Project Grant 2628094
- This $564,958 National Science Foundation Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports measurement, simulation, and mitigation of the impact of low-Earth orbit satellite constellations on wide-field optical surveys conducted by ground-based observatories. The University of California, Davis will pursue multiple mitigation strategies including developing novel algorithms for processing charge-coupled device images, strategies for avoiding the brightest...
- This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program provides $236,198 to the University of Illinois to conduct research on minimizing the impact of satellite optical reflections on key astronomical observing systems, particularly the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The work involves developing software to accurately predict satellite positions and optical brightness, leveraging collaborations with the Aerospace...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Astronomical Sciences awarded The Leland Stanford Junior University $501,047 on September 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) for collaborative research on dwarf galaxy mass profiles using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. Stanford scientists will build the largest sample of dwarf galaxies to date and measure gravitational distortions these galaxies imprint on images of...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Astronomical Sciences awarded a $463,511 Project Grant to the University of California, San Diego under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences federal grant program (CFDA 47.049) to support collaborative research titled "AI-Enhanced Exascale Simulations of the Earliest Galaxies" from September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2024. The University will utilize artificial intelligence and high-performance computing to conduct exascale simulations...
- The National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences awarded Carnegie Institution of Washington $980,286 on September 1, 2026, to extend a three-telescope intensity interferometry prototype into a six-telescope pathfinder array at the Weizmann Observatory. The project, conducted under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), advances intensity interferometry techniques to image bright stars at extremely high resolution by measuring photon...
- This $421,175 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences program supports a research project titled "The Emergence of Star Clusters: Insights from Artificial Intelligence." The project aims to better understand the physical mechanisms of star formation by analyzing data from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array and the James Webb Space Telescope to measure the timescales for clearing natal gas from newly formed stellar clusters....
- The National Science Foundation Division of Astronomical Sciences awarded the University of New Mexico $156,718 in Project Grant funding on August 15, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049). The award supports development of computational tools powered by artificial intelligence that enable rigorous comparison of theoretical predictions for dwarf galaxies against observations from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's decade-long survey of the southern sky. The...
- The National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences awarded $160,000 to the University of California, Davis on September 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) for collaborative research on random matrices, algorithms, and large-scale computation. The project develops mathematical theory and practical tools to explain how randomness in data and algorithms combine to shape computational performance on large, realistic datasets....
- The National Science Foundation Division of Astronomical Sciences awarded the University of Virginia $445,607 on August 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to develop an artificial intelligence framework for characterizing uncertainties in cosmological simulations of galaxy formation. The project will execute a simulation suite designed for uncertainty quantification across physical models, cosmological assumptions, and resolution scales. Work includes...
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $366,995 Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) federal grant program to the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). The grant, titled "REDWOODS: A Hybrid Wavefront Sensor / Science Camera to Demonstrate Extreme Exoplanet Imaging at Lick Observatory," will fund the development and testing of new technologies to enable the direct imaging of Earth-like exoplanets. The key product will be a focal...
The National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences awarded the University of California, Davis $387,167 on November 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to develop artificial intelligence techniques that mitigate satellite interference with optical astronomy observations from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The project addresses critical threats to LSST science quality posed by the surge in low Earth orbit satellite constellations. Over a million pending license applications for new ultra-bright satellites threaten to produce diffuse sky glow that could render much of the intended LSST science impossible, and satellite flares and glints risk confusion with real astrophysical events, generating bogus transient alerts and artificial faint galaxies. The initiative leverages Google DeepMind Gemini 3.5 Pro as its core AI engine, trained on lab images of satellite streaks on realistic skies. The project will generate a comprehensive database cataloging the number, orientation, flux profile, and location of streaks in each image using Rubin LSSTCAM imaging data, further train the detection engine on a specialized hardware simulator of LSST satellite streaks to improve accuracy and completeness of automated detection, and develop advanced characterizations of streaks to assist researchers with systematic error analysis and data masking. Work is performed in close collaboration with astronomers, SpaceX, and other constellation operators. Performance of work is located in Davis, California, with a period of performance from November 1, 2026, through October 31, 2028.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $387.2k | 8/13/26 |