The NSF Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences is responsible for supporting central research in astronomy, chemistry, physics, material science and mathematics. Fleming Crim, the Assistant Director for the NSF Directorate, confirmed about the concept of gravitational waves in front of the US Congress. The LIGO Science Collaboration finally managed to observe the waves for the first time, after decades of efforts by scientists.

The research under the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) is based on brilliance, visualization, passion, experimental competence and comprehensive theoretical understanding. The LIGO urged the NSF, the National Science Board and Congress to take the risk of funding their research. The NSF had not financed any project on such a large scale earlier; however, the possibility of this project being instrumental in bringing about revolutionary transformation in science was good enough justification for this funding.

The main inspiration behind funding the ambitious study was to find the potential of building an instrument capable enough and sensitive enough to discover gravitational waves.
NSF’s decision to fund this project marked the agency’s entry into the field of financing research platforms that involve increased risk and higher reward as well.

The researchers had a long way to go, involving sustained learning and development of the technology in an effort to enhance the detectors to a sensitivity level that was essential to detect gravitational waves.

Scientists were continuously involved in fine-tuning mirror coatings and analysis algorithms along with ensuring vibration isolation and the process of development advanced gradually. The NSF finally reached Congress for receiving a funding of $205 million for undertaking the construction of the next-generation tool, known as Advanced LIGO. The gravitational waves were discovered by this instrument in the fall of 2015. The failure of this instrument would have been great setback in terms of the models of universe and the insight regarding gravity.