1) the enhanced return on NASA's research programs by providing state of the art tools to simulate and interpret flight observations and to test hypotheses about past climate change and present…

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Shared Services Center awarded a Cooperative Agreement totaling $466,145 to the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute on April 9, 2026, under the Science program (CFDA 43.001) to develop, maintain, and operate a Mars Global Climate Model (MGCM) and supporting analysis tools for the Mars Climate Modeling Center (MCMC).

The award funds cutting-edge scientific research on Mars's atmosphere and climate, including state-of-the-art modeling of water, dust, and carbon dioxide cycles. The MCMC will provide simulated Mars environments for NASA flight program design and evaluation—including spacecraft performance testing under the Moon to Mars Initiative—and deliver model access, analysis tools, and output to the domestic and international Mars atmospheric science and engineering communities. The work also supports mentorship of students, postdocs, and early-career researchers to maintain U.S. leadership in Mars atmospheric and climate science.

Performance occurs at Moffett Field, California, with a period of performance from April 9, 2026, through April 8, 2029. The award obligates $466,145.

1) the enhanced return on NASA's research programs by providing state of the art tools to simulate and interpret flight observations and to test hypotheses about past climate change and present climate processes of mars including how the climate cycles (water dust and carbon dioxide) of mars operate 2) the lowering of risk to NASA's flight programs (both current and future programs like the moon to mars initiative) by providing simulated mars environments for use while designing and evaluation flight spacecraft performance and 3) the maintenance of U.S. Leadership in mars atmospheric and climate science by providing mentorship to students postdocs and early career researchers in the field.