NRAO Call for Proposals: Semester 2027A

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The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) invites scientists to participate in the Semester 2027A Call for Proposals for the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT), and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), High Sensitivity Array (HSA), and Global mm VLBI Array (GMVA).

The submission deadline for Semester 2027A proposals is Wednesday, 29 July 2026, at 17:00 EDT (21:00 UTC).

Starting in 27A the GBT will join the VLA to include constraints for proposals with a PI from a non-US institution  (see What's New in 27A).

For the VLA, the B and A-configurations will be available. It is anticipated there will be around 3300 hours on the VLA, 2000 hours on the GBT, and 965 hours on the VLBA available for science observing. Opportunities for Joint proposals will be available for ALMA, JWST, HST, Swift, Chandra, XMM-Newton, and IXPE. Joint Proposals with ALMA or JWST need to be submitted to the facility requesting the larger amount of observing time.

Call for Meetings and Conference support open

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The NAASC invites members of the North American scientific community to apply for funding in support of conferences and workshops that are ALMA focused or have a synergy with ALMA, and which encourage the participation of students, postdocs, and early career researchers. PI-led events based in the US, as well as national or international conferences may be considered. Events must be scheduled between Oct 1, 2026 and December 31, 2027 to be eligible. 

For awarded events, the NAASC can provide monetary funding (up to $15,000 per event).  As needed, the NAASC can also provide logistical support (e.g., webinar platform) materials and content if requested in the application or proposed by the NAASC at the time of the award. 

Proposals requesting more than $5,000 should apply before July 31th, 2026. For other proposals with lower monetary requests, we encourage submission by the call deadline but we will also consider applications at any time while funds last. For instructions on how to apply, eligibility criteria and other details on this program, please look at the program webpage.

Cosmic Horizons Conference - Charlottesville, VA

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The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) invites scientists to participate in the CosmicAI Horizons Conference held in Charlottesville, Virginia, July 13-16, 2026.  Registration is now open.

The recent revolution in AI is fundamentally changing how astronomers observe, explore, analyze, and model astronomical data. The Cosmic Horizons Conference aims to bring together researchers who are actively developing and applying AI/ML methods in astronomy.

Read more...

VLA+VLBA to ngVLA Transition Plan Report

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The preliminary transition plan described in the new report presents a reduction that would enable the VLA and VLBA to conduct high-profile science during the construction of the ngVLA in the context of a reduced science portfolio.

Read the new report (arXiv: 2501.06333) assembled by the Transition Advisory Group (TAG).

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

Founded in 1956, the NSF NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NSF NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NSF 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. NSF NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.

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