Expand Our Understanding of the Universe

At the Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics (SITP), scientists ask big questions about the fundamental laws of nature: How did the early universe evolve before and after the Big Bang? What is the universe made of, how does it work, and why is it so huge? What is the nature of space and space time? What is dark matter? And can the theory of quantum mechanics be reconciled with gravity?

To address these theoretical challenges, SITP fosters a collaborative culture where scientists reach beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries and take sweeping intellectual leaps. This open, interactive environment has made SITP a world leader in the following fields:

• The Precision Frontier: Beyond the Standard Model of particle physics
• Quantum gravity and quantum information theory
• Cosmology and the evolution of the early universe
• Condensed matter

Giving Opportunities: Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics (PDF)