  Theories with elementary scalar degrees of freedom seem nowadays required for
simple descriptions of the Standard Model and of the Early Universe. It is then
natural to embed theories of inflation in supergravity, also in view of their
possible ultraviolet completion in String Theory. After some general remarks on
inflation in supergravity, we describe examples of minimal inflaton dynamics
which are compatible with recent observations, including higher-curvature ones
inspired by the Starobinsky model. We also discuss different scenarios for
supersymmetry breaking during and after inflation, which include a revived role
for non-linear realizations. In this spirit, we conclude with a discussion of
the link, in four dimensions, between "brane supersymmetry breaking" and the
super--Higgs effect in supergravity.
