# Collaborative Research: Building the Next-Generation NANOGrav Pulsar Timing Array with the DSA-2000

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Cornell University (NY) · $334,648

## Abstract

Enormous black holes a billion times more massive than the Sun orbit and merge with each other in the hearts of distant galaxies. These mergers produce gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of space-time itself, with periods of years. Recently, the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) collaboration confirmed the existence of these ripples. The collaboration has been observing cosmic clocks, called "millisecond pulsars", for 15 years. Gravitational waves stretch and squeeze space-time, making these clocks appear to speed up and slow down. The observation that these clocks vary in concert, not independently, reveals the existence of these gravitational waves. Making these observations requires radio telescopes of enormous sensitivity. The NANOGrav collaboration has been partnering with the DSA-2000 project to build a telescope that can continue these observations. Graduate and undergraduate students will receivehands-on training on the development of hardware and algorithms. The results will be presented widely to the scientific community as well as the broader public.

This award contributes to the goals of NSF's "Windows on the Universe: The Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics" meta-program by including the development of metrics to evaluate millisecond pulsars for their timing suitability, and the selection of an expanded sample for timing observations. It will support the development and deployment of pulsar timing instrumentation 

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2511105
- **Awardee organization:** Cornell University (NY)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** G56PUALJ3KT5
- **PI:** Shami Chatterjee
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** Windows on the Universe (WoU), THEORETICAL & COMPUTATIONAL ASTROPHYSICS, OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY
- **Estimated total:** $334,648
- **Funds obligated:** $334,648
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/01/2025 → 08/31/2028

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2511105

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2511105, Collaborative Research: Building the Next-Generation NANOGrav Pulsar Timing Array with the DSA-2000. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2511105. Licensed CC0.

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