This federal contract award (NNX16AF17G) was granted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the University of Maryland, College Park for a research project to test the hypothesis that merging microwave and gravimetric satellite measurements with an advanced land surface model can improve the accuracy and reduce uncertainty in estimating snow water equivalent, soil moisture, groundwater, and terrestrial water storage across regional and continental scales. The $273,551.00 grant does not have a set-aside designation and is classified as a research project under NASA's "Year-Round Estimation of Terrestrial Water Storage Through the Assimilation of Multisensor Satellite" program. The University of Maryland, College Park, a state-controlled institution of higher learning, is the prime contractor for this award. The University System of Maryland is the parent organization of the University of Maryland, College Park.