A large multi-institutional collaboration, led by Northwestern University, has received a $20 million grant to develop and apply new artificial intelligence (AI) tools to astrophysics research and deep space exploration.
Jointly funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Simons Foundation, the highly competitive grant will establish the NSF-Simons AI Institute for the Sky (SkAI). SkAI is one of two National AI Research Institutes in Astronomy announced today. Northwestern astrophysicist Vicky Kalogera is principal investigator of the grant and will serve as the director of SkAI. Northwestern AI expert Aggelos Katsaggelos is a co-principal investigator.
The new institute will unite multidisciplinary researchers to develop innovative, trustworthy AI tools for astronomy. These tools will be used to analyze large astronomy datasets, transform physics-based simulations, and more. With large sky surveys poised to launch, including from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, astronomers will require smarter tools to accelerate data mining and interpretation. SkAI aims to fulfill this crucial role.
“I am thrilled to receive this opportunity to work with our amazing cross-disciplinary, multi-institutional team so we can accelerate the data-driven revolution that wide and deep sky surveys will bring to the field of astronomy,” Kalogera said. “We will transform our astrophysical understanding across an enormous range of scales — from stars and their transients to evolving galaxies, black holes they form, and dark sector cosmological origins.”
Kalogera is the Daniel I. Linzer Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy in Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and director of Northwestern’s Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). Katsaggelos is the Joseph Cummings Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at McCormick School of Engineering.
“One of Northwestern’s stated priorities is to harness data analytics' power so I couldn’t be more excited about a partnership so in line with our vision,” said Northwestern Provost Kathleen Hagerty. “Interdisciplinary innovation is core to Northwestern's ethos. This collaboration checks all boxes with potential positive impacts on students, faculty, local community, and global scientific community.”
Within Northwestern, SkAI includes 14 faculty members from Weinberg College and Northwestern Engineering.
“SkAI represents a unique opportunity for the AI community at Northwestern and its partnering institutions," Katsaggelos said. "As the first National AI Research Institute at Northwestern, we will lead a transformation that brings us to the forefront of research."
Centrally located in Illinois, SkAI unites 83 team members from 25 partner organizations.
“Illinois is already an international hub of research," U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said. "I’m pleased NSF invested in our state with this new AI Institute for Sky."
“Artificial intelligence is changing how we approach our world,” U.S. Sen Dick Durbin (D-IL) added.
Northwestern’s core partners include University of Chicago; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; National Center for Supercomputing Applications; Argonne National Laboratory; Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; University of Illinois Chicago; Adler Planetarium; University Wisconsin-Madison; several undergraduate education institutions; industry organizations; art organizations.
“The SkAI research hub builds on Northwestern’s multidisciplinary strengths,” said Eric Perreault, vice president for research at Northwestern.
Over the next decade, Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey Space Time (LSST) project promises transformational advances but requires processing unprecedented amounts data using new AI tools developed by SkAI Institute.
"The massive amount data gathered coming years too vast existing methods," said Sethuraman Panchanathan director NSF."With reliable trustworthy AI toolbox everyone students senior researchers gain valuable insights leading discoveries."
All AI tools developed within institute open source whole community use astronomy beyond empowering entire astronomy community address challenges growing nurturing ethically aware diverse generation interdisciplinary leaders.
SkAI team includes SkAI Satellite Network set regional national college partners including minority-serving institutions EPSCoR institutions intentional effort increase representation fields lowering barriers access high school college students engaging both faculty students long-term mentoring partnerships foster culture where members thrive.
“With open-source codes training workshops focus engaging communities meeting needs research education career development exciting astro-AI era,” Kalogera said.
Established 2020 National AI Research Institutes represent U.S government cornerstone commitment fostering long-term fundamental research other institute NSF-Simons CosmicAI Institute led University Texas Austin.