The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $270,000 Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) federal grant program to Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech) for the project "CAREER: HEAVY-TAILED PRIORS FOR ROBUST BAYESIAN INFERENCE IN ECOLOGY, MACHINE LEARNING, AND ASTRONOMY". This 5-year award, effective September 1, 2025, will develop new scalable Bayesian statistical methods that incorporate heavy-tailed probability distributions to address key challenges in independent component estimation, astronomical distance estimation, and high-dimensional compositional data modeling. The research aims to provide powerful Bayesian tools with rigorous theoretical justification that can be broadly applied across scientific domains, including astronomy, blind source separation, community detection, and ecological modeling. The project will also engage K-12 students, provide research opportunities for graduate students, and enhance undergraduate and graduate curricula.
Mod # | Description | Reason For Modification | Federal Obligation (Click to sort descending) | Date (Click to sort ascending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $270.0k | 6/16/25 |