Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation for the Astronomical Sciences

The Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation for the Astronomical Sciences (ATI) program is a funding opportunity from the National Science Foundation (NSF), a federal agency dedicated to supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering. This program is administered through the NSF’s Division of Astronomical Sciences, within the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. The ATI program supports projects aimed at advancing ground-based observational capabilities in astronomy and astrophysics through the development of cutting-edge technologies and instrumentation. This program offers individual investigator and collaborative research grants focused on creating new technologies or improving instrumentation used in ground-based astronomy. Emphasis is placed on innovative and potentially transformative projects, including high-risk concepts, that significantly enhance observational capabilities. Funded projects may involve hardware or software development or analysis techniques that enable new forms of astronomical data collection, particularly in areas that are difficult or impossible to address using existing methods. The development of adaptive optics systems, precision spectrometers, radio antennas, and imaging detectors are among the areas of interest. Funding through the ATI program is structured as either standard or continuing grants, with an estimated annual budget of $8 million and approximately 10 awards made each year, contingent on funding availability. The program encourages broad accessibility of funded technologies to the U.S. astronomical community. This includes expectations for public access to developed tools, data, and software. Awardees are also required to participate in an annual Principal Investigators’ meeting to promote collaboration and information exchange. Eligibility for this opportunity follows NSF-wide guidelines as outlined in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Eligible proposers include institutions of higher education and nonprofit research institutions. Unaffiliated individuals are not permitted to apply. There are no limits on the number of proposals per organization or principal investigator. Proposals must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov and should comply with all instructions in the PAPPG or NSF Grants.gov Application Guide. Letters of intent and preliminary proposals are not required for this opportunity. Applications are accepted during the submission window from October 1 to November 15 annually, with proposals due by 5 p.m. local time of the submitter. Although this is not a rolling opportunity, it is recurring annually. Applicants must ensure their proposals clearly demonstrate astronomical relevance and potential for impact, or they will be returned without review. Specific additional review criteria include motivation, innovation, public benefit, technology outreach, and project management, in addition to NSF-wide merit review standards for intellectual merit and broader impacts. Program inquiries should be directed to Matthew A. Bershady at mbershad@nsf.gov or by phone at (703) 292-2686. For technical support with proposal submission, applicants may contact the Research.gov Help Desk or the Grants.gov Contact Center. Additional information on submission requirements, award conditions, and reporting expectations can be found in the PAPPG and on the NSF website.