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.…

The Pennsylvania State University has been awarded a $75,000 grant for research under contract 23-FERMI23-0020, titled "A Joint Swift/BAT and Fermi/GBM GRB Search." The award, issued on April 1, 2025, with an ultimate completion date of March 31, 2027, supports astronomical research focused on gamma-ray burst detection and analysis. The work will be performed at Penn State's University Park, Pennsylvania campus. This grant, issued with no set-aside designation, reflects selection based on technical merit and Penn State's demonstrated expertise in astrophysics research and federal partnership.

The funding originates from a civilian federal agency and supports Penn State's participation in a multi-institutional collaborative effort combining data from NASA's Swift satellite and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope missions to identify and characterize gamma-ray bursts. This research aligns with the broader federal science agenda emphasizing discovery in fundamental physics and space-based observations. Penn State's substantial track record as a premier research institution—with over $150 million in active federal grants and extensive expertise across scientific domains including space science—positions the university to contribute meaningfully to this gamma-ray astronomy initiative.

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.