The choice is unusual for citizens of a country that has traditionally lost its best scientists to its southern neighbor. The deciding factor was the young, non-profit Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIAR).
By making him a Fellow of its cosmology program, the CIAR was able to offer him conditions rarely found in Canada: freedom to pursue his interests without teaching or administrative duties, the opportunity to work with the best people in his field regardless of where they are located, and a salary and benefits competitive with those in leading research centers around the world.
The CIAR does this by paying the salaries, travel and other costs of outstanding researchers located at major institutions in Canada and elsewhere and encouraging them to collaborate in what it calls an "institute without walls." They communicate electronically and, when necessary, through formal and informal meetings.
"You can try to build a center ...
