This award funds the scientific activities at the Aspen Center for Physics (ACP). The ACP is one of the premier theoretical physics research institutions in the world and fulfills its mission of fostering physics research primarily through its summer program. From mid-May to mid-September the Center brings over 500 of the world's leading physicists each year to Aspen where, within the broad framework of workshops lasting several weeks, they interact, discuss, collaborate, and challenge each other while sharing ideas at the forefront of their disciplines. The ACP is unique in the combination of programs of high scientific quality coupled with an extraordinarily fertile collaborative research environment. The ACP also organizes between five and seven one-week Winter Conferences, bringing together as many as 100 researchers each week to respond rapidly to breaking developments in areas of current interest in physics and interdisciplinary research.
The physicists participating during the summer and winter also contribute to a rich and visible public outreach program. This includes public lectures, held off-site in larger auditoria, together with more informal `dialogues' with physicists held at the ACP in the summer (with recordings for all lectures and dialogues available over the internet) and Physics Cafe discussions held in downtown Aspen prior to the Winter public lectures. These are complemented by more `kid-friendly' events such as visits to local schools and, in collaboration with the Aspen Science Center, Physics is for Kids weekly summer picnics (on the ACP campus) with talks by participating physicists and physics-related activities. All public events are free and well-attended.
