Professor Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska receives NASA's prestigious New Investigator Program (NIP) award to support her research in GPS-based remote sensing.

Atmospheric data provided by GPS (Global Positioning System) can support climate change study, and if provided in near-real time, may improve weather forecasting. The GPS data collected by ground-based networks of GPS receivers and (Low Earth Orbiters) LEO-based GPS receivers from the current and upcoming satellite missions provide wealth of atmospheric data. However, near-real time availability of LEO location in space is crucial in making atmospheric data useful for weather forecasting. Near real-time GPS/LEO precision orbit determination for operational weather forecasting with GPS is the major focus of Professor Brzezinska's investigation, sponsored under her NASA NIP award. The NIP program was established by NASA in 1996 to encourage integrated environments for research and education for scientists and engineers at the early stage of their professional careers. The program, designed for investigators at academic institutions as well as non-profit organizations, encompasses all areas of research and development in Earth system science and applications, as well as associated activities in education, science communication, and interdisciplinary endeavors. NASA NIP characteristics and selection criteria are equivalent to NSF CAREER program.