Project Grant 2609927

The National Science Foundation Division of Physics awarded $140,000 to the Trustees of Tufts College on August 15, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to fund theoretical research in particle cosmology led by Professor Soubhik Kumar.

The research program probes physics beyond the Standard Model by investigating two fundamental questions: the physical mechanism driving cosmic inflation and the nature of dark matter. The work uses effective field theory to classify how heavy particles were produced during inflation and identifies observable signatures in the cosmic microwave background. The project predicts new gravitational wave signatures testable by future observatories and investigates weakly interacting particles associated with dark matter formation from the post-inflation plasma. The research encompasses three connected theoretical lines of inquiry aimed at deepening understanding of cosmic inflation, dark matter, and underlying fundamental physics.

The award supports research activities at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, with a performance period from August 15, 2026, through July 31, 2028. Beyond the primary research deliverables, the project includes mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students, high school outreach activities, and development of a particle cosmology course for non-science majors.