The angrites are an ancient (4.56 GA), critically silica under-saturated achondrites of igneous origin. These meteorites exhibit a range of mineralogy (e.g. pyroxene-rich basalts to dunites), textures…

The Regents of the University of Colorado Boulder received a $566,481.88 research grant from a civilian federal agency's Shared Services Center, effective January 1, 2020, with a completion date of December 31, 2024. This grant supports scientific research focused on angrites, an ancient class of meteorites approximately 4.56 billion years old that are critically silica under-saturated achondrites of igneous origin. The research investigates the mineralogy, textures, and isotopic systematics of these meteorites to understand their derivation through various thermal and crystallization histories during the earliest stages of planetesimal differentiation. The study examines multiple petrogenetic models explaining angrite generation, with particular emphasis on theories proposing partial melting of chondritic precursor material under uniquely oxidizing conditions. The award carries no set-aside designation, reflecting the university's competitive standing and technical capabilities in advanced scientific research.

The contract is structured as a standard research grant without specific subcontractor information provided in the award documentation. Work will be performed at the University of Colorado's Boulder campus in Colorado. This grant demonstrates CU's continued role as a premier research institution capable of securing federal funding for fundamental scientific investigations. The university's extensive portfolio of federal awards across disciplines including space sciences, planetary research, and advanced materials analysis provides substantial institutional capacity to execute sophisticated meteorite analysis and petrogenetic modeling studies aligned with broader national research priorities in planetary science and early solar system formation.

The angrites are an ancient (4.56 GA), critically silica under-saturated achondrites of igneous origin. These meteorites exhibit a range of mineralogy (e.g. pyroxene-rich basalts to dunites), textures (e.g. quenched liquids, ophitic basalts, and cumulates), and isotopic systematics which imply derivation through a range of thermal and crystallization histories during the earliest stages of planetesimal differentiation. Several petrogenetic models have been proposed to explain the generation of the angrites. One family of petrogenetic models argues that the angrites originated from the partial melting of chondritic precursor material under uniquely oxidizing conditions