Institute for Theoretical Physics

University Of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITP), located at the University of California at Santa Barbara, will continue to provide a meeting ground where scientists get together and engage in the exchange of ideas with the goal of stimulating new research collaborations, breakthroughs, and advances in numerous areas of physics. The ITP sponsors thematic programs from as short as three weeks to as long as six months. Program topics are selected by the ITP Advisory Board from proposals solicited from the scientific community. Topics are chosen on the basis of their potential to stimulate progress in an area that is particularly timely and/or novel and are often of a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary character. In association with the long-term programs, the ITP generally sponsors two conferences to receive input from the community and to disseminate results to a wider audience. In addition, shorter mini-programs are conducted when propitious. The ITP is the permanent home of four researchers, who are also tenured faculty at UCSB, and who provide scientific leadership in their specialties and help the Director guide the ITP and endow the ITP with experience and continuity over time. Each is a world class scientist in his own right who occasionally helps organize a program but continually interacts with resident program organizers and other visiting scientists. The ITP also sponsors a group of Postdoctoral Fellows who are exposed to the wide range of forefront topics and scientific leaders. Through the ITP Scholars Program, the ITP fosters the research efforts of faculty not at major research universities and reaches out to faculty not normally served by ITP programs. The ITP also plays an educational role by bringing Graduate Student Fellows from other universities to visit the ITP for a semester or year. The ITP is governed by the Director, assisted by the Deputy Director and the four permanent members, with the counsel of an Advisory Board consisting of a diverse group of scientists having a wide variety of experiences and expertise. Under this award, the ITP will receive financial support from the NSF Divisions of Astronomical Sciences, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences and Physics. It also receives substantial financial support from the University of California at Santa Barbara.