Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics

Leadership:
Rocky Kolb, Director

History and Mission:

The vision that guides the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics is to deepen our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Universe and the laws that govern it. KICP was founded in August 2001 as one of the National Science Foundation’s Physics Frontiers Centers and became a Kavli Institute in 2004. KICP brings together astronomers and physicists, including experimentalists, observers, and theorists, within a unique interdisciplinary culture.  We also train the next generation of scientists — undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and scientists from other disciplines — to address the most compelling problems in cosmology.

Current challenges include identifying the dark matter, understanding the mystery of dark energy, probing the birth of the universe, looking for clues in nature’s highest energy particles about the unification of the forces, and learning about the most exotic objects in the Universe with high-energy gamma rays and gravitational waves. Progress made in addressing these questions not only will advance our understanding of the Universe, but also advance our understanding of the fundamental laws that govern it.

The institute supports three additional, non-research focused major activities: Fellows; Conferences, Workshops and Visitors; and Education and Outreach. KICP also serves as an “umbrella” organization in the greater Chicago area that includes the University of Chicago, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory.

Learn more about KICP: