The SETI Institute announces the 2024 SETI Forward Award recipients: Gabriella Rizzo and Pritvik Sinhadc. This year's recipients worked on research projects to understand extremophiles in deep-sea hydrothermal vents and to analyze gravitational wave signals for potential extraterrestrial technosignatures. Established by Lew Levy, SETI Forward committee founder and member of the SETI Institute’s Council of Advisors, this award is a beacon for promising young scientists. The goal is to connect students with opportunities that foster their passion for SETI and astrobiology, guiding them toward meaningful careers.

“In our 6th year of SETI Forward, I am continually impressed with the amazing students entering the scientific community,” said Levy. “SETI Forward recognizes undergraduates such as Gabriella and Pritvik who want to join the search for life outside of Earth, and I have no doubt they will join the growing SETI community.”

On January 7, 2025, the European Commission established the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), furthering its mission to become the world’s largest and most powerful observatory for gamma-ray astronomy. The creation of the CTAO ERIC will enable the Observatory's construction to advance rapidly and provide a framework for distributing its data worldwide, significantly accelerating its progress toward scientific discovery. The CTAO ERIC was established with the international support of 11 countries and one intergovernmental organisation that contribute to the technological development, construction and operation of the Observatory. The CTAO ERIC Members are Austria, Czech Republic, European Southern Observatory (ESO), France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Spain. Additionally, Switzerland is an Observer, Japan is a Strategic Partner and Australia is a Third Party.

For the tenth consecutive year, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding a solicitation that seeks proposals leveraging the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) National Laboratory for research in transport phenomena, which now includes research in manufacturing methods that utilize such phenomena, and the resulting materials. NSF will provide up to $3.6 million in total funding for multiple projects to utilize the space station for fundamental research focused on:

Taking advantage of a cosmic "double lens," astronomers resolved more than 40 individual stars in a galaxy so far away its light dates back to when the universe was only half its present age.

A new U of A study challenges decades of scientific assumptions about the origin of Pluto and its moon Charon.