PERIMETER INSTITUTE

Their core work

Perimeter Institute is a Canadian theoretical physics research centre in Waterloo, Ontario, dedicated to foundational questions in gravity, quantum theory, cosmology, and particle physics. Within H2020 it served as a non-EU third-party host for Marie Skłodowska-Curie researchers working on black holes, quantum gravity, and gravitational-wave physics. Their contribution is deep theoretical expertise — analytical techniques for strong gravity, numerical relativity, and quantum-gravity phenomenology — offered as an intercontinental research stay partner rather than an EU grantee.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the 2016–2019 StronGrHEP period their engagement was broad, bridging strong gravity with high-energy physics through MSCA-RISE staff exchanges. From 2020 onward the focus sharpens on quantum aspects of black holes (QUABODYP, 2020–2023) and then on the full gravitational-wave ecosystem (GRU, 2021–2025), including post-Newtonian methods and GW data analysis. The clear trend is a move from general strong-gravity/HEP overlap toward quantum-gravity phenomenology combined with observational gravitational-wave science.

They are positioning as a theoretical anchor for the gravitational-wave era, combining quantum-gravity foundations with GW data-analysis methods — a strong bet for consortia that need rigorous theory behind LISA/LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA science.

How they like to work

Perimeter participates exclusively as a third-party partner in MSCA instruments (RISE and IF), hosting European researchers rather than leading EU consortia — consistent with their status as a non-EU Canadian institute. Across three projects they have worked with 13 distinct partners in 6 countries, indicating an open, hub-like network rather than a closed repeat-partner circle. Expect them to contribute senior theoretical expertise and a research-stay destination, not project management or EU administration.

Connected to 13 unique consortium partners across 6 countries through MSCA mobility schemes, with a natural centre of gravity in European gravitational-physics groups that send researchers to Waterloo.

What sets them apart

Perimeter Institute is one of the world's leading independent theoretical physics centres, and the only Canadian institution of its kind routinely embedded in EU gravitational-physics MSCA networks. Partnering with them gives a European consortium access to a concentrated community of theorists working on quantum gravity, black holes and gravitational waves under one roof, plus a credible North American research-stay destination. Choose them when the bottleneck is theoretical depth and intercontinental mobility, not EU funding capacity.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GRU
  Most recent and broadest engagement (2021–2025), spanning tests of gravity, numerical relativity and gravitational-wave data analysis — the full pipeline of modern GW science.
• QUABODYP
  Focuses on some of the hardest open problems in physics — non-perturbative quantum gravity and the black hole information paradox — a signature Perimeter topic.
• StronGrHEP
  Their entry point into H2020, an MSCA-RISE staff exchange linking strong gravity with high-energy physics across multiple European partners.