By: Liz Do
5 Dec, 2023
Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt joins CIFAR’s Research Council
December 5, 2023
Schmidt is the outgoing Vice-Chancellor and President of the Australian National University (ANU), and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011
CIFAR is pleased to announce Brian Schmidt has joined its Research Council. Schmidt is the outgoing Vice-Chancellor and President of the Australian National University (ANU). He is also a world-renowned scientist, winning the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics with peers Saul Perlmutter and Adam Riess for providing evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating.
CIFAR’s Research Council consists of eminent scholars from a wide range of disciplines, and is responsible for advising Stephen Toope, President & CEO of CIFAR, on the formulation, development and establishment of high-quality advanced research programs that address the most important questions facing science and humanity.
“While I am trained as an astrophysicist, being a university President has enabled me to understand a very wide range of research areas better than most,” said Schmidt. “I hope that I can help CIFAR bring together the skills across disciplines necessary to make rapid progress in areas of critical interest.”
Before becoming Vice-Chancellor, Schmidt spent most of his academic career as an astrophysicist at the ANU Mount Stromlo Observatory and Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the United States Academy of Science and the Royal Society. He was also made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2013.
As he embarks on his role as a member of CIFAR’s Research Council, he says he’s excited for CIFAR to continue its paradigm-shifting, impactful work over the next few years, as the organization executes on its new Strategy launching in 2024.
“We have entered an era where the challenges facing humanity seem hard to overcome,” said Schmidt. “It is through the small number of organizations in the world like CIFAR that we can create the knowledge and solutions that clear a path to continued human prosperity. It is an honour to be able to serve on CIFAR’s Research Council.”
“We are thrilled and privileged to have Brian Schmidt join our community,” said Stephen Toope, President & CEO of CIFAR. “Brian is a preeminent figure in research and academia. His deep knowledge and perspectives will be an invaluable asset to our Research Council, and to our mission of building a global and leading-edge interdisciplinary research community in the years ahead.”
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