In July 1980, during the 14th Convocation of Academicians of Academia Sinica, a group of twenty-one academicians, including Academicians Yuan-Shih Chow, George C. Tiao and Ching Chun Li, drafted a resolution calling for the establishment of the Institute of Statistics. On July 1, 1982, the Preparatory Office was founded with Dr. Min-Te Chao as the Director. Five years later, the Institute of Statistical Science was formally founded on August 3, 1987 and Dr. Chao was the Founding Director from 1987 to 1993. The successive Directors were Dr. Ching-Zong Wei (August 1993-August 1999), Dr. Chen-Hsin Chen (August 1999- December 2002), Dr. Ching-Shui Cheng (January 2003-December 2005), Dr. Gwo Dong Lin (Acting Director, January - June 2006), Dr. Ker-Chau Li (July 2006 - July 2012), and Dr. Chen-Hsin Chen (Acting Director, July 2012 - July 2013), Dr. Ching-Shui Cheng (July 2013 - June 2016), and Dr. Jeng-Min Chiou (Acting Director, July 2016 - July 2017). Dr. Chun-houh Chen is the Director since July 2017.
