Project Grant 2609320

The National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences awarded the University of Delaware $420,000 on September 1, 2026, to conduct collaborative research using data from the IceCube and KM3Net kilometer-scale neutrino observatories to search for new physics beyond the Standard Model.

The project will develop the first combined IceCube-KM3Net dataset including neutrinos of all types from the entire sky, using advanced data analysis, statistical methods, and artificial intelligence to identify rare neutrino events and search for signs of new physics. By studying the highest-energy neutrinos produced in the universe, the research will explore fundamental questions about the nature of neutrinos, gravity, spacetime, and possible new forces or particles inaccessible to current particle accelerators. The combined dataset will increase sensitivity to neutrinos from the Milky Way and strengthen connections between particle physics, neutrino astronomy, and multimessenger astrophysics.

Researchers from the University of Delaware, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will build on their established collaboration between the IceCube and KM3Net experiments. The project will provide training for graduate students and early-career researchers in data science, artificial intelligence, and scientific computing, and will expand the CosmicWatch educational program by developing space-based cosmic-ray detectors, providing open data for classroom activities, and engaging students through IceCube Masterclasses and public outreach.

The award runs through August 31, 2027, with place of performance in Newark, Delaware. No subawards are planned.