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Very rubin observatory, Credit: Rubin Obs/NSF/AURA

Breaking new paths: Templeton Frontiers Program established at Perimeter Institute

A $2 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation will support this exciting, new program.

The new Templeton Frontiers Program at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics aims to catalyze path-breaking research by encouraging young scientists to pursue ambitious and daring ideas.

The integrated program, supported by a $2 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation, centres on three research areas which are key to major advances in our understanding of the universe: quantum foundations and information, foundational questions in cosmology, and the emergence of spacetime.

"Perimeter Institute researchers have already made substantial contributions to each of these fields and are helping forge new connections between them," explains Neil Turok, Perimeter's Director. "We hope our new partnership with the Templeton Foundation will attract brilliant young people into foundational research and set an example by providing the environment, support, encouragement and mentorship they need to pursue breakthroughs. Together, Perimeter and Templeton are aiming to advance the way the most ambitious and original theoretical physics is done."

The Templeton Frontiers Program at Perimeter Institute will support the following:

  • Three exceptional young postdoctoral researchers as Templeton Frontiers Fellows
  • A program bringing Distinguished Research Chairs, globally pre-eminent scientists working in these fields, to Perimeter to provide mentorship and inspiration
  • Templeton Frontiers Conferences, Workshops, and Colloquia in these fields, held at Perimeter Institute to share research and spark new collaborations
  • Research projects of outstanding undergraduate, Masters, and PhD students at Perimeter, and Visiting Graduate Fellows

The Templeton Frontiers Program is made possible through the John Templeton Foundation's Science and the Big Questions funding program, which supports innovative approaches to foundational questions throughout the mathematical and physical sciences.

About PI

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. 

For more information, contact:
Mike Brown
Manager, Communications & Media
519-569-7600 x5131