The BlackBerry Brain Trust is an article in Wired, Issue 13.01, by Duff McDonald about the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics that was set up in Waterloo with funding from Mike Lazaridis of RIM. Here is what the article says about the new building:
Made largely of patterned glass, the 65,000-square-foot complex has a soaring atrium, multiple fireplaces, a bistro, a squash court, and a 205-seat auditorium for lectures and string quartet performances. It looks more like a resort than a think tank where some of the smartest people in the world are contemplating the foundations of quantum physics. The elegant structure answers the question (as the architect put it), How do you design a place in which to think?
Good question! How do you design a place to learn and discover?
Here is another quote on the funding:
Perimeter stands out because of a $66 million endowment from Mike Lazaridis, founder and co-CEO of Research in Motion; $13 million more from two of his colleagues; and $43 million from the local, provincial, and federal governments.
Also of note is that they do not grant tenure. They offer 5 year contracts, though they will make deals with universities that might offer tenure.
This is thanks to StÈfan Sinclair..