The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) conducts advanced research exploring big questions of the 21st century and beyond. Its research gains insights into Celtic society and its legacy; progresses our understanding of our island, our planet and the universe; and deciphers the underpinning mathematical principles of nature. The Institute leads Ireland’s participation in a number of international and global initiatives that focus on big unanswered questions for mankind. When it was founded in 1940, DIAS was the world’s second-only institute for advanced studies – and the first such institute in Europe. For 80 years, it has pushed the boundaries of discovery and, today, it is a globally-embedded institution that attracts high-calibre researchers from all over the world , currently from 20 countries. Dunsink Observatory, a designated European site of historical significance for physics, is part of DIAS.