Central Development Lab – National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Protecting the Cosmos: NSF NRAO Leads Critical Spectrum Studies to Safeguard Radio Astronomy

Posted on June 24, 2025June 24, 2025

The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) has received funding to expand its study of…

A New Era of Data Compatibility in Astronomy

Posted on February 6, 2025February 5, 2025

Software engineers have been hard at work to establish a common language for a global conversation. The topic—revealing the…

First Recipient of Women in Engineering Fellowship Joins Staff of Central Development Laboratory

Posted on January 30, 2024March 28, 2024

Following a generous grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation, the Central Development Laboratory (CDL) at the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) has selected their first recipient of the postdoctoral Women in Engineering fellowship, Priyanka Mondal. The Women in Engineering program increases opportunities for women to enter the field of radio astronomy through engineering pathways.

Baseline 14— Central Development Laboratory: The Magic Behind the Wonder

Posted on January 18, 2023January 18, 2023

Radio telescopes are powerful tools that allow astronomers to study the Universe. We often read about the discoveries they make, but we rarely get a glimpse of the engineers and technicians that design and build these telescopes. Join our host Summer Ash as she talks about NRAO’s Central Development Laboratory (CDL) and how CDL helps make modern radio astronomy a reality.

NRAO’s Central Development Laboratory to Launch New Women in Engineering Program With Support from the Heising-Simons Foundation

Posted on August 29, 2022September 13, 2022

Following a generous grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation, the Central Development Laboratory (CDL) at NSF’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) will soon launch an ambitious Women in Engineering program that will increase opportunities for women to enter the field of radio astronomy through engineering pathways. The program will include a postdoctoral fellowship and a co-op program for undergraduate and graduate students.

ngVLA Engineering Paper Selected for Prestigious IEEE Award

Posted on July 14, 2022September 13, 2022

A team of engineers testing the design efficiency of reflectors for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s upcoming next generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) has received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Harold A. Wheeler Applications Prize Paper Award.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
	Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.
	The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense..."
	AUI collaborates with the scientific community and research sponsors to plan, build, and operate cutting-edge facilities. We cultivate excellence, deliver value, enhance education, and engage the public.