Press Statement 03-003
Statement by Dr. Rita R. Colwell, Director, National Science Foundation, On Award of the Nobel Prize in Physics

October 7, 2003

I congratulate Professor Anthony Leggett of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, on receiving the 2003 Nobel Prize in physics for his groundbreaking work in explaining the behavior of atoms in superfluids. The National Science Foundation is proud to have supported his research over the past 20 years.

Leggett succeeded in formulating a theory to explain the complex superfluid behavior in the rare form of helium. And as is so often the case with fundamental scientific and engineering research, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences noted that the theory for this quantum phenomenon has also been able to shed light in other areas, including particle physics, cosmology and the study of turbulence.

Over the years, NSF has supported more than 40 Nobel Laureates in physics, and their discoveries in areas ranging from quantum fluids to X-ray astronomy have contributed to scientific advances that remind us how basic research leads to practical applications.

-NSF-

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Fact Sheet: NSF-Funded Nobel Prize Winners in Science: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=100683

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of $6.06 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 45,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

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