Project Lead: Matthew McGill

Funding Approved: Fiscal Year 25
Project Status: In Progress  
Funded amount: $1,270,700 over three years

This initiative leverages the unique capabilities of the Operator Performance Laboratory and its research aircraft, along with airborne and ground-based sensors, to study the effects of climate change in the Midwest. By integrating these advanced measurement techniques, the project will gather detailed atmospheric and environmental data crucial for understanding climate impacts in the region. The project will create innovative, interdisciplinary research and educational opportunities across campus, providing a foundation for training the next generation of Earth scientists while enhancing Iowa’s competitiveness for grant funding from agencies such as NASA, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation.

In the News

OPL research jet

Iowa engineers making UI a leader in measuring atmospheric and environmental data

The P3 project is lead by Matthew McGill, CBE professor and faculty affiliate of ITI

University of Iowa engineering researchers are using P3 support to help make Iowa a destination for measuring atmospheric and environmental data crucial for understanding effects of climate change. The project will enable scientists to target ground-level and airborne data on a wide variety of subjects, such as air quality and pollution, nitrate runoff, soil moisture, and wildfires at more detailed levels.

College of Engineering

Iowa Engineering turns P3 seed funding into $9.4M in NASA grants

The University of Iowa’s P3 grant program has had a transformative impact on Earth observation research in the College of Engineering, leading to faculty hires, new graduate students, critical infrastructure, and external funding, including nearly $10 million in recent NASA awards.