Robert McCann (supplied image)
Robert McCann recognized with 2026 CRM-Fields-PIMS Prize
Published: February 5, 2026
Robert McCann, a professor in the departments of economics and mathematics in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts & Science, has received the 2026 CRM-Fields-PIMS Prize.
Awarded by the Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM), Fields Institute and the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS), the prize recognizes outstanding research achievements in the mathematical sciences.
McCann was selected for foundational work in optimal transport, a field concerned with determining the most efficient ways to distribute mass. “Working at the interface of analysis, geometry, physics and economics, Dr. McCann has continually broadened the reach of optimal transport,” the jury wrote. “This interplay between pure mathematics and applied modelling exemplifies his versatility and the breadth of his scientific vision.”
“I am honoured and humbled to have my work on optimal transportation and its applications to economics and physics recognized by the CRM-Fields-PIMS prize of the three Canadian mathematics institutes,” said McCann, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Mathematics, Economics and Physics.
“It is my pleasure to congratulate Robert on behalf of the department,” said Professor Ettore Damiano, chair of the department of economics. “We are honoured to have such a distinguished scholar affiliated with the department of economics, and excited to see how his contributions will enhance research and the student experience in our unit.”
