The Catholic University of America was elected in May to join the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), a prestigious consortium of 124 higher education institutions that are leading advances in space science and technology.
“The Catholic University of America welcomes this enhanced opportunity to partner with many of our research university colleagues in USRA and to contribute to its many programs for the benefit of our University students, faculty, and research sponsors,” said University Executive Vice President and Provost Aaron Dominguez, Senior Vice Provost for Research Joseph Yost, and Vice Provost for National Security Innovation Victor McCrary.
The University, through its Institute for Astrophysics and Computational Sciences (IACS), has a long-standing collaboration with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center dating back to the mid-1990s. Of particular note are two current multimillion-dollar cooperative agreements with NASA: the Partnership for Heliophysics and Space Environment Research (PHaSER) and the Center for Research and Exploration in Science and Space Technology II (CRESST II). USRA partnered with the University in PHaSER. (
USRA president and CEO Elsayed Talaat said that the University’s long and distinguished record of accomplishments in space sciences made it an ideal candidate for membership.
“We look forward to the contributions of The Catholic University of America in ongoing space science investigations, collaborations with faculty and peers on space-related projects, and USRA programs that bridge academic research with real-world space exploration challenges,” Talaat said.
The eligibility criteria for membership include significant faculty contributions to space or aerospace research and substantial courses of study, including doctoral programs, in one or more related fields. The University’s undergraduate and graduate program offerings include physics, applied physics and nanotechnology, and space weather.
Since obtaining the Carnegie R1 designation (“very high research activity”) in 2025, the University has continued to build upon strategic partnerships to strengthen its impact and invest in interdisciplinary opportunities for students, faculty, and sponsors. The University also supported this year’s USRA HBCU Science and Technology Council.
USRA was chartered in 1969 by the U.S. Government, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences, to advance space science, technology, and engineering for the benefit of humanity. The federally funded nonprofit corporation’s engagement with the wider university community includes maintaining scientific institutes and facilities, conducting research and development, offering project management expertise, and providing opportunities for professional development.
