Elementary Particle Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology - Theory

The Elementary Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology Theory program supports theoretical research in two closely related areas. The first area encompasses different theoretical tools for understanding the properties and interactions of elementary particles at energy scales stretching from the Standard Model to the Planck scale. This includes new discovery strategies and methods of data analysis relevant for collider physics as well as all aspects of Standard Model phenomenology, including studies of the strong and electroweak interactions, neutrino physics, and flavor physics. This program area also encompasses speculative theories of physics beyond the Standard Model, including supersymmetry, extra space-time dimensions, unification, and string theory/M-theory.

The second area encompasses those aspects of particle astrophysics and early-universe cosmology which are inspired by the Standard Model and its various extensions, including not only standard Big Bang cosmology but also alternatives motivated by new ideas from particle physics. Such research tends to focus on fundamental questions such as the nature of dark matter, dark energy and exotic cosmologies arising from various string theory and brane world scenarios.

Research supported by this program spans efforts to understand the deeper mathematical structures of such theories as well as more phenomenological questions involving model-building and potential experimental signatures. This research also benefits from interdisciplinary collaborations, most notably at interfaces with nuclear physics, experimental particle physics and quantum information science. This research also encompasses many different modes, including purely analytical investigations as well as numerical and computational studies, including input from artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques.

The intellectual focus of all aspects of this program is anchored in particle physics and the attempt to understand the nature of the fundamental particles and interactions that govern the universe and its evolution to the present day. As such, the astrophysics and cosmology research supported by the program tends to be associated with the field of particle theory, with the focus generally leaning more toward cosmology than toward traditional astrophysics. By contrast, research focusing on understanding the mechanisms that underlie the phenomena visible within the present-day universe (including research involving various astrophysical data sets) may be more suitable for programs within MPS Astronomical Sciences.  

A long-standing priority for this program is support for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows working in the above areas, thereby helping to train future researchers and develop the future STEM workforce. This program also supports conferences and workshops as well as associated community-wide facilities that host such events.

PIs who have not previously received funding from this program are strongly encouraged to consult with the program well in advance of proposal preparation in order to understand various unique expectations within this program as well as its relation to similar programs in other federal agencies and philanthropic foundations. This is especially true for newly hired assistant professors, for PIs coming from large particle physics research groups, and for PIs who are also contemplating the submission of a CAREER proposal within the same funding cycle.