Università degli studi Trento - TIFPA
Institute
The new Department of Physics was established in 2012. This step was the natural continuation after nearly 40 years, during which its researchers had been engaged in many key sectors, ranging from cosmology to nuclear, molecular and atomic spectroscopy, from supercomputing and simulation of complex systems, biophysics, organic chemistry, research in education, from gravitation to solid state physics, nano-science and medical physics. The courses in physics offered by the past Faculty, are now entrusted to the Department, which coordinates a three-year degree and a Master, a School of PhD and offers various courses to the whole University, as well as a training for future secondary school teachers.
The current staff of the Department consists of about 40 researchers and professors along with about 30 units of technical and administrative staff. About 40 PhD students and several fellows and visitors are also associated with our Department.
There are various forms of scientific collaborations and participations in research projects between the Department and important organizations and agencies, such as the INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics), the CNR (National Research Council), ASI (Italian Space Agency), ESA (European Space Agency), CERN (European Centre for Nuclear Physics) and the European Union. Significant funds also come from private, local companies engaged in scientific and technological research and the dissemination of scientific culture, such as the Fondazione Bruno Kessler, the Edmund Mach Foundation, the Science Museum of Trento, ECT * (European Centre for Theoretical Studies in Nuclear Physics and Related Areas) and other institutions headed by, among others, the Department of Knowledge of the Autonomous Province of Trento.
The Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications (TIFPA) is a Science and Technology National Center for research in fundamental physics and state-of-the-art development of related technologies. It is embedded in the fertile substrate offered by the Trento Province research and technology context, and capitalizes on the collaborations already established across the past 20 years with UNITN and FBK.
A Laboratory of Communication of Physical Sciences has been active since 1999 in the fields of education research and of communication of physical sciences. In addition to traditional areas of experimental research in the field of mechanics, fluid mechanics and electromagnetism and optics, work is done in the new context of information and multimedia technologies, in particular for a renewed didactics of quantum and matter physics. The laboratory is also reference for the design and implementation of training programs for students and teachers of schools at all levels, in particular through the Piano Nazionale Lauree Scientifiche and the Agency for Educational Research of the Trentino Province, IPRASE. Much work is also carried out in collaboration with museums and science centers, primarily with the new MUSE of Trento, as well as for the communication with the general public (conferences, scientific theater).
