Dr. Hannah Attard, an assistant professor of physics at Daemen University, has been selected to receive a Research Initiation Award – a new research funding opportunity through NASA – totaling