U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy announced today that, over the next five years, the University of Central Florida (UCF) is expected to receive $20.5 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to enable UCF to lead the joint effort to manage the iconic Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, home to the world’s second-largest radio telescope. NSF has already allocated $5.4 million to UCF in 2018—consisting of nearly a $1 million grant that Murphy announced in February and a $4.4 million grant that NSF made earlier this week.
“I am so pleased the federal government will provide a long-term investment in the UCF-led consortium as the consortium assumes management of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, a world-class scientific asset that was damaged by Hurricane Maria,” said Murphy. “This is a victory for students and faculty at UCF, for their partners in Puerto Rico, and for aspiring young scientists on the island and in central Florida. I will continue to support this collaborative effort, which will deliver major benefits for UCF and the surrounding community.”
UCF is leading a consortium consisting of a university in San Juan, Puerto Rico and a technology and engineering small business in Oviedo, Fla. Under the UCF-led management team, scientists from Puerto Rico, central Florida and around the world will conduct cutting-edge research at the Arecibo Observatory in the areas of radio astronomy, atmospheric sciences, and planetary radar. Scientists will continue to use the Observatory to track potentially dangerous near-Earth objects such as meteors and asteroids. The Observatory will place special emphasis on educating local students and creating the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals.
