NSF funds NANOGrav Physics Frontiers Center

The U.S. National Science Foundation funds fundamental research to increase our scientific understanding of our world and our surroundings. The agency renewed funding for the NSF North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NSF NANOGrav) with a $17 million grant over five years to operate the NSF NANOGrav Physics Frontiers Center (NSF PFC). The center will be transformative in detecting and characterizing low-frequency gravitational waves.

"The NANOGrav PFC has made significant progress over the last five years, remaining at the frontier of fundamental physics research," said Jim Shank, the program director for the NSF NANOGrav PFC program. "The center now seems close to making a breakthrough discovery in gravitational waves and the way we perceive the universe."

Originally founded in 2007, NANOGrav has since grown to become a highly collaborative center working with over 40 institutions around the world. Over 200 students and scientists have worked with NANOGrav PFC and will continue to support research and student training in multi-messenger astrophysics.

NSF currently supports 10 other PFCs, which range in research areas from theoretical biological physics and the physics of living cells to quantum information and nuclear astrophysics. Information about centers can be found on NSF's website, as well as a full list of awards made in fiscal year 2021.