The University of Iowa’s P3 grant program is reshaping Earth observation research within its College of Engineering, fostering new faculty hires, graduate programs, critical infrastructure, and nearly $10 million in NASA funding.
Funded through Iowa’s public-private utility partnership, the P3 initiative aims to bolster strategic priorities across campus. One of its largest early investments came in 2021 with $3.6 million allocated to expand space-based research.
“The P3 program provided us the opportunity to invest in one of Iowa’s core strengths and build interdisciplinary partnerships that capitalize on our legacy of space research,” said Kevin Kregel, executive vice president and provost. “The enhanced infrastructure and resources for our talented researchers provided the launchpad for Iowa to be a national leader in Earth and lunar science instrumentation.”
This fall, the program’s impact was evident as NASA’s Instrument Incubator Program awarded two grants, totaling nearly $10 million, to faculty members in the College of Engineering.
Mapping the atmosphere
Jun Wang, a professor and department executive officer of chemical and biochemical engineering, received $4.9 million for a three-year project to develop a space instrument that will map how aerosols – tiny particles in the atmosphere – are distributed three dimensionally across the globe. Aerosols influence weather, climate, and cloud patterns.
Mr. Wang’s team will create algorithms to interpret data collected by the instrument, developed in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“We are deeply grateful for the university’s P3 program investment, the College of Engineering’s support, and the visionary guidance of our leadership,” Wang said. “Their contributions have been instrumental in shaping and advancing our strategy for growth and excellence in education and research, particularly in the observation and study of Earth and its atmosphere.”
Understanding the Planetary Boundary Layer
Matt McGill, a professor of chemical and biochemical engineering and faculty affiliate of the Iowa Technology Institute, leads the second NASA-funded project.
His three-year, $4.5 million grant focuses on measuring how aerosols, clouds, and the Earth’s lower atmosphere – known as the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) – change throughout the day. The work aims to develop a cost-effective approach to tracking atmospheric changes and relies on infrastructure funded by the P3 program.
Mr. McGill joined Iowa after a 25-year career at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. His recruitment was made possible by the P3-funded initiative to enhance space-based research capabilities.
“These recent grants highlight the far-reaching impact of the P3 project, which supported the development of sensors, algorithms, and testing capabilities to elevate the role Iowa can play in future NASA missions,” a release from the university stated.
Earlier this year, Mr. McGill also secured a P3 grant for advancing Earth science research through airborne and surface observations. His interdisciplinary team is leveraging research aircraft at Iowa’s Operator Performance Laboratory to create measurement tools unavailable elsewhere in the Midwest.
The P3 program has also created hands-on opportunities for students. In March 2024, engineering students conducted an airborne exercise at Fort Stewart, Georgia, capturing data to improve remote wildfire detection capabilities.
