Grant Award Summary

Texas A&M University received a $518,229 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) effective April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2029. The award supports fundamental research examining how changing environmental conditions will impact major African weather systems, including the African Easterly Jet (AEJ), West African Monsoon (WAM), African Easterly Waves (AEWs), and mesoscale convective systems (MCSs). These interconnected weather systems significantly influence tropical cyclone formation and precipitation patterns affecting millions of people across Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States.

The primary deliverables include realistic climate projections and model simulations conducted using a novel convection-permitting regional configuration of the Model for Prediction Across Scales-Atmosphere (MPAS-A), employing the Pseudo-Global Warming (PGW) method in long-term regional simulations. Multi-year control and PGW simulations will assess future changes in mean state conditions, interannual variability, and mesoscale tropical system behavior under warmer climate scenarios. All model outputs will be made publicly available through the NSF NCAR GDEX Archive. Research findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed scientific publications and conference presentations to researchers, federal agencies, and at-risk communities. The project also supports workforce development through training of postdoctoral researchers and graduate students in atmospheric science.