Federal Grant Award Summary

Mississippi State University received a $462,113 CAREER (Faculty Early Career Development) Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Physics under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), effective April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2031. The award funds fundamental nuclear astrophysics research focused on measuring critical nuclear reactions that occur during stellar explosions (supernovae) and on neutron star surfaces. The research employs radioactive and stable particle beams at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams and the University of Notre Dame to conduct experimental measurements that validate computational models of element production, destruction, and energy generation under extreme stellar conditions. These laboratory measurements will advance understanding of how supernovae create and disperse elements throughout galaxies, ultimately illuminating the nuclear processes that seeded our solar system's formation.

Beyond advancing fundamental scientific knowledge, the project includes significant workforce development components that will train graduate and undergraduate students in experimental nuclear physics techniques, thereby strengthening the nation's pipeline of nuclear scientists and engineers. The integrated research and educational activities align with NSF's emphasis on combining intellectual merit with broader societal impacts, positioning the award to contribute to both discovery and human capital development within the nuclear astrophysics field.