The Theoretical Astrophysics Program (TAP) originated more than ten years ago to facilitate closer intellectual and academic interaction between the three departments of Physics, Astronomy, and Planetary Sciences. The assets of the program are 5 faculty lines (4 1/2 of which are filled), money for secretaries, an operating budget, and an overhead return account. A total of approximately 20 faculty on campus are affiliated with the program, as are an additional 20-25 graduate students and postdocs. By all reasonable measures (citations, funding, and international reputation), the Arizona TAP is among the top ten such programs in the nation, perhaps in the world, and is widely recognized on campus as an asset to the University.

The major activities of the program are a biweekly colloquium series, a weekly lunch seminar, a graduate student research prize, a graduate student recruitment prize, a publicity campaign (mainly in the form of a poster mailing to all the physics and astronomy departments in the world), and a small grants program. In addition, the TAP plays a modest and informal role in mentoring and advising undergraduates, maintains a library (with computer terminals) in the Physics department, an interaction area and laser printer in the Astronomy department, and a visitor's office (with computer) in LPL.

1. The TAP maintains a homepage (http://www.astrophysics.arizona.edu/) on which calendars, graphics, mpeg movies, and general information about faculty, etc. can be found.

2. The TAP has a biannual competition to distribute money to graduate students, postdocs, and faculty of the three departments that apply in writing for travel, publication, visitors, or equipment. During the last three years, the success rate for proposals with a theoretical astrophysics component has been about 90%.

3. The TAP subsidizes all graduate students that attend the dinners for the TAP colloquium speakers.

4. The TAP has purchased and/or maintained numerous items to facilitate Astrophysics in the three departments. In the Physics department, it administers room 443 as a library, computer, and meeting room. To this end, it has bought a laser printer, an NCD terminal, bookshelves, kitchen supplies, a preprint rack, chairs, an overhead projector, and $1000 worth of technical books. In LPL, the TAP maintains a visitor's office, which it has furnished with a SUN computer. In the Astronomy department, the TAP maintains a computer and a communal laser printer, partly acquired with TAP funds. In addition, the TAP supplies the 3rd-floor interaction area in the new building with coffee makers and refreshments.

5. During the Fall of 1996 and the Spring of 1997, approximately half of the lunch talks were held in Physics room 218 and the other half were held in Astronomy room N305. Most of the Monday 4:00 p.m. colloquia were held in Astronomy N210. This Fall (1997), TAP colloquia will be held in Physics and TAP lunches in LPL. This Spring, TAP colloquia will be held in Physics.

6. The TAP administers and staffs a course ``Topics in Theoretical Astrophysics'' that is cross-listed in all three departments. The course is team-taught and provides a forum for the latest research being conducted by theorists on campus.