Research in the Quantum Field Theory of Elementary Particles

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Research in theoretical physics will cover a broad spectrum of topics focussed on string and M theory, and on cosmology. String and M theory are our best candidates for a theory that can unify all the basic forces of nature, including gravity. Efforts will be made to make progress towards a fundamental formulation of string and M theory, and to sharpen our ability to calculate in these theories, so as to ultimately be able to make contact with experimental data. In cosmology, research will include attempts to understand the "cosmological constant," whose apparent presence in nature is resulting in the acceleration of the expansion of the universe. The presence and nature of the cosmological constant is one of the outstanding puzzles in cosmology.