Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Astronomical Sciences awarded $518,349 to the California Institute of Technology under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) for a CAREER grant titled "Mapping Binary Evolution Across the Milky Way with Gaia." The award, effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031, supports fundamental research into binary star systems using data from the Gaia space telescope. The principal investigator will develop and utilize open-source software (GaiaMock) to characterize and catalog binary systems in the Milky Way, identify systems containing compact objects such as black holes and neutron stars, and constrain the galactic population demographics and mass distributions of these objects. The research aims to advance understanding of stellar evolution, mass transfer mechanisms, and compact object formation by analyzing binary star systems with separations previously inaccessible to other detection methods.

In addition to core research deliverables, the award includes significant educational and workforce development components aligned with NSF's emphasis on broader impacts. Funding supports graduate student research participation across all project aspects, course development at Caltech, a hands-on workshop providing Gaia data analysis training for undergraduate and graduate students and the broader astronomical community, and a summer research program offering STEM training to K-12 teachers and high school students. These integrated research and educational activities strengthen both the scientific enterprise and the next generation of researchers in astrophysics and related disciplines.