Project Grant 2607771

The National Science Foundation Division of Physics awarded Kenyon College $200,000 on August 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to improve the LIGO data analysis pipeline for gravitational-wave detection and parameter estimation. The award funds research spanning three primary areas of the gravitational-wave data analysis pipeline: calibration of detector output into accurately calibrated data, distinguishing true astrophysical signals from instrumental noise, and extracting properties of ultra-dense nuclear matter from detected signals. Research will employ streaming frameworks, AI tools, and sophisticated inference methods to strengthen the process by which raw detector data are converted into scientific results.

Kenyon College will conduct the work in Gambier, Ohio, with performance through July 31, 2028. The award supports research experiences for undergraduate students who will join the LIGO international scientific collaboration and contribute directly to its science. Funding also supports the Radio and Optical Astronomy Research (ROAR) group, which engages first- and second-year undergraduates in astrophysics to promote retention in the physics major, and educational outreach through the Mount Vernon High School Science Club, which delivers hands-on physics, astronomy, and chemistry activities to students in rural central Ohio.