We will inspect data for outbursts daily, announce verified outbursts to the community, and trigger target of opportunity or director's discretionary time proposals in order to measure the coma…

This grant award, valued at $413,702.33, was provided by a civilian federal agency's Shared Services Center to the University of Maryland, College Park (operating through its Office of Research Administration & Advancement) to support near-infrared astronomical research. The contract, which was awarded on February 14, 2020, and completed on February 13, 2025, requires the university to inspect observational data for outbursts on a daily basis, announce verified outbursts to the scientific community, and submit proposals for target of opportunity or director's discretionary time observations to measure coma properties at near-infrared wavelengths. This work represents a grant-funded research initiative structured as a non-set-aside competitive award, with performance conducted in Berwyn Heights, Maryland.

The University of Maryland, College Park is a research-intensive land-grant institution that serves as a significant federal contractor and grantee with demonstrated capabilities across multiple scientific domains. As a child entity of the University System of Maryland, the university maintains extensive relationships with federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, executing contracts and grants spanning quantum computing, artificial intelligence, biomedical research, Earth sciences, and advanced technology development. This astronomical research award reflects the institution's broader portfolio of federal science and engineering support activities leveraging its academic infrastructure and faculty expertise.

We will inspect data for outbursts daily, announce verified outbursts to the community, and trigger target of opportunity or director's discretionary time proposals in order to measure the coma properties at near-infrared wavelengths.