Execute a balanced science program based on discipline-specific guidance from the national academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine, administration priorities, and direction from congress.…

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was awarded a research grant valued at $186,552 by a civilian federal agency (Shared Services Center) on January 1, 2025, to support the project "Testing the White Dwarf Hypothesis for Gamma Cas Companions," with an ultimate completion date of December 31, 2026. The award is structured as a non-set-aside grant for research and will be performed at MIT's Cambridge, Massachusetts campus. This grant aligns with the funding agency's broader directive to execute a balanced science program based on guidance from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, while supporting the agency's exploration initiative focused on scientific research related to the Moon, lunar orbit, Mars, and beyond.

The research project contributes to the agency's commitment to advancing discovery across scientific disciplines and supporting fundamental astrophysical research. MIT, as a premier research institution with extensive federal funding experience across NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy, brings significant expertise in space exploration and scientific investigation to this effort. The award reflects the agency's strategic emphasis on leveraging academic research capabilities to support its mission objectives in space science and exploration-related discovery.

Execute a balanced science program based on discipline-specific guidance from the national academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine, administration priorities, and direction from congress. Participate as a key partner and enabler in the agency s exploration initiative, focusing on scientific research of, on, and from the moon, lunar orbit, mars, and beyond. Advance discovery in emerging fields by identifying and exploiting cross-disciplinary opportunities between traditional science disciplines develop a directorate-wide, target-user focused approach to applied programs, including earth science applications, space weather, planetary defense, and space situational awareness.