The Institute of Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics (IRyA) at UNAM Morelia leads a series of landmark agreements between several Mexican universities and institutions and the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) aimed at advancing Mexico’s role in the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) project. This represents a significant step in strengthening international collaboration for one of the world’s most ambitious astronomical observatories.
Over the past months, directors and senior scientists from IRyA, the Institute of Astronomy (IA) at UNAM, the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE), the Autonomous University of Chihuahua (UACH), the University of Sonora (UNISON), and the NSF NRAO have met with Mexican and U.S. authorities to chart a course for deepening scientific collaboration on the ngVLA.
Key meetings included a discussion with UNAM’s Rector, Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas, underscoring UNAM’s commitment to expanding its leadership in radio astronomy, along with strategic engagement with officials from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, reinforcing cross-border scientific ties. There have also been consultations with the Mexican Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (SECIHTI), highlighting governmental support for this binational initiative.
Concurrently, representatives from the participating Mexican institutions convened to formalize the creation of the Consortium of Mexican Universities and Institutions. This consortium, led by IRyA’s Director, Luis Zapata, is dedicated to supporting, promoting, and strengthening Mexico’s national participation in the ngVLA project, working in close partnership with the NSF NRAO.
Luis Zapata mentioned: “We have a long tradition of collaboration with our colleagues at the NSF NRAO, and this new initiative will open a new window to further expand our joint efforts in developing state-of-the-art astronomical technology in Mexico.”
During a binational event hosted at UNAM’s Institute of Astronomy on September 18, 2025, a Letter of Intent was signed by directors and representatives from IRyA, IA-UNAM, INAOE, UACH, UNISON, and the NSF NRAO. The signatories declared their “interest and commitment to establish a Consortium of Mexican Universities and Institutions. The purpose of this Consortium is to support, promote, and strengthen national participation in the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) project, in close collaboration with the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) of the United States of America.”
Tony Beasley, Director of NSF NRAO, stated: “These agreements and the formation of a national consortium mark a new era of partnership between our institutions and communities. The ngVLA will be a transformative instrument for radio astronomy worldwide, and these collaborations will ensure that Mexican scientists, engineers, and students are at the heart of new discoveries for decades to come.”
The ngVLA will consist of more than 240 antennas across the United States (primarily in the Southwest) and Mexico, delivering unprecedented levels of depth and detail in astronomical observations across the radio spectrum. With its foundation built on partnerships such as this, the project is poised to deliver new insight into the universe, foster training opportunities for the next generation of scientists, and strengthen technological innovation across North America.
Photos: Representatives of UNAM and Mexican Universities, NRAO, SECIHTI and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico at the signing of the agreements. Credit: Luis Zapata.
About IRyA, UNAM
The Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica (IRyA), or Institute for Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics is an academic unit at UNAM, Campus Morelia, Mexico. We perform high-level and high-impact research in the areas of interstellar medium, star formation, evolved stars, high energy astrophysics, Galactic dynamics and structure, extragalactic astronomy and cosmology. We contribute to the education of high-level human resources through a postgraduate program, and we have close contact with society through diverse outreach programs.
If you are interested in our Institute, visit the English version of our webpage, www.irya.unam.mx/web/en
Media contact:
Dr. René A. Ortega Minakata
Outreach and Science Communication
IRyA UNAM Campus Morelia
Text: Adapted by René A. Ortega Minakata, IRyA UNAM, from the piece in NRAO’s news website by Corrina C. Jaramillo Feldman, available in https://public.nrao.edu/news/nsf-nrao-and-mexican-institutions-advance-ngvla-collaboration/