February 19, 2025
Research at Princeton: How It Is Run and How It Operates
Peter Schiffer
Princeton University Dean for Research and Innovation;
Class of 1909 Professor of Physics; and Vice President for Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Research at Princeton: How It Is Run and How It Operates
Peter Schiffer
Princeton University Dean for Research and Innovation;
Class of 1909 Professor of Physics; and Vice President for Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Peter Schiffer and George Bustin, introducer
Minutes of the 19th Meeting of the 83rd Year
President George Bustin called to order the 20th meeting of our 83nd year at 10:15 AM on February 19, 2025. Frances led the invocation. There were 110 people present. The following two guests were introduced: Victor Lee by George Bustin and Steve Panter by Michael Roberts.
Frances Slade led the invocation. A moment of silence was observed for two Old Guard members recently deceased, William Burks and John Tiebout. George Bustin announced next week’s speaker would be Bart Devolder, Chief Conservator of the Princeton University Art Museum, and his topic will be “The Future Role of Conservation at the Princeton University Art Museum.”
Julia Elward Berry read the minutes of the previous meeting.
George Bustin introduced our speaker, Professor Peter Schiffer, Princeton University Dean for Research and Innovation as well as Professor of Physics and VP for Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Professor Schiffer received his bachelor’s degree from Yale and PhD from Stanford University. He has served as Professor of Physics and in research leadership roles at the University of Illinois and then moved on to Yale University in similar leadership roles for research departments and worked with graduate students, before coming to Princeton in 2023.
Professor Schiffer began with a brief overview of his responsibilities as Professor of Physics and Vice President of the Plasma Physics Laboratory. This lab is part of the national Department of Energy but is run by Princeton University. Its mission is to investigate physics-related fusion energy and high temperature gases. His physics responsibilities involved work with magnets and magnetism. Specifically, he described working with arrays of magnets on a tiny nanometer scale and the frustrations created by the opposing forces of north and south bipolar magnetism. He highlighted wind power in Denmark as an example of the important use of magnetism. He oversees all academic fields including arts, social sciences, engineering, etc. Ensuring that all the interdisciplinary areas across the sciences are working together and managing the research activities of faculty members, PhD candidates, graduate and undergraduate student are also key roles.
Professor Schiffer noted that this is an exciting time for research at Princeton because it is growing rapidly. Two main indicators of this growth are the new buildings for Environmental Sciences and the Art Museum currently under construction. Add to that the new Quantum Research Initiative. All of this growth comes with increased complexity: Funding and funding requirements grow ever more complicated and an innovative new focus on pushing research from the faculty out to the business world requires additional management.
University research, he said, is basically “figuring stuff out.” He named three levels in which Princeton is involved: basic research, like what are stars made of; applied research, like why people get certain diseases; and new medications, new electronics and new computer programs. Universities provide an excellent home for research because the way to collect the best experts to teach is to give then an environment where they can think. Basic research at universities has led to a number of important applications in our world, such as WWII radar technology, GPS technology, Google Search, LED lighting, Covid vaccines, and AI.
As Dean of Research, he is the most senior research executive in the university, charged to support and advocate broad initiatives as well as interdisciplinary research that goes across the missions of others. He coordinates all programs funded by grant; is responsible for managing compliance of all research actions and resources, including ensuring integrity, attending to human subjects and lab animals; managing conflicts of interest; data management; technology transfer to startups; and any other coordination need. Those involved in university research go well beyond faculty, students, and on-campus resources to include outside stakeholders such as those who fund grants, university administration, taxpayers, and the public.
Examining the components of a research project, he began with the principal investigator, who leads the project and is responsible for obtaining internal and external funding, supervising and coordinating team members, ensuring the training of students and post doc advisees, financial compliance, and the ultimate dissemination of the research. Critical personnel include grad students and post docs, who are usually paid and learning while working. Also, key are resource staff to manage computers, hardware, special equipment, and laboratories. Administrative staff handles the handling of proposals and agreements, managing data, and ensuring compliance.
Professor Schiffer cited money as the most important need. This was followed by space, equipment, libraries, administrative support, compliance support, and technical support, all also requiring funding. He further divided costs, beginning with modest costs such as travel and modest staff, which are funded by Princeton University. The second group of more complicated costs including additional people and additional labs, usually funded by the federal government or private foundations. A faculty member with a project idea writes a proposal and then goes to the funding agencies for approval. If approved the funding is given directly to Princeton University to manage. Last year Princeton spent $513 million on research with just under half coming from the government and the balance from a number of private foundations.
He concluded his presentation by describing the thoughts and actions of his typical day. Top on the list was how to get grant funding. To that he added ensuring research security, sourcing lab animals when needed, and identifying human subject volunteers. Coordination of data and high-performance computers to facilitate tech transfer to start ups is added the additional challenge of managing conflict of interest when faculty members are involved in both university research and private commercial research. Last, but not least in his normal day, is the operation of the Princeton Plasma Lab with its 750 people. Being the only national lab dedicated to fusion research adds an extra dose of regulatory oversight from the federal government.
