NASA citizen science grants 2025: New projects and public involvement

Introduction
NASA citizen science continues to grow in 2025 with new research grants that support scientists and expand public involvement. These projects help experts build tools, analyze data, and create future opportunities for volunteers who want to take part in space science. The new selections also show how citizen science supports NASA’s long-term goals across multiple divisions.

Citizen Science Seed Funding Program
The Citizen Science Seed Funding Program (CSSFP) helps scientists design projects that use public participation. It also encourages new researchers to adopt citizen science methods. Four divisions of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate support the program. These include Astrophysics, Biological and Physical Sciences, Heliophysics, and Planetary Science. Seven new investigations are now moving forward.

Astrophysics Projects
One project will use small telescopes around the world to follow gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and other high-energy events. Another project, called Spiral Graph, invites people to study galaxy images and measure spiral arms. These observations help reveal the masses of black holes at the centers of galaxies.

Planetary Science Projects
NASA also funded several projects that focus on small worlds in our solar system. One effort encourages volunteers to search for new comets using data from the Rubin Observatory. Another asks participants to scan spacecraft images for signs of thunderstorms on Jupiter and Saturn. Other projects aim to identify new craters or search for unusual objects in SPHEREx mission data.

Heliophysics Project
Researchers will also build a machine-learning-ready dataset of Earth’s magnetosheath. Citizen scientists will help classify regions in Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission data. This work supports studies of turbulence and magnetic reconnection.