Project Grant 2608333

The National Science Foundation Division of Physics awarded the University of Illinois at Chicago $410,000 on August 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to support high-energy physics research on the CMS Experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider.

The award funds direct searches for new particles addressing fundamental physics questions, including the universe's survival of the Big Bang and the role of symmetries in nature, using proton-proton collision data from the ongoing Run 3. The recipient's group is developing machine-learning algorithms based on large language model architecture for deployment in the CMS trigger hardware, which selects approximately one collision event per million every 25 nanoseconds for analysis. The group holds primary responsibility for testing particle-tracking detector components that must withstand extreme radiation conditions at the center of CMS.

The award also supports CMS detector upgrades for the High-Luminosity LHC, scheduled to begin operations in 2030. Both the trigger and tracker improvements are designed to enhance the quality of physics results at the HL-LHC. The work provides training to graduate and undergraduate students across cutting-edge topics in particle physics and machine learning, and extends the QuarkNet program to generate interest in basic science and develop scientific literacy at regional high schools.

Performance occurs at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, with a period of performance ending July 31, 2027.