The 2025 cohort of Experimental Physics Investigators is a distinguished group of mid-career researchers pushing the boundaries of experimental physics. These 22 new investigators are joining the scientists from three previous cohorts in advancing the frontier of fundamental research in experimental physics. Regarding the magnitude and size of the award, 2024 investigator Shimon Kolkowitz remarked, “this is exactly what we needed to attempt our complex experiments, and it is especially important given the current uncertainties in federal funding in the United States.”
The Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative provides $1.3 million over five years to give these scientists flexibility to accelerate breakthroughs and strengthen the experimental physics community.
“We once again received proposals from amazing mid-career investigators who are taking their research to new levels,” said Theodore Hodapp, program director for the initiative. “We are excited to see them join our existing cohorts of experimental physicists who are pushing the boundaries of our understanding of the universe.”
Among this year’s investigators are:
- Howard Lee from University of California, Irvine who is building the first nanoscale accelerator capable of producing high-energy electrons, with applications in plasma and particle physics as well as biomedcine.
- Jaideep Taggart Singh from the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University who is developing an experimental platform to search for time-reversal-violating forces, potentially explaining why the universe contains more matter than antimatter.
- Adina Luican-Mayer from University of Illinois Chicago who is studying moiré-induced polarization in atomically thin materials, work that could uncover new phases of matter and enable ultra-compact, energy-efficient electronics.
Cultivating collaborative research environments that welcome all students and promote highly effective research teams is a goal of the initiative. Awardees pursue this goal in different ways. For example, Professor Singh will use part of the funding to design unique trainings for students at the intersection of different disciplines including atomic, molecular, optical and nuclear physics.
“To connect investigators and promote the discovery of new ideas and synergistic collaborations, we bring all cohorts together each year in a relaxed setting,” remarked Catherine Mader, program officer for the initiative. “We have seen numerous new connections form and new research directions pursued by both individuals and groups based on conversations at these gatherings.”
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Meet the 2025 Experimental Physics Investigators
- Justin Caram, University of California Los Angeles
- Daniel Carney, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Jiun-Haw Chu, University of Washington, Seattle
- Riccardo Comin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Bryce Gadway, Pennsylvania State University
- Jeffrey Guasto, Tufts University
- Chen-Lung Hung, Purdue University
- Gyu-Boong Jo, Rice University
- Ben Jones, University of Texas Arlington
- Jason Kawasaki, University of Wisconsin
- Thomas Kempa, Johns Hopkins University
- Howard (Ho Wai) Lee, University of California Irvine
- Adina Luican-Mayer, University of Illinois Chicago
- David Patterson, University of California Santa Barbara
- Johannes Pollanen, Michigan State University
- Brad Ramshaw, Cornell University
- Alban Sauret, University of Maryland
- John Schaibley, University of Arizona
- Sufei Shi, Carnegie Mellon University
- Jaideep Singh, Michigan State University
- Sebastian Streichan, University of California Santa Barbara
- Andrea Young, University of California Santa Barbara
The foundation is now accepting applications for the 2026 cohort of Experimental Physics Investigators. The deadline to apply is October 14, 2025. Apply for the 2026 cohort.
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