Research will be conducted in a broad area of theoretical high energy physics including supergravity unified theory and superstring theory. In supergravity unified theory, which allows for the unification of the weak and the strong nuclear forces in a way which is consistent with recent data, analyses will explore the most promising avenues for the discovery of new fundamental particles predicted by the theory. At the same time the basic issues related to the origin of mass will be investigated. In superstring theory, work will include analyses to understand conjectured `duality` relations which state that seemingly very different theories are actually equivalent. The goal of this research program is to unravel the next layer of physics that lies beyond the Standard Model, a theory which describes very successfully the weak and the strong nuclear forces, but which leaves a host of open questions. The program will pursue some of the most promising approaches to going beyond the Standard Model.
