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As this report was being prepared for publication, the scientific world (and beyond) was
abuzz with the news that physicists had discovered a new subatomic particle that could
very well be the long-sought-after Higgs boson. The discovery took place at CERN, the
European Organization for Nuclear Research. The particle is predicted by the Standard
Model of physics, and is believed to endow elementary particles with mass.
If proven true, scientists say, this could be the biggest discovery in physics in decades.
The particle was detected using the Large Hadron Collider, which cost $10 billion and took
ten years to build. It has been operating for only two years and is not yet at full power.
Whether they’ve found the Higgs or not, the finding is a promising one and is bound to
lead to years of analysis, debate, and further discovery.
Although the work at CERN may have a profound and lasting impact on our world, it is
the thousands of projects taking place in universities around the country that have had,
and will continue to have, more immediacy when it comes to our daily lives. Particularly
since the latter half of the twentieth century, American universities have been responsible
for discoveries, inventions, and theories that have changed the way we live. Spanning the
natural sciences, engineering, computer and information science, social science, and
the humanities, university enquiries have expanded human knowledge and improved the
human condition. (See the accompanying box to glimpse just a few of the things discovered,
invented, or elucidated by university research.)
Introduction
A Word About Award Activity
The figures and charts in this section of the annual report reflect “award activity” or gross sponsor commitments
recorded in the fiscal year. On the other hand, the Grants and Contracts sections of the audited financial statements
reflect fiscal year “expenses” on sponsored awards. In many cases, expenses are actually lower than the award
activity. The main reason for this would be multi-year awards, which are recorded in their entirety when received
but expended over multiple years. The reader will, therefore, note that the figures in the audited financial statements
differ from those in the report narrative and charts because they refer to different measures.