Astronomical Sciences Core Research (Astro-Core)

The MPS Astronomical Sciences Core Research program (Astro-Core) supports foundational research in the astronomical sciences. The program provides individual investigator and collaborative research grants for observational, theoretical, computational, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), laboratory, and archival data studies in astronomy and astrophysics. The program also considers proposals for projects and tools that enable or enhance astronomical research. Proposals may span multiple disciplines and/or areas of study and may utilize multiple techniques. This program was formerly known as Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants (AAG). 

Important Considerations: The Astro-Core program is anticipated to be especially competitive in Fiscal Year 2027. For this reason, please note the following:

• Multiple submissions by the same lead principal investigator (PI), whether as part of a collaborative project or not, are strongly discouraged. 

• PIs who already have an active MPS Astronomical Sciences award that is not set to expire in the upcoming fiscal year should contact their cognizant Program Officer before considering submitting a proposal for another concurrent award. 

• As stated in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (Chapter IV.E), previously declined proposals may be resubmitted only after substantial revisions to take into account major comments or concerns from the prior review. Resubmissions that have not been sufficiently revised may be returned without review. 

• NSF recognizes that some research projects within this program may require more than three years to realize transformative research outcomes. Such proposals should include strong justification for the longer duration and the associated resources needed to undertake the project. 

• Collaborative proposals that leverage the unique contributions of different groups are welcome but must be well justified. Collaborations that establish partnerships between the broad range of eligible institutions and build or strengthen research capacity are especially encouraged. 

Program Design: Proposals submitted to the Astro-Core program will be evaluated by experts in the appropriate disciplinary areas. Proposers should ensure that both their Project Summary and Project Description clearly place their work within the appropriate field of study. Review panels are organized within four broad research areas: Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology (EXC), Galactic Astronomy (GAL), Stellar Astronomy and Astrophysics (SAA) and Planetary, Exoplanetary and Solar Astronomy (PLA). Proposals that span multiple of these areas are accepted. In all cases, proposals must demonstrate the astronomical context of the work. Proposals that do not adequately demonstrate the astronomical context may be returned without review. 

NSF strives to allocate federal funding to maximize scientific discovery in coordination with other funding agencies. Proposals that predominantly exploit NASA data or resources should be submitted to NASA. Proposals submitted to NSF with an extensive work effort to model or analyze data from NASA missions or archives must include a labeled section in the project description explaining why NASA data are required to advance the scientific goals of an NSF proposal. Please contact a cognizant NSF program officer if you have any questions about the suitability of your proposal for the Astro-Core program.  

The community is encouraged to submit proposals that lay the foundation for capitalizing on NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, including but not limited to use of Data Preview and Data Release 1 catalogs. Such proposals may include science-focused research and/or activities that generate knowledge, methods, or high-level data products that will maximize the U.S. community’s access to, and enhance the scientific impact of, the Rubin Legacy Survey of Space and Time.

The Astro-Core program accepts proposals in solar astronomy, especially those leveraging data from NSF’s ground-based solar observatories. The program also accepts proposals that consider the Sun's impact on the broader solar system, beyond Earth and its vicinity. However, proposals that study the effects of the Sun on the Earth’s atmosphere and near-Earth space environment, including the impact on telecommunications and other human activity, may be more suitable for the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Program (AGS)

Additional Funding Opportunities Inside the Astro-Core program: The Astro-Core program will accept Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) proposals. Information on the scope of RUI projects and the format of these proposals can be found at Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions.  

The Astro-Core Program will accept proposals for the Computational and Data Enabled Science and Engineering (CDS&E) funding opportunity. Proposals must explicitly address the CDS&E program goals within the 15-page Project Description. Please see the CDS&E program description at Computational and Data Enabled Science.  

All RUI, CDS&E, or other proposals submitted to the Astro-Core program must meet the Astro-Core requirements.  

Supplemental Funding Requests: Requests for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), Research Experiences for Teachers (RET), Research Opportunity Awards (ROA), and some other supplemental funding requests can be made in two ways: either as a component of a new research proposal or as a supplemental funding request to an existing award. Other programs, such as the Veterans Research Supplement (VRS) Program, accept supplemental funding requests only for existing awards. Guidance on preparing supplemental funding requests is contained in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide.  

Additional Funding Opportunities Outside the Astro-Core program: The guidelines in the MPS Astro solicitation do not apply to proposals submitted in response to other solicitations, such as CAREER. Requests for supplemental funding, conference proposals, Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) or EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) proposals must follow the proposal preparation instructions contained in the PAPPG Chapter II.F.  

MPS Astronomical Sciences (MPS-Astro) supports conferences, symposia and workshops (meetings) in associated areas of science to bring experts together to discuss current research, to expose other researchers or students to new research methods, and to discuss future directions. Conferences may be supported only if equivalent results cannot be obtained at regular meetings of professional societies or other established conference series. Such proposals should be submitted at least 12 months before the anticipated conference or meeting date. Proposers are encouraged to contact a Program Director before submission to discuss the suitability of the proposed activity for support.