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Research facility · Charlottesville · United States

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

In research, National Radio Astronomy Observatory stands highest in Physical Sciences (#4,346 of 12,888 worldwide), Astronomy and Astrophysics (#199 of 443 worldwide) and Physics and Astronomy (#1,405 of 1,646 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Astronomy and Astrophysics and Physics and Astronomy — Astronomy and Astrophysics is 102.1× its share of world research.

nrao.eduROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#7,914
of 28,054 · #2,347 all time
Rank in United States
#1,055
of 4,192
Research works
3.3k
▼ 22% vs 2013–17
Citations
116k
34.8 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
20.6%
record average 16.5%
Open access
52%
world 28%

What is National Radio Astronomy Observatory known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #4,346 of 12,888 19.5%211 #1513
Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield #199 of 443 22.9%122 #68
Physics and AstronomyField #1,405 of 1,646 22.0%151 #718

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where National Radio Astronomy Observatory sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Which of those standings moved

The same fields on both windows: where it stood over the whole record, and where it stands in 2022–2025. The distance is the story, and it is the one thing the two rank columns above cannot show.

  1. Physical Sciences#1,513 #4,346
  2. Astronomy and Astrophysics#68 #199
  3. Physics and Astronomy#718 #1,405
all time2022–2025, better2022–2025, worse

A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.

What does National Radio Astronomy Observatory specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Astronomy and Astrophysics takes 102.1× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield · 121.9 works102×
  2. Physics and AstronomyField · 151.1 works30×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.01× its world share, 0 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.12× its world share, 2 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Chemical Engineering: 0.27× its world share, 0 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 2.39× its world share, 9 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.34× its world share, 6 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 2.56× its world share, 9 worksEarth and Planetary …Engineering: 0.91× its world share, 31 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.17× its world share, 2 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.16× its world share, 1 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.25× its world share, 1 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 29.58× its world share, 151 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.01× its world share, 0 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.04× its world share, 2 worksMedicineArts and Humanities: 0.66× its world share, 4 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.18× its world share, 1 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 0.33× its world share, 1 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.10× its world share, 0 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.13× its world share, 1 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.28× its world share, 8 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 29.6×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at National Radio Astronomy Observatory?

Ranked on the composite score, Felix J. Lockman, A. H. Bridle and R. A. Sramek lead among researchers whose main affiliation is National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

  1. 1 Felix J. Lockman United States · #8,889 worldwide 1.3k citations · 91 works
  2. 2 A. H. Bridle United States · #32,401 worldwide 393 citations · 50 works
  3. 3 R. A. Sramek United States · #55,110 worldwide 516 citations · 53 works
  4. 4 D. B. Shaffer United States · #72,222 worldwide 297 citations · 34 works
  5. 5 H. Alyson Ford United States · #85,553 worldwide 317 citations · 37 works
  6. 6 Paul B. Demorest United States · #86,415 worldwide 604 citations · 68 works
  7. 7 Cornelia Lang United States · #102,650 worldwide 105 citations · 42 works
  8. 8 E. B. Fomalont United States · #114,111 worldwide 103 citations · 33 works
  9. 9 K. I. Kellermann United States · #117,399 worldwide 736 citations · 118 works
  10. 10 Brian Mason United States · #138,206 worldwide 433 citations · 52 works
All ranked researchers at National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Which keywords describe research at National Radio Astronomy Observatory?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Star Formation, Radio Astronomy, Magnetic Fields, Accretion Disks, Turbulence, Molecular Clouds, Protoplanetary Disks and Epoch of Reionization.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Star Formation33▲ 277×2 topics
  2. Radio Astronomy31▲ 596×2 topics
  3. Magnetic Fields29▲ 193×3 topics
  4. Accretion Disks28▲ 262×2 topics
  5. Molecular Clouds21▲ 364×1 topic
  6. Protoplanetary Disks21▲ 364×1 topic
  7. Turbulence21▲ 104×2 topics
  8. Epoch of Reionization20▲ 691×1 topic
  9. Low-Frequency Telescopes20▲ 691×1 topic
  10. Black Holes20▲ 92×3 topics
  11. Gravitational Waves15▲ 119×2 topics
  12. Exoplanets14▲ 153×1 topic
  13. Stellar Astrophysics14▲ 153×1 topic
  14. Dark Matter14▲ 52×4 topics
  15. Cosmology13▲ 86×2 topics
  16. Galaxies12▲ 198×1 topic
  17. Stellar Populations12▲ 198×1 topic
  18. Cosmic Rays12▲ 105×2 topics
  19. Neutrinos12▲ 105×2 topics
  20. High-Energy Astrophysics12▲ 186×1 topic
  21. Particle Acceleration12▲ 186×1 topic
  22. Spectroscopy11▲ 28×4 topics
  23. High-Resolution Imaging10▲ 93×1 topic
  24. Transits of Venus10▲ 468×1 topic
  25. Astronomical Instrumentation9▲ 148×1 topic
  26. Spectrograph9▲ 148×1 topic
  27. Supernovae8▲ 45×2 topics
  28. Gamma-Ray Bursts8▲ 128×1 topic
  29. Neutron Stars8▲ 128×1 topic
  30. Nucleosynthesis8▲ 69×2 topics
  31. Galactic Center8▲ 75×2 topics
  32. Binary Black Hole8▲ 112×1 topic
  33. Equation of State8▲ 61×2 topics
  34. Neutron Star8▲ 112×1 topic
  35. Event Horizon Telescope7▲ 144×1 topic
  36. X-Ray Astronomy7▲ 144×1 topic
  37. X-Ray Spectroscopy7▲ 72×2 topics
  38. Millimeter-Wave7▲ 76×2 topics
  39. Solar System Abundances6▲ 55×1 topic
  40. Terrestrial Planets6▲ 55×1 topic

Which research topics does National Radio Astronomy Observatory publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies, Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology, Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies and Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena.

Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies: 21 fractional worksRadio Astronomy Observations and Technology: 20 fractional worksStellar, planetary, and …14Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies: 14 fractional worksGalaxies: Formation, Evo…12Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena: 12 fractional worksAstrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena: 12 fractional worksHistory and Developments in Astronomy: 10 fractional worksAstronomy and Astrophysi…9Astronomy and Astrophysical Research: 9 fractional worksGamma-ray bursts and supernovae: 8 fractional worksPulsars and Gravitational Waves Research: 8 fractional worksAstrophysical Phenomena and Observations: 7 fractional works
Astronomy and AstrophysicsNuclear and High Energy PhysicsInstrumentation

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies Astronomy and Astrophysics 21 works
  2. 2 Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology Astronomy and Astrophysics 20 works
  3. 3 Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies Astronomy and Astrophysics 14 works
  4. 4 Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena Astronomy and Astrophysics 12 works
  5. 5 Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena Nuclear and High Energy Physics 12 works
  6. 6 History and Developments in Astronomy Astronomy and Astrophysics 10 works
  7. 7 Astronomy and Astrophysical Research Instrumentation 9 works
  8. 8 Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae Astronomy and Astrophysics 8 works
  9. 9 Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research Astronomy and Astrophysics 8 works
  10. 10 Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations Astronomy and Astrophysics 7 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available51.8%not open48.2%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors34.2%domestic only65.8%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has National Radio Astronomy Observatory's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 22% lower than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Charlottesville

All research institutions in Charlottesville

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.