Division of the Physical Sciences

Geophysical Sciences: Rock layers reveal beauty at the center of the earth. (click to enlarge)

Astronomy and Astrophysics: South Pole Telescope, photo by Tom Crawford, SPT Blog. (click to enlarge)

Chemistry: semiconductor and magnetic nanomaterials synthesized by colloidal techniques. Courtesy Prof. Talapin. (click to enlarge)

Computer Science: flexible circuit board from a laptop. (click to enlarge) (creative commons image)

Mathematics: formula on a blackboard.

Physics: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, photo by Michael Kappel. (click to enlarge) (creative commons image)

Statistics: map showing U.S. unemployment rate, 2008, by Scott Drzyzga. (click to enlarge) (creative commons image)

PHYSICAL SCIENCES at CHICAGO

DEPARTMENTS and
Ph.D. and M.S. PROGRAMS

INSTITUTES

NATIONAL LABORATORIES

ANNOUNCEMENTS

For PIs: New 2013 Grant Proposal Guidelines from the National Science Foundation.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

NEW DEAN

Edward "Rocky" Kolb appointed next Dean of the Division of the Physical Sciences. Read more »

FEATURED RESEARCH CENTERS

ASC/Alliances Center for Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes
The ASC/Alliances Center for Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes aims to solve the long-standing problem of thermonuclear flashes on the surfaces of compact stars such as neutron stars and white dwarf stars, and in the interior of white dwarfs (i.e., Type Ia supernovae).

Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education (CEMSE)
CEMSE is a Research and Development Center that resides within the Physical Sciences Division (PSD) of the University of Chicago. CEMSE continues the University of Chicago’s long-standing commitment to improving precollege education and aims to support high quality mathematics and science instruction and learning for all students.

Chicago Tri-Institutional Center for Chemical Methods and Library Development (CTCMLD)
The mission of the Chicago Tri-Institutional Center for Chemical Methods and Library Development (CTCMLD) is to address the fundamental challenges of modern high-throughput organic synthesis and to provide major advances that will significantly facilitate the development of small-molecule libraries for broad biological screening.

Center for Advanced Radiation Sources (CARS)
The Center for Advanced Radiation Sources (CARS) is managed by the University of Chicago. CARS represents five institutional members and four scientific groupings, each devoted to a particular research area.

Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics
The KICP was founded in August 2001 as one of the National Science Foundation’s Physics Frontier Centers and was originally named the Center for Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago. On March 10th 2004, following a generous endowment from the Kavli Foundation the CfCP was renamed the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics. This generous endowment has made this research institute devoted to interdisciplinary cosmological physics a permanent entity at the University of Chicago.

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)
The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at the University of Chicago incubates innovative research to produce the design principles for the next generation of materials. The research is focused on investigating materials formed far from equilibrium, exploring new paradigms for materials fabrication and response, and exploiting feedback between structure and dynamics.

Stevanovich Center
The Stevanovich Center advances the understanding of the increasingly complex world of financial markets by integrating mathematics, statistics, and economics. The Center brings together leading academic researchers and financial professionals whose insights from daily experience in the markets can help translate theory into improved practice.