Schmidt Sciences Funds Faint Galaxy Research at Dartmouth
Dartmouth physicist Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil receives up to $2.5 million over five years as one of five inaugural FirstLight Awards recipients.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Physics
Schmidt Sciences awarded Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College, up to $2.5 million over five years to study faint galaxies. She is one of five inaugural recipients of the FirstLight Awards, selected from more than 100 applicants.
Why it matters
The awards provide sustained funding for research into faint dwarf galaxies, a niche area of astronomy that depends on dedicated observing resources. The program supports work using the new Eric and Wendy Schmidt Observatory System, which has four observatories.
Each recipient receives up to $500,000 per year for five years, out of a potential $12.5 million program total selected from more than 100 applicants through three expert review rounds. The announcement does not describe specific observational results or publication timelines for the funded projects.
The players
Schmidt Sciences
A research organization founded in 2024 by Eric and Wendy Schmidt that funds scientific work, including the FirstLight Awards and the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Observatory System.
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil
An assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College who studies faint galaxies and was named a TED Fellow in 2018.
Dartmouth College
A private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, where Mutlu-Pakdil works as a faculty member.
The details
Mutlu-Pakdil's project searches for faint dwarf galaxies and will be carried out with David Sand of the University of Arizona and Kristine Spekkens of Queen's University. Mutlu-Pakdil is also known for identifying the double-ringed structure of a galaxy commonly called "Burçin's Galaxy."
Timeline
2009: Mutlu-Pakdil earns her bachelor's degree from Bilkent University in Ankara.
2017: She earns her doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
2018: She is named a TED Fellow.
2024: Schmidt Sciences is founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
November 3, 2026: Schmidt Sciences announces the FirstLight Awards recipients.
Paradigm Shift
The FirstLight Awards tie new research funding directly to the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Observatory System, which has four observatories, extending that facility's scientific purpose beyond its construction. The program shows a model in which a private foundation pairs dedicated observing infrastructure with grants for individual researchers studying faint galaxies.
Funding of this kind shapes which galaxy surveys get carried out, since dedicated grants determine how observing time and research teams are allocated. Over the coming years, the results from faint dwarf galaxy studies may change how astronomers model galaxy formation.
The takeaway
Dedicated research funding can extend the purpose of major observatories by directing scientists toward specific targets like faint dwarf galaxies. Readers interested in astronomy can follow how new grant programs shape the questions that get investigated.
Further reading
Explore more physics news to see how astronomy grants like this fit into the wider field.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Turkish Minute.
