Arete Initiative
University of Chicago
5848 South University Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60637
(773)834-3475
http://wisdomresearch.org/arete/arete.aspx

"There has been a shift over the past half century to larger and larger interdisciplinary teams as an important source of scientific and scholarly breakthroughs. This shift in the production of cutting-edge knowledge has been documented in all fields of scholarly activity, ranging from mathematics to the humanities (Science, 2007, Vol. 316, pp. 1036-1039). Fostering interdisciplinary research on fundamental questions has always been a central feature of the University of Chicago. Porous boundaries between departments and divisions have resulted in world-changing ideas and new schools of thought. The Arete Initiative has been developed by the Offices of the Provost and Vice President for Research to provide a formal infrastructure to catalyze broad-based interdisciplinary research. Working with faculty leaders drawn from within the University, we seek to assemble teams of the best minds to pursue rigorous interdisciplinary research on complex topics of momentous societal and intellectual import.

The Arete Initiative is supported by The University of Chicago’s Office of the Provost and the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience. The Defining Wisdom Project is supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation."