Series 10 - Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

2.25 m of textual records
5 videos and 1 cassette tape

Series consists of Dr. Mustard’s records relating to his work with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIAR). In 1982, Dr. Mustard established and served as the first president of the CIAR, a multi-disciplinary, independent research institution. CIAR acted as a network of researchers from across universities, working on collaborative projects. CIAR research spanned many disciplines. Early research examined artificial intelligence and robotics, evolutionary biology, superconductivity, economic growth and policy, and population health and human development. Later efforts included quantum information processing; social interactions, identity and well-being; and astrobiology.

Dr. Mustard served as president until 1996. Chaviva Hošek served as President and CEO from 2001 until 2012, when she was succeeded by Alan Bernstein. The CIAR changed its acronym to CIFAR in 2007. The original acronym, which predominates in Dr. Mustard’s papers, is retained here.

The records in this series are subdivided into several categories. Administrative records include minutes of the Board of Directors, financial records and Research Council meeting minutes. The series also contains records relating to staffing and personnel. Files marked ‘meeting notes’ are typed summaries of various meetings attended by Dr. Mustard (1984-2011). These notes are organized chronologically, and provide summaries of discussions, notes for actions to be taken, and often include very candid impressions of individuals with whom Dr. Mustard met.

Next, the series contains the contents of ‘document binders,’ which held key documents of the CIAR, including financial summaries, reports, strategies, project details and outreach material. The series also includes publications by the CIAR, relating to various projects and topics, including the space station, the social determinants of health, technology, and the CIAR newsletter, Entropy.

Next, project files document various projects and programs administered by the CIAR, including the Canada Project, Experience-based Brain and Biological Development (EBBD), and the Population Health Program. Lastly, the series also consists of documentation of various CIAR events and celebrations and a large collection of news clippings covering the CIAR and its activities (1982-1996).

Records are restricted on a file-by-file basis. Restricted files are closed until 30 years after the last date. See the box-file list for more details.

For more information on the CIAR, see

http://www.cifar.ca/cifar-history

Craig Brown, A Generation of Excellence: a history of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007.