Research Facilities

View the NRAO Research Facilities Brochure for 2024

The NRAO operates three state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the scientific community, regardless of institutional or national affiliation:

    • Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA);
    • Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA);
    • Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA)

The scientists and engineers at the NRAO Central Development Laboratory (CDL) develop new instrumentation and capabilities for NRAO telescopes.

Access to ALMA observing time by the North American astronomical community is enabled through the North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC) based at the NRAO headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia. The NAASC is operated by the NRAO in partnership with the National Research Council of Canada.

Connect with NRAO

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory and Green Bank Observatory are facilities of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense..."

AUI collaborates with the scientific community and research sponsors to plan, build, and operate cutting-edge facilities. We cultivate excellence, deliver value, enhance education, and engage the public.