The primary focus of the Van Swinderen Institute is on fundamental research in particle physics and gravity.
The research of VSI scientists all connects to the overarching aim of the institute to study the fundamental forces of Nature, the building blocks of matter and their symmetries, and how these are related to our Universe as a whole.
Modern research has shown close connections between the physics at the smallest distance scales (from sub-atomic scales down to the Planck-scale of quantum gravity) and at cosmic distances. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the foundations of the Universe by searching for new physics beyond the Standard Models of particle physics and of cosmology. Research at VSI on these topics is characterized by both theoretical and experimental efforts and is organized along three research lines or frontiers: the Cosmic Frontier , the High-Energy Frontier and the Precision Frontier which each have specific opportunities and objectives, but also have many connections to each other.
