This is a training grant awarded by the NASA Shared Services Center to the University of Utah in the amount of $89,245 for a study on the relationship between deep convection and the evolution of convective precipitation systems, particularly the differences between land and ocean convection. The goal is to evaluate the hypothesis that oceanic convection requires additional support, such as external forcing or ample time for self-development, in order to develop intense updrafts. The research will build on previous studies of convective systems in the central Pacific and the Congo, as well as insights from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data. This award is not a set-aside contract, and the University of Utah has received numerous federal contract and grant awards across a wide range of research areas, including biomedical, environmental, and engineering disciplines.