CNRS-UChicago International Research Center for Fundamental Scientific Discovery
The International Research Center for Fundamental Scientific Discovery is a partnership between the University of Chicago and the French National Center for Scientific Research to facilitate best-in-class research and academic cooperation to answer some of the world’s biggest questions.
The CNRS-University of Chicago International Research Center for Fundamental Scientific Discovery (IRC Discovery) is a joint research center between the University of Chicago and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). It builds upon existing partnerships between scholars at two of the world’s leading research institutions and leverages both partners’ robust networks and large-scale investments in scientific infrastructure.
UChicago and CNRS have long been close partners, working together to address topics as wide-ranging as astrophysics, political philosophy, the search for dark matter, digital humanities, bionics, computational anatomy, and quantum technologies. The creation of IRC Discovery in 2023 demonstrates the importance of this partnership and provides dedicated support and resources for continued and expanded collaboration between our institutions.
What is an IRC?
CNRS International Research Centers (IRCs) are umbrella cooperation structures between the CNRS and its primary international partners, complementing a collaborative toolbox that includes jointly operated international laboratories, projects between scientists from CNRS research units and foreign institutions, and networks between teams from the CNRS and organizations abroad. IRCs enable a more direct strategic dialogue between institutions and mark a transition to a larger-scale partnership. At the time of launch, IRC Discovery was the fourth CNRS IRC worldwide.