A lively Q & A session followed with questions touching on Chinese research investment, where to find a list of current Princeton research projects, identifying Johns Hopkins University as the recipient of the most research funding and the role of subsidiaries involved in Princeton’s research. Discussing fusion and quantum physics, Professor Schiffer stated that not only isn’t fusion rocket science, but it’s harder. In particular getting fusion power for commercial application is still a work in progress. His explanation of quantum physics ultimately ended with the comment that it would take a full semester course do this topic justice.
Respectfully submitted,
Larry Hans
Frances Slade led the invocation. A moment of silence was observed for two Old Guard members recently deceased, William Burks and John Tiebout. George Bustin announced next week’s speaker would be Bart Devolder, Chief Conservator of the Princeton University Art Museum, and his topic will be “The Future Role of Conservation at the Princeton University Art Museum.”
Julia Elward Berry read the minutes of the previous meeting.
George Bustin introduced our speaker, Professor Peter Schiffer, Princeton University Dean for Research and Innovation as well as Professor of Physics and VP for Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Professor Schiffer received his bachelor’s degree from Yale and PhD from Stanford University. He has served as Professor of Physics and in research leadership roles at the University of Illinois and then moved on to Yale University in similar leadership roles for research departments and worked with graduate students, before coming to Princeton in 2023.
Professor Schiffer began with a brief overview of his responsibilities as Professor of Physics and Vice President of the Plasma Physics Laboratory. This lab is part of the national Department of Energy but is run by Princeton University. Its mission is to investigate physics-related fusion energy and high temperature gases. His physics responsibilities involved work with magnets and magnetism. Specifically, he described working with arrays of magnets on a tiny nanometer scale and the frustrations created by the opposing forces of north and south bipolar magnetism. He highlighted wind power in Denmark as an example of the important use of magnetism. He oversees all academic fields including arts, social sciences, engineering, etc. Ensuring that all the interdisciplinary areas across the sciences are working together and managing the research activities of faculty members, PhD candidates, graduate and undergraduate student are also key roles.
Professor Schiffer noted that this is an exciting time for research at Princeton because it is growing rapidly. Two main indicators of this growth are the new buildings for Environmental Sciences and the Art Museum currently under construction. Add to that the new Quantum Research Initiative. All of this growth comes with increased complexity: Funding and funding requirements grow ever more complicated and an innovative new focus on pushing research from the faculty out to the business world requires additional management.
University research, he said, is basically “figuring stuff out.” He named three levels in which Princeton is involved: basic research, like what are stars made of; applied research, like why people get certain diseases; and new medications, new electronics and new computer programs. Universities provide an excellent home for research because the way to collect the best experts to teach is to give then an environment where they can think. Basic research at universities has led to a number of important applications in our world, such as WWII radar technology, GPS technology, Google Search, LED lighting, Covid vaccines, and AI.
As Dean of Research, he is the most senior research executive in the university, charged to support and advocate broad initiatives as well as interdisciplinary research that goes across the missions of others. He coordinates all programs funded by grant; is responsible for managing compliance of all research actions and resources, including ensuring integrity, attending to human subjects and lab animals; managing conflicts of interest; data management; technology transfer to startups; and any other coordination need. Those involved in university research go well beyond faculty, students, and on-campus resources to include outside stakeholders such as those who fund grants, university administration, taxpayers, and the public.
Examining the components of a research project, he began with the principal investigator, who leads the project and is responsible for obtaining internal and external funding, supervising and coordinating team members, ensuring the training of students and post doc advisees, financial compliance, and the ultimate dissemination of the research. Critical personnel include grad students and post docs, who are usually paid and learning while working. Also, key are resource staff to manage computers, hardware, special equipment, and laboratories. Administrative staff handles the handling of proposals and agreements, managing data, and ensuring compliance.
Professor Schiffer cited money as the most important need. This was followed by space, equipment, libraries, administrative support, compliance support, and technical support, all also requiring funding. He further divided costs, beginning with modest costs such as travel and modest staff, which are funded by Princeton University. The second group of more complicated costs including additional people and additional labs, usually funded by the federal government or private foundations. A faculty member with a project idea writes a proposal and then goes to the funding agencies for approval. If approved the funding is given directly to Princeton University to manage. Last year Princeton spent $513 million on research with just under half coming from the government and the balance from a number of private foundations.
He concluded his presentation by describing the thoughts and actions of his typical day. Top on the list was how to get grant funding. To that he added ensuring research security, sourcing lab animals when needed, and identifying human subject volunteers. Coordination of data and high-performance computers to facilitate tech transfer to start ups is added the additional challenge of managing conflict of interest when faculty members are involved in both university research and private commercial research. Last, but not least in his normal day, is the operation of the Princeton Plasma Lab with its 750 people. Being the only national lab dedicated to fusion research adds an extra dose of regulatory oversight from the federal government.
A lively Q & A session followed with questions touching on Chinese research investment, where to find a list of current Princeton research projects, identifying Johns Hopkins University as the recipient of the most research funding and the role of subsidiaries involved in Princeton’s research. Discussing fusion and quantum physics, Professor Schiffer stated that not only isn’t fusion rocket science, but it’s harder. In particular getting fusion power for commercial application is still a work in progress. His explanation of quantum physics ultimately ended with the comment that it would take a full semester course do this topic justice.
Respectfully submitted,
Larry Hans