Princeton University

Scholarship and Research

Scholarship and research are essential aspects of the University’s enterprise. Pushing the frontiers of knowledge and addressing real-world problems, Princeton scientists and scholars publish research across the spectrum of intellectual inquiry. Every member of the faculty is engaged in scholarly research; each year the members of the faculty publish more than 2,000 scholarly documents. In addition, graduate students and upperclass undergraduates pursue independent research. While many research projects begin with individual scholars and scientists working within their academic departments, many others arise from collaborations between traditional academic disciplines.

The University Research Board and its administrative arm, the Office of Research and Project Administration, oversee the solicitation, acceptance, and administration of research grants from government and other sources as well as the patenting and licensing of discoveries made in Princeton labs.

External sources funded 1,241 separate projects in 2004–05 (not including the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory). There were 546 sponsored projects in the natural sciences, 432 in engineering and applied science, 197 in the humanities and social sciences, and 66 in centers, institutes, and nondepartmental programs. Funding for these projects totaled $148 million—77 percent from government, 8.3 percent from foundations, 6.8 percent from industry, and 7.9 percent from other sources.

From learning fundamentals of physics through music in a freshman seminar to working at the cutting edge of electronics and materials research for a senior thesis, undergraduates have outstanding opportunities to explore science and research. Students are encouraged to become members of the scientific community and pursue new channels of investigation, through the A.B., B.S.E., and interdisciplinary programs.

From star-gazing in FitzRandolph Observatory to discussing the latest in genomics research conducted at Icahn Laboratory, undergraduate students have many scientific resources on campus to reinforce classroom learning. Research also can take students far beyond Princeton; for example, the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology offers “a semester in the field” in Panama for juniors.

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a collaborative national center for plasma and fusion science. Its primary mission is to make the scientific discoveries and develop the key innovations that will lead to fusion as a safe, economical, and environmentally attractive energy source for the long-term. Associated missions include conducting world-class research along the broad frontier of plasma science, and providing the highest quality of scientific education. The laboratory, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, is located on the James Forrestal Campus.

PPPL has approximately 420 employees, and the laboratory’s budget in fiscal year 2005 is $70 million.

Councils, Institutes, and Centers

Princeton has academic units that are interdisciplinary in nature and draw faculty members and students together through teaching and research. A sampling is listed below:

Bendheim Center for Finance

Center for Migration and Development

Center for the Study of Religion

Council of the Humanities

Council on Science and Technology

Davis Center for Historical Studies

Institute for the Transregional Study of the Contemporary Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia

James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions

Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics

Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination

Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI)

Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS)

Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM)

Princeton Writing Program

Program of Freshman Seminars in the Residential Colleges

Program in Law and Public Affairs

Program in Neuroscience

University Center for Human Values