The Adler Planetarium

The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum is a Chicago-based non-profit organization registered as a corporate entity with the federal government since November 2004. The organization provides federal agencies with expertise in astronomy education, citizen science platforms, digital engagement experiences, and STEM programming designed to reach diverse audiences including youth, underserved communities, and the general public. Through its federal awards, the Adler Planetarium leverages its core competencies in immersive visualization, scientific research infrastructure, and public engagement to advance federal science priorities across multiple disciplines and agencies.

The Adler Planetarium has received two primary federal cooperative agreements from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), totaling $933,468 across two awards. The first cooperative agreement, valued at $633,468 and running from June 2022 through September 2026, focuses on developing educational programs and immersive experiences titled "Climate Change and Me: Engaging Young People with NASA Data, Missions, and Careers through Immersive Visualizations, Planetarium Programs, and Virtual Experiences." This award supports the creation of interactive content that helps young audiences understand NASA's climate research, missions, and career pathways. The second NASA cooperative agreement, a $300,000 award effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, builds on a successful partnership with Zooniverse to scale citizen science and artificial intelligence integration in support of NASA's science priorities. Both awards utilized no set-aside designations and represent partnerships that leverage the Planetarium's existing expertise in digital engagement and scientific education. These contracts demonstrate the organization's capacity to deliver large-scale educational initiatives and technological infrastructure in collaboration with federal science agencies.

The Adler Planetarium has secured substantial federal grant funding across multiple agencies and programs, demonstrating diverse capabilities in research infrastructure, education, and community engagement. The organization received a $1,296,125 National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CFDA 47.070) program, running from October 2025 through September 2029, to develop citizen science cyberinfrastructure including mapping integration into Zooniverse, an incubator hub for innovative citizen science projects, and cyber-pathways to existing research infrastructure. An additional $276,648 NSF Project Grant (CFDA 47.070) from October 2024 through September 2026 investigates human-machine collaboration optimization in citizen science, utilizing the Correct-a-Machine platform to enhance volunteer analysis of complex datasets. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded the Planetarium $312,836 for a collections lighting upgrade project (January-December 2026) and previously provided funding for digital humanities infrastructure scaling. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funded multiple projects including a $198,760 National Leadership Grant (September 2021-August 2023) to develop digital STEAM learning experiences for underserved middle school students and an earlier solar eclipse education initiative distributed through Illinois public libraries. Additionally, the Planetarium has served as a sub-grantee on multiple collaborative awards, including partnerships with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston on environmental justice initiatives, Southern Illinois University on solar eclipse field trip models, and Boston University on inclusive museum programming development. These grants collectively reflect the Planetarium's expertise in citizen science platforms, museum education innovation, collections management, and community-centered STEM programming across public, academic, and cultural institution partnerships.