Princeton scholars and researchers are global leaders across the disciplines, from the natural sciences and engineering to the social sciences, humanities and the arts. Members of our research community engage with the challenges of our time, explore new technologies and other improvements to our quality of life, and probe the nature of our universe and our shared humanity.
External sources funded 1,740 separate awards for campus research in 2023–24. There were 994 sponsored awards in the natural sciences, 556 in engineering and applied science, 172 in the humanities and social sciences, and 18 in non-academic departments. Expenditures for these awards totaled $328 million—76% from government and 24% from foundations, corporations and other sources. Including the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, the University expended approximately $525.6 million in 2023–24 in research funding from external sources.
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
A U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory managed by Princeton University, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a longstanding leader in the science and engineering behind the development of fusion energy — a clean, safe and virtually limitless energy source. PPPL is also expanding its focus, applying its expertise in plasma to advance national priorities in the areas of microelectronics, quantum sensors and devices, and sustainability sciences. PPPL remains devoted to furthering the scientific understanding of the plasma universe from laboratory to astrophysical scales.
Through partnerships and collaborations, PPPL is working with public and private entities to bring a U.S. fusion pilot plant into operation. The Lab’s primary fusion experiment is the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U), which is shaped like a cored apple and can produce high-pressure plasmas. Its compact design may be used as a model for a fusion pilot plant and possibly a commercial fusion reactor. The Lab also remains a key partner in the U.S. effort to help build ITER, the international fusion experiment under construction in France. Underlying all its endeavors is the call to educate and inspire future generations for the national interest; notably, the laboratory offers the first-in-the-nation registered apprenticeship program in fusion energy and engineering.
Located in the James Forrestal Campus, PPPL has around 800 employees and is building an expansive new center — the Princeton Plasma Innovation Center — to support the laboratory’s growing research interests. The laboratory had a 2023 federal fiscal year budget of approximately $207 million.
Academic Resources
The Library
The Princeton University Library is one of the world’s foremost research libraries. A hub of activity for exploration and discovery, it is continually evolving and enhancing its contribution to the Princeton research, teaching and learning experience. The Library actively supports today’s researchers through newly designed workspaces, in-depth expertise, state-of-the-art technology, and ever-increasing access to its extraordinary physical and electronic collections. Its extensive holdings range from an Egyptian Book of the Dead (circa 1250 BCE), to the papers of Nobel Prize laureate Toni Morrison, to recently published scholarly works. The Library has a campus-wide presence in nine locations, including the main library, the Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library.
The Art Museum
With a collecting history that extends back to 1755, the Princeton University Art Museum is one of the leading university art museums in the world. Committed to advancing Princeton’s teaching and research missions, the museum has grown its collections to over 115,000 works of art ranging from ancient to contemporary and spanning the globe.
The main museum building is closed for construction of a new museum and is anticipated to open in 2025. During construction, students and faculty continue to enjoy rich in-person classroom experiences with the collections, as well as two downtown galleries, Art on Hulfish (through January 2025) and Art@Bainbridge, featuring exhibitions of contemporary art. In addition, the museum offers robust live programs and rich online resources.