Center for Decoding the Universe Co-Director Susan Clark Awarded Stanford HAI Seed Grant for Interpretable Galaxy Foundation Model
Congratulations to Susan Clark, co-director of the Center for Decoding the Universe, on receiving a Stanford HAI Seed Research Grant!
In the eighth year of the Stanford HAI Seed Research Grant program, 272 teams competed for funding to support ambitious AI projects spanning science, health, religion, social sciences, education, and more. This year, seed grants will fund 29 interdisciplinary research teams pursuing novel ideas across disciplines.
Susan and collaborators Surya Ganguli, Risa Wechsler, and Gordon Wetzstein were selected for their innovative project at the intersection of astrophysics and AI. Their research, FM-ISM: A Robust Foundation for Astronomical Foundation Models, aims to develop an interpretable foundation model for galaxies that can integrate data collected across the electromagnetic spectrum from multiple space- and ground-based telescopes.
By combining expertise in astrophysics and computer science, the team seeks to create new approaches for understanding the physics of galaxies while building AI systems designed for interpretability, trust, and scientific discovery.
More About the Team
| Name | Role | School | Department |
| Susan Clark | Main PI | School of Humanities and Sciences | Physics |
| Surya Ganguli | Co-PI | School of Humanities and Sciences | Applied Physics |
| Risa Wechsler | Co-PI | School of Humanities and Sciences | Physics |
| Gordon Wetzstein | Co-PI | School of Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
Congratulations to the entire research team on this exciting achievement!
