Dear Colleagues,
We are writing to announce the program Bits, Branes, Black Holes, to be held at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, during the period March 19 – May 25, 2012, and to alert you that applications are now being accepted. We also encourage you to inform others who you think might be interested in applying.
We coordinators will be assisted by advisors Joe Polchinski and Ted Jacobson. A summary and the latest information about the program can be found online at http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/activities/dbdetails?acro=bitbranes12 .
It is necessary for every prospective participant to set up an account and apply online, even if we have already corresponded with you about the program. There will also be a “wrap-up” conference associated with this program, entitled Black Holes and Information to be held from May 21 – 25, 2012. Further information will be posted online when it becomes available. (It is not necessary to be a program participant in order to attend the conference.)
KITP programs differ from many conferences and workshops in that they create a situation where scientists learn from each other and actually do substantive research, often collaborating with other participants. To foster these interactions, KITP strongly encourages theorists to stay for as long as possible, with three weeks being the minimum stay for a regular participant. We understand, however, that experimentalists/observers often cannot manage long visits but can have a big impact even in a week, so we can be more flexible for them. Some level of financial support will be available, the amount depending on the needs of the participants and availability of funds. To apply, go to the aforementioned web page, and click on the Apply link. Application deadline: July 31, 2011. Late applications will be considered as budget and space permits. Due to space and financial constraints, however, we may not be able to accommodate everyone who applies.
KITP provides office and computing facilities on-site at UC Santa Barbara and also provides help in finding living accommodations. Actual commitments of office space and financial support can be made only by written formal invitations from the KITP Director, David Gross, regardless of any communications you may have had with us. If you think you might like to participate, it will help us with our planning if you could apply early, including your proposed length of stay and any financial requirements. If you have any questions, please contact one of the coordinators.
Sincerely yours,
Vijay Balasubramanian <vijay [AT] physics.upenn.edu>
Alex Maloney <maloney [AT] physics.mcgill.ca>
Donald Marolf <marolf [AT] physics.ucsb.edu>
Joan Simon <J.Simon [AT] ed.ac.uk>