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Private company

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

Logo: NOIRLab/AURA/NSF, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons3

Operating consortium for observatories and telescopes

The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is a consortium of universities and other institutions that operates astronomical observatories and telescopes. Founded October 10, 1957, with the encouragement of the National Science Foundation (NSF), AURA was incorporated by a group of seven U.S. universities: UC Santa Cruz, Chicago, Harvard, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. The first meeting of the board of directors took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1957Founded1

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Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy - Tucson, AZ - DSC08420
Photo: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons4

The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is a consortium of universities and other institutions that operates astronomical observatories and telescopes.2

Timeline

  1. 1957Founded Founded1

Funding

Where the company's money came from, by calendar year: private offerings filed with the SEC, federal grants, loans, contracts and other assistance from USAspending.gov, and PPP loans from the SBA. Each bar links to the records below.

Money received by year$5.9B 2008–2026
Money received by yearMoney received by year, 2008–2026: $5.9B in all. Federal grants $2.8B; Federal contracts $3.1B.$0$200M$400M$600M2008 · Federal grants: $77.7M2008 · Federal contracts: $98.0M20082009 · Federal grants: $105.9M2009 · Federal contracts: $71.3M2010 · Federal grants: $261.7M2010 · Federal contracts: $81.1M20102011 · Federal grants: $85.2M2011 · Federal contracts: $103.0M2012 · Federal grants: $72.4M2012 · Federal contracts: $117.1M20122013 · Federal grants: $117.3M2013 · Federal contracts: $86.2M2014 · Federal grants: $152.6M2014 · Federal contracts: $121.1M20142015 · Federal grants: $150.3M2015 · Federal contracts: $137.7M2016 · Federal grants: $240.4M2016 · Federal contracts: $171.9M20162017 · Federal grants: $168.1M2017 · Federal contracts: $140.5M2018 · Federal grants: $175.1M2018 · Federal contracts: $214.4M20182019 · Federal grants: $191.4M2019 · Federal contracts: $127.6M2020 · Federal grants: $164.3M2020 · Federal contracts: $212.4M20202021 · Federal grants: $115.6M2021 · Federal contracts: $134.2M2022 · Federal grants: $192.6M2022 · Federal contracts: $267.2M20222023 · Federal grants: $130.7M2023 · Federal contracts: $201.7M2024 · Federal grants: $142.6M2024 · Federal contracts: $262.9M20242025 · Federal grants: $199.0M2025 · Federal contracts: $300.8M2026 · Federal grants: $104.9M2026 · Federal contracts: $215.6M2026
Figures by year
YearFederal grantsFederal contractsTotal
2026$104.9M$215.6M$320.4M
2025$199.0M$300.8M$499.8M
2024$142.6M$262.9M$405.6M
2023$130.7M$201.7M$332.4M
2022$192.6M$267.2M$459.8M
2021$115.6M$134.2M$249.9M
2020$164.3M$212.4M$376.7M
2019$191.4M$127.6M$318.9M
2018$175.1M$214.4M$389.5M
2017$168.1M$140.5M$308.6M
2016$240.4M$171.9M$412.3M
2015$150.3M$137.7M$288.0M
2014$152.6M$121.1M$273.7M
2013$117.3M$86.2M$203.5M
2012$72.4M$117.1M$189.4M
2011$85.2M$103.0M$188.2M
2010$261.7M$81.1M$342.8M
2009$105.9M$71.3M$177.2M
2008$77.7M$98.0M$175.7M

Federal awards

Obligated amounts from USAspending.gov5, by calendar year, 2008–2026, for 4 registered units, including subsidiaries under the same parent. Obligations are what agencies committed, not always what was paid out. Contracts pay for goods and services; grants, loans and direct payments are assistance. Loans are charted at the face value of the loans listed here. An award’s amount below is its lifetime total, and some began before the years charted.

Largest grants

  1. Jul 1, 2014$570.6M from National Science Foundation: Mathematical And Physical Sciences6 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award 1202910
  2. Jan 1, 2006$317.7M from National Science Foundation: Mathematical And Physical Sciences7 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award 0647970
  3. Jun 1, 2015$296.5M from National Science Foundation: Mathematical And Physical Sciences; Integrative Activities8 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award 1400450
  4. Jan 1, 2010$216.4M from National Science Foundation: Mathematical And Physical Sciences9 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award 1011851
  5. Jan 1, 2017$191.0M from National Science Foundation: Mathematical And Physical Sciences10 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award 1539773
  6. Oct 1, 2022$181.5M from National Science Foundation: Mathematical And Physical Sciences11 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award 2211469
  7. Oct 1, 2009$163.8M from National Science Foundation: Mathematical And Physical Sciences12 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award 0950945
  8. Jan 1, 2010$146.0M from National Science Foundation: Trans-Nsf Recovery Act Reasearch Support13 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award 0415302

Largest contracts

  1. Sep 15, 1987$2.5B from National Aeronautics and Space Administration: The primary activities covered by this effort include the final servicing mission and subsequent operations through end-of-mission. these ac14 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award GSFC0198106DNAS526555
  2. Oct 1, 2003$1.6B from National Aeronautics and Space Administration: The primary activities covered by this effort span the major phases of the mission beginning with formulation through development and testin15 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award NAS503127
  3. Jul 1, 2019$205.2M from National Aeronautics and Space Administration: This contract is for the products and services associated with the design phase of the wide-field infrared survey telescope (wfirst) science16 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award 80GSFC19C0054
  4. May 16, 2005$5.1M from National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Kepler data management center (phase c/d)17 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award NNA05CR23C
  5. May 12, 2009$4.8M from National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Kepler data management center (phase e) - phase e consists of all tasks necessary to operate the data management center (dmc); the processin18 To ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. Award NNA09DA83C

Sources

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