Principal Investigator Philip Erickson
Project Website http://www.haystack.mit.edu/hay/neroc.html
NEROC, a nonprofit consortium of educational and research institutions was formed in 1967 to plan an advanced radio and radar research facility in the Northeast. In 1969, by agreement with MIT, NEROC's interest extended to the existing Haystack 37-meter radio telescope, built by MIT Lincoln Laboratory, to seek means for increasing its availability for astronomical research. In 1970, NEROC began to operate the Haystack Observatory, and arranged for support of its operations largely from civilian agencies. NEROC is a legally-constituted non-profit corporation able to receive grants and contracts, and it uses MIT's administrative services for the conduct of its programs. Grants for radio astronomical research at Haystack are solicited and awarded through NEROC and are managed by the Haystack Director.
With the evolution of the 37-m telescope away from a user facility in the mid-1990's, NEROC's interest focused more on very long baseline interferometry, development of radio arrays, and educational activities.
NEROC presently consists of nine educational and research institutions: Boston University Brandeis University Dartmouth College Harvard University Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Massachusetts University of New Hampshire Wellesley College
A Board of Trustees consisting of representatives from the above institutions and members-at-large from the community, guides Haystack's radio astronomy program. A Visiting Committee, appointed by the Trustees, formally reviews Haystack's research programs and reports its findings and recommendations to the NEROC Board which meets on a regular schedule. NEROC interactions with the Haystack Director on a more frequent basis as necessary are carried out through an Executive Committee.