CosmicAI Opportunites at NRAO
2026 CosmicAI In-Person Summer School
The NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (CosmicAI) Summer School is a four-week immersive, in-person experience hosted annually at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) Headquarters on the campus of the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Summer School equips students with the tools and mentorship needed to begin research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and astronomy.
The curriculum is designed to provide participants with the foundation necessary to proceed to advanced AI/ML studies in the AI-Astronomy Certificate and includes:
- Supervised Machine Learning and Linear Regression
- Data Formatting and Random Forests
- Unsupervised Machine Learning
- Neural Network
Taught by researchers from the CosmicAI community, the program combines lectures, hands-on coding, and collaborative projects.
Figure 2: Galaxy NGC 4321 is shown above as a composite image combining ALMA (orange) observations with Hubble Space Telescope data (red). Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/ESA/NASA/PHANGS, S. Dagnello (NRAO).
Program Benefits
- $2,400 stipend, housing, and travel support are provided for students selected to attend the Summer School.
- Gain foundational knowledge in astronomy, statistics, and machine learning (e.g., regression, random forests, neural networks) through lectures, activities, and observations.
- Offers professional development and research mentorship
CosmicAI Summer School Student Applications Are Now Open!
Program Dates: June 15th – July 10th, 2026
Application Deadline:
Sunday, March 1st, 2026 – 11:59 PM ET
2025 CosmicAI Virtual Winter School
The NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (CosmicAI) Winter School is a one-week online program designed to equip rising junior and senior undergraduate students with the foundational skills needed to succeed in interdisciplinary AI-Astronomy research. This program helps prepare students to enroll in the Certificate in AI/ML program and prepares students for full participation in the four-week, in-person Summer School.
The Winter School is focused on building basic coding skills—such as Python programming—and statistical methods to prepare students for the advanced machine learning topics covered during the Summer School. Through interactive faculty-led sessions and hands-on exercises, students will:
- Learn essential programming skills using Python
- Review core concepts in mathematics and statistics
- Explore introductory topics in machine learning, including:
- Supervised learning and linear regression
- Data formatting and random forests
- Unsupervised learning
- Neural networks
The Winter School also introduces students to key research workflows and analytical tools used in astronomy and AI, setting the stage for deeper exploration during the summer program. This foundational experience emphasizes inclusive learning, professional development, and peer exchange—ensuring students are not only technically prepared but also part of a supportive research community.
Figure 1: The Crab Nebula in high resolution is shown above and was generated by combining observations across nearly the entire electromagnetic spectrum—from long radio waves detected by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to the short X-rays captured by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Credit: G. Dubner (IAFE, CONICET-University of Buenos Aires) et al.; NRAO/AUI/NSF; A. Loll et al.; T. Temim et al.; F. Seward et al.; Chandra/CXC; Spitzer/JPL-Caltech; XMM-Newton/ESA; and Hubble/STScI
Benefits Include:
- Build prerequisite coding, statistical, and data analysis skills
- Prepare students for interdisciplinary AI-Astronomy research
- Gain hands-on experience with real astronomical datasets
- Strengthen preparation for research and internships
- Provide the foundation needed to complete the summer school
- Engage in structured learning with lectures and team exercises
- Develop career-relevant coding and data science skills
Student Applications Are Closed. The next cycle opens Summer 2026.
Deadline Extended: Monday, September 15, 2025 – 11:59 PM ET
Funding Partners
CosmicAI is made possible through the generous support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) under award number AST-2421782.
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a facility of the NSF operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
The authors also acknowledge support from the Simons Foundation through the NSF funding solicitation NSF 23-610.
Our mission is to drive transformative breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, reshape scientific workflows, and expand access to AI and astronomy.
We focus on four core pillars of AI innovation: trustworthiness, robustness, explainability, and efficiency.
This page will be a landing site for useful resources – from poster printing to study programs, and to job opportunities.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or need more information about this program, please email awofford@nrao.edu.