Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc
The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is a Washington, D.C.-based public charity founded in 1957. It is a consortium of 49 U.S. institutions and two international affiliates, and its role includes establishing and promoting public observatories and facilities for astronomical research, alongside public and educational outreach.
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc at a glance
In short: Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc gave $64.7M across 166 grants in 2025 (avg $390K), top state California. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $64,708,139
- +15.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 166
- +7.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $389,808
- +6.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $129,976
- Total assets
- $146,567,872
- +16.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (13 of 158, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (20% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 1331 Pennsylvania Ave Nw 1475, Washington, DC 20004
Phone: (202) 483-2101
Website: https://aura-astronomy.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Arizona ($3.8M). Together the top 10 received $21.8M.
Organizations only. It also paid 8 grants to individuals ($5,098,827), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
749 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 244 grants of 749 (33%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to California (20%), Massachusetts (12%), Arizona (10%), Maryland (8%), and Texas (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 166 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 158 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $24K; repeat grants $444K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $146K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $33.2M (2019) to $64.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 166 grants totaling $64.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Arizona Tucson, AZ | Support to Maintain Telescope Observatories | $3,824,351 |
| California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope and/or james webb space telescope | $2,937,782 |
| University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope and/or james webb space telescope | $2,263,780 |
| The Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope and/or james webb space telescope | $2,231,950 |
| University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope and/or james webb space telescope | $2,119,214 |
| University of Colorado at Boulder Boulder, CO | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope and/or james webb space telescope | $1,858,680 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope and/or james webb space telescope | $1,825,549 |
| University of Maryland College Park, MD | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope and/or james webb space telescope | $1,658,236 |
| Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory Cambridge, MA | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope and/or james webb space telescope | $1,599,046 |
| 5 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $4,988,284 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $146,567,872 | $468,809,827 | $465,014,744 | $64,708,139 | 166 | $737,523 |
| 2024 | $125,924,044 | $450,393,254 | $447,255,915 | $56,192,447 | 154 | $950,664 |
| 2023 | $150,950,841 | $420,912,916 | $419,441,241 | $48,925,126 | 153 | $649,445 |
| 2022 | $108,725,911 | $380,284,932 | $382,669,172 | $40,589,339 | 137 | $878,581 |
| 2021 | $116,722,418 | $356,078,449 | $353,361,521 | $36,987,759 | 139 | $494,696 |
| 2020 | $105,391,244 | $356,989,521 | $360,874,237 | $37,937,724 | 146 | $462,883 |
| 2019 | $81,265,370 | $369,877,759 | $368,088,355 | $33,177,311 | 135 | $593,039 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
AURA’s stated mission is to provide innovative, open resources that enable discovery and excellence in research, unify astrophysics communities, and promote public understanding of the universe and the benefits of scientific exploration.
Its 2025 grants included support for telescope observatories and scientific research using Hubble Space Telescope and/or James Webb Space Telescope data. The grantees include universities and research institutions. For example, Johns Hopkins University describes its work as education and research across multiple disciplines, while MIT states that its mission is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, AURA reported 166 grants totaling $64,708,139. Grants ranged from $5,696 to $3,824,351, with a median of $129,976.
The largest reported grant was $3,824,351 to the University of Arizona to support telescope observatories. Other notable grants included $2,937,782 to the California Institute of Technology, $2,263,780 to the University of California, Berkeley, and $2,231,950 to Johns Hopkins University; each was for scientific research on data from the Hubble Space Telescope and/or James Webb Space Telescope.
The 2025 grant list also included $1,825,549 to MIT, $1,108,087 to the University of Chicago, $1,088,900 to President and Fellows of Harvard College, $1,028,889 to the Trustees of Princeton University, $922,242 to Arizona State University, $854,137 to the Trustees of Columbia University, and $846,067 to WIYN Consortium Inc.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charles Mountain as president; Karen Bjorkman as chair; Andrew Baker and Emily Cobabe-Ammann as vice chairs; and Elizabeth Barton, George Blumenthal, James Bullock, Kelle Cruz, Roger Davies, and Megan Donahue as directors. Andrew Baker and Elizabeth Barton are listed as serving through June 2025.
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc is led by Charles Mountain, President since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 25 of 46 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles Mountain
President
President & Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$579K (2019) → $604K (2025)
Karen Bjorkman
Chair
Director → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nanci Reich
Director - Corp Governance
Director of Corporate Operations → Director of Corp. Ops & Secretary, 2021
Director of Corp. Ops & Secretary → Director - Corp Governance, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$93K (2019) → $151K (2025)
Nancy Levenson
Interim Director & Stsci
Stsci Deputy Director → Interim Director & Stsci, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$241K (2019) → $331K (2025)
Thomas Rimmele
Nso - Asso. Director - Dk
Nso - Associate Director - Dkist → Nso - Associate Director - Dk, 2022
Nso - Associate Director - Dk → Nso - Asso. Director - Dk, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$202K (2019) → $281K (2025)
Valentin Pillet
Director & Nso
Nso Director → Director & Nso, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$252K (2019) → $177K (2025)
Jennifer M. Lotz
Noirlab - Gemini & Stsci Director
Noirlab - Gemini Director → Noirlab - Gemini & Stsci Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$268K (2020) → $449K (2025)
Marc Postman
Acting Dep. Director - Stsci
Mission Head → Stsci Associate Director, 2022
Stsci Associate Director → Acting Dep. Director - Stsci, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$234K (2020) → $263K (2025)
Patrick McCarthy
Noirlab Director
Noirlab Director → Noilab Director, 2023
Noilab Director → Noirlab Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$344K (2021) → $359K (2025)
Dave Liska
Asso. Director Eng
Director- Engineering → Assoicate Director Eng., 2024
Assoicate Director Eng. → Asso. Director Eng, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$252K (2023) → $380K (2025)
Zelijko Ivezic
Rubin Ops Construction Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$281K (2023) → $304K (2025)
Jedediah McCormick
Asso. Director - Administrator
Associate Director - Administrator → Asso. Director - Administrator, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$195K (2024) → $246K (2025)
Christoph Keller
Director & Nso
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$224K (2025)
Jennifer Hopps
Int. Asso. Director Eng & Tech
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$274K (2025)
David Reitze
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Megan Donahue
Director
Vice Chair & Director → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roger Davies
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Barton
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sally Oey
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brenna Flaugher
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dan Jaffe
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James McAteer
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jerome Oglesby
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelle Cruz
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leopoldo Infante
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Monica Rubio
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Willie Rockward
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
George Blumenthal
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Bullock
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katie Olsen
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Raja Guha Thakurta
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tim Heckman
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dana Lehr
Vice President Programs
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$245K (2019) → $278K (2025)
Heidi Hammel
Vice President for Science
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$282K (2019) → $349K (2025)
Kenneth Sembach
Astronomer
Stsci Director → Astronomer, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$347K (2019) → $387K (2025)
Victor Krabbendam
Vice President Construction - Project
Vr Construction - Project Manager → Vr Construction - Project, 2022
Vr Construction - Project → Vice President Construction - Project, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$228K (2019) → $290K (2025)
Barbara Lam
Vice President of Operations & CFO
CFO - Started → CFO, 2021
CFO → CFO & Vice President of Operations, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$243K (2021) → $335K (2025)
Neill Reid
Associate Director - Scien
Stsci Associate Director of Science → Associate Director - Science, 2024
Associate Director - Science → Associate Director - Scien, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$233K (2020) → $274K (2025)
Philip Puxley
Vice President for Special Projects
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$289K (2020) → $285K (2025)
Inger Jorgensen
Cso
Nso Director → Noirlab Associate Direc. Ops, 2022
Noirlab Associate Direc. Ops → Cso, 2024
On filings since 2021
24 hrs/week
$220K (2021) → $185K (2025)
Jean Eisen
Vice President for Corporate Strategy
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$296K (2024) → $350K (2025)
Lee Curtis
Chief of Staff
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$151K (2024) → $199K (2025)
Stuartt Corder
Noirlab Deputy Director
Norilab Deputy Director → Noirlab Deputy Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$278K (2024) → $303K (2025)
Jon Tuma
Vice President of Human Resources
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$270K (2025)
Andrew Baker
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily Cobabe-Ammann
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (44)
- Former: James Crocker (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Maria Teresa Ruiz (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Maura Hagan (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Todd Hoeksema (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: James Yeck (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Jeff Hall (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Robert Blum (2023–2024) — Operations Director
- Former: Donald Hough (2019–2023) — Stsci Associate Director of Science
- Former: Kimberly Espy (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Mark Phillips (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Cantwell (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Ameerah McBride (2023) — CDO
- Former: David Hunter (2023) — Division & Mission Deputy
- Former: Gerard Kirss (2023) — Associate Director
- Former: Chyrssa Kouveliotou (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Heather K. Marshall (2019–2022) — It & C Group Manger
- Former: Martin Barstow (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Paul F. Jeffers (2019–2022) — It & C Execution Manger
- Former: Rob Pike (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: William J. O'Mullane (2019–2022) — Project Manager - Vr Construct
- Former: Jermery Weirich (2020–2022) — Vice President for Corporate Strategy
- Former: Beth Willman Lefkon (2021–2022) — Noirlab Deputy Director
- Former: Debra Elmegreen (2019–2021) — Chair
- Former: Jill Hruby (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Robert Shelton (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Sarbani Basu (2019–2021) — Vice Chair & Director
- Former: Simon Craig (2019–2021) — Senior Systems Engineer
- Former: Tom Woods (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Valen Schnader (2019–2021) — Vice President for Operations & Chief of Staff
- Former: Adam Bolton (2020–2021) — Noirlab - Community Science Data Cen
- Former: David Liska (2019–2020) — Stsci Associate Director, Eng. & Tech.
- Former: Deborah L. Johnson (2019–2020) — CFO -
- Former: Gerard Kriss (2019–2020) — Stsci Associate Director & Instruments
- Former: Beth Willman (2020) — Noirlab Deputy Director
- Former: Bob Blum (2020) — Lsst Ops Director
- Former: Lori Allen (2020) — Noirlab - Mid-Scale Observatories Director
- Former: Alessandra Aloisi (2019) — Stsci Mission Head & Science Mission Officer
- Former: Dana Longcope (2019) — Director
- Former: David Silva (2019) — Noao Director -
- Former: John Womersley (2019) — Director
- Former: Massimo Stiavelli (2019) — Stsci Mission Head & Jwst
- Former: Natalie Roe (2019) — Director
- Former: Roger Brissenden (2019) — Director
- Former: Thomas Brown (2019) — Stsci Mission Head & Hst
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $604K, to Charles Mountain (President). 25 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc
How much does Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc give each year?
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc gave $64.7M across 166 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $56.2M across 154 grants.
What is Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc's typical grant size?
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc's median grant in 2025 was $129,976, and its average grant was $389,808, across 166 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc that year got $24K on average.
Where does Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc give grants?
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc's top state is California, with 20% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Massachusetts (12%) and Arizona (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cambridge, MA (4 grants), New York, NY (4 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants) and Tucson, AZ (3 grants).
Does Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 166 grants with a stated purpose on Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc's largest grantees?
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc's largest 2025 grantees include University of Arizona ($3,824,351), California Institute of Technology ($2,937,782) and University of California - Berkeley ($2,263,780), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 8 grants to individuals ($5,098,827), which are not listed by name. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc?
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc reported $146.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $468.8M.
What does Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc fund?
AURA’s stated mission is to provide innovative, open resources that enable discovery and excellence in research, unify astrophysics communities, and promote public understanding of the universe and the benefits of scientific exploration. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc?
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check aura-astronomy.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc's EIN?
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-0138043. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 13, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc funds
Science & Technology Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/association-of-universities-for-research-in-astronomy-inc-morg_6d6f8e3c62e244ffa419619fd0439c10
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_860138043_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/association-of-universities-for-research-in-astronomy-inc-morg_6d6f8e3c62e244ffa419619fd0439c10},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?