SNOLAB)
  • The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT)

The Centre will deepen its involvement in these experiments, forging a unique combination of theoretical and experimental strengths.

The CHIME telescope in British Columbia.
(Photo courtesy Andre Renard, Dunlap Institute.)