NSF Focused Research Hubs in Theoretical Physics Awards
The U.S. National Science Foundation funds fundamental research to enhance U.S. competitiveness, economy, and people's lives. NSF Focused Research Hubs in Theoretical Physics (NSF FRHTP) promote a collaborative approach for early-career scientists toward addressing focused topics that enhance scientific advancement, strengthen and diversify the scientific workforce, and broaden the potential impacts in theoretical physics.
"Focused Research Hubs in Theoretical Physics support fundamental scientific research," says Bogdan Mihaila, Program Director of the NSF Division of Physics. "The FRHTP program provides funding for early-career scientists to answer the next big theoretical questions of physics, as well as promote interdisciplinary collaboration."
In 2021, three hubs are funded for a total of $9.75 million over five years to enable the projects highlighted below. The NSF FRHTP awards will provide support only for postdoctoral researchers and general support for hub-related activities that can be completed within the course of the award. These hubs will focus on one of the following topics: Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (TAMOP); Quantum Information Sciences (QIS); and Theoretical Nuclear Physics (TNP).
- The NSF Center for Quantum Information and Control at the University of New Mexico, led by professor Ivan Deutsch, will address big questions and challenges in the QIS field and will require interdisciplinary collaboration of postdoctoral fellows with backgrounds in computer science, engineering, and physics.
- The NSF Institute for Theoretical, Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics at Harvard University, led by Hossein Sadeghpour, will further atomic, molecular and optical physics by hosting targeted workshops and further developing early career scientists in this field.
- The NSF Nuclear Physics from Multi-Messenger Mergers hub at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, led by Andrew Steiner, will involve a team of multiple principal investigators and senior scientists across 26 institutions promoting international collaboration in multi-messenger astrophysics.
More information about these FRHTPs and the program can be found on NSF's website, as well as a full list of awards.