What kinds of work does this foundation support most often?

The grants center on astronomy and astrophysics, especially scientific research on Hubble Space Telescope data, observatory operations, astronomical data archives, solar physics, and development for telescope facilities such as the U.S. Extremely Large Telescope and WIYN 3.5-meter telescope programs.

What is the typical grant size?

The grant-size distribution is $35,336 at the 25th percentile, $105,382 at the median, and $359,385 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also show multi-million-dollar grants for major research and facility work.

Where do most grants go?

The giving is national and entirely U.S.-based in the provided data. New York has the highest grant count, while only 3% of grants go to recipients in the District of Columbia. Recent recipient cities include Tucson, Pasadena, Berkeley, Austin, and Boulder.

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

Name: Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActiveScience & Technology

WASHINGTON, DCWebsite2024832101

About Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

AURA enables astrophysics breakthroughs by creating and sharing universal access to world-class facilities. AURA provides innovative, open resources to enable discovery and excellence in research, to unify the astrophysics communities, and to promote public understanding of our universe and the benefits of scientific exploration.

Focus Areas

astronomyastrophysicsobservatory operationsastronomical data archiveseducation and public outreachsolar physics

Who They Fund

professional astronomers/research scientistsobservatories and telescope facilitiesuniversity research groups/institutes

Funding Style

project-based research fundinginfrastructure and facility support

About Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc’s recent grantmaking is anchored by two major streams: scientific research on data from the Hubble Space Telescope and development for the U.S. Extremely Large Telescope program. A 2023 award of $5,103,793 to Gmto Corporation Inc for scientific research and development for the U.S. Extremely Large Telescope program stands out as the largest recent grant in the file. The foundation also backed a series of large Hubble-related awards, including $3,189,660 to the University of Arizona in 2025 and $2,665,205 to the University of California - Berkeley in 2024, both for scientific research on Hubble data. That pattern shows a funder that supports research infrastructure as well as the scientists using it. Its grant list also includes telescope-facility work such as support for the WIYN 3.5 meter telescope facility and the WIYN 3.5 extremely large telescope program. The recipients are universities, research institutions, and observatory-related organizations, which fits AURA’s role in enabling access to shared astronomical facilities and data for research communities.

What Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Funds

AURA’s grantmaking is concentrated in astronomy and astrophysics research tied to named facilities and datasets. In Hubble-related work, it gave $2,508,484 to California Institute of Technology in 2025 for scientific research on data from Hubble Space Telescope. The University of Texas at Austin received $2,104,235 in 2025 for the same purpose, showing support for multiple research groups working from the same archive. The foundation also funds telescope development and operations. Gmto Corporation Inc received $2,480,059 in 2024 for scientific research and development for the U.S. Extremely Large Telescope program, and Wiyn Consortium Inc received $2,349,068 in 2024 for scientific research and development for the WIYN 3.5 extremely large telescope program. These awards point to a portfolio that mixes data analysis with facility-building and instrumentation work.

How Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Gives

Typical awards are substantial: the grant-size distribution is $35,336 at the 25th percentile, $105,382 at the median, and $359,385 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also shows repeat awards to the same recipients across multiple years, including the University of Arizona, University of California - Berkeley, California Institute of Technology, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Texas at Austin, University of Chicago, and The Johns Hopkins University. That indicates multi-year support rather than one-off funding. The foundation is a regular funder, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. The record provided does not describe an application process.

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$56.2M

Total Assets

$125.9M

Total Revenue

$450.4M

Total Expenses

$447.3M

Typical Grant Size

Most grants fall between $35K and $359K, with a median of $105K.

25th Percentile

$35K

Median

$105K

75th Percentile

$359K

Geographic Reach

National43 states funded

About 3% of grants go to recipients in NY.

Funding intensity

Low

High

Headquarters

Leadership

CHARLES MOUNTAIN

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA	TUCSON, AZ	$3,189,660	2025	SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON DATA FROM HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	PASADENA, CA	$2,508,484	2025	SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON DATA FROM HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY	BERKELEY, CA	$2,214,392	2025	SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON DATA FROM HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY	BALTIMORE, MD	$2,184,142	2025	SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON DATA FROM HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

About Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

Focus Areas

Who They Fund

Funding Style

About Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

What Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Funds

How Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Gives

Financial Snapshot

Typical Grant Size

Geographic Reach

Leadership

Deep Analysis

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Topics

Where Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Makes Grants

Frequently Asked Questions About Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

What kinds of work does this foundation support most often?

Does the foundation make repeat grants to the same organizations?

What is the typical grant size?

Where do most grants go?

Open Grant Opportunities

STScI Observing Proposals (Hubble, JWST, Roman)

Recent Grants

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

About Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

Focus Areas

Who They Fund

Funding Style

About Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

What Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Funds

How Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Gives

Financial Snapshot

Typical Grant Size

Geographic Reach

Leadership

Unlock Deep Analysis

See Similar Funders

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The Grant Brief

Topics

Where Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Makes Grants

Frequently Asked Questions About Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

What kinds of work does this foundation support most often?

Does the foundation make repeat grants to the same organizations?

What is the typical grant size?

Where do most grants go?

Open Grant Opportunities

STScI Observing Proposals (Hubble, JWST, Roman)

Recent Grants