Execute a balanced science program based on discipline-specific guidance from the national academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine, administration priorities, and direction from congress.…

The Regents of the University of Colorado received a $511,266 grant award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Science Mission Directorate on October 15, 2024, to support research on the physical and optical signature of stratospheric wildfire smoke utilizing data from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III/International Space Station (SAGE III/ISS) in conjunction with in situ measurements. This non-set-aside research grant, identified as solicitation 23-SAGEIII23-0018, will be executed at the university's Boulder, Colorado campus and must be completed by October 14, 2027. The award aligns with NASA's balanced science program objectives and supports the agency's cross-disciplinary research initiatives that advance discovery in emerging scientific fields.

The research project directly supports NASA's broader effort to develop a directorate-wide approach to applied programs, including Earth science applications and space weather research. The University of Colorado, a prominent public research institution with an extensive portfolio of federal research awards spanning NASA, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and multiple other agencies, serves as a key partner in advancing federal research priorities. This SAGE III/ISS investigation will contribute to atmospheric science understanding and complement the university's existing collaborative research initiatives in climate science, Earth observation, and space-based research platforms.

Execute a balanced science program based on discipline-specific guidance from the national academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine, administration priorities, and direction from congress. Participate as a key partner and enabler in the agency s exploration initiative, focusing on scientific research of, on, and from the moon, lunar orbit, mars, and beyond. Advance discovery in emerging fields by identifying and exploiting cross-disciplinary opportunities between traditional science disciplines develop a directorate-wide, target-user focused approach to applied programs, including earth science applications, space weather, planetary defense, and space situational awareness.