The Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto is an internationally renowned centre for astronomical research, education and public outreach. The Dunlap Institute is named after its founder, the late John W.Dunlap, a passionate advocate for astronomy and astrophysics in Canada. The Dunlap Institute has over 70 faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and staff who are leaders in their fields. The research areas of the Dunlap Institute include: cosmology, optical and infrared instrumentation, galaxy formation and evolution, planetary science and exoplanets, stellar physics and astrophysical dynamics.
The Dunlap Institute was founded in 2008 with a generous donation from John W.Dunlap. Since then, the Dunlap Institute has grown rapidly to become one of the world’s leading centres for astronomical research. The Dunlap Institute offers a unique interdisciplinary environment that fosters collaboration between researchers from different fields. This allows for a cross-fertilization of ideas that leads to breakthrough discoveries. The state-of-the-art facilities at the Dunlap Institute include: the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), which is a world-leading cosmology experiment; the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), which is the largest telescope dedicated to observing at submillimetre wavelengths; and the Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, which is one of the world’s most advanced optical/infrared telescopes.
The education and public outreach programs of the Dunlap Institute are designed to engage people of all ages in astronomy and astrophysics. These programs include: hands-on workshops for teachers; public lectures by world-renowned astronomers; stargazing nights open to all; summer camps for kids; online courses on various topics in astronomy; citizen science projects that allow members of the public to participate in cutting-edge research; and more. Through these programs, the Dunlap Institute strives to bring astronomical research down to Earth so that everyone can experience the excitement of discovery.