Project Grant 2609392

The National Science Foundation Division of Physics awarded the University of Washington $164,000 on August 15, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to support the Dark Matter in CCDs at Modane (DAMIC-M) experiment, a collaborative research effort to detect light dark matter particles using silicon charge-coupled device detectors.

The award funds the University of Washington's leadership and participation in DAMIC-M, which operates a several-hundred-gram detector at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane in France. The experiment employs CCDs—imaging sensors traditionally used in astronomical telescopes—to search for signals produced when dark matter particles interact with silicon. The detector measures charge stored in individual CCD pixels with sufficient sensitivity to identify single-electron interactions, enabling detection of light dark matter whose interactions release minimal energy.

Beyond experimental operations, the award supports hands-on student research experiences, community and public outreach, and partnerships integrating science into classroom and informal learning settings. The DAMIC collaboration previously conducted dark matter searches at SNOLAB, an underground facility near Sudbury, Canada. Period of performance runs through July 31, 2027, with work performed in Seattle, Washington at the University of Washington Office of Sponsored Programs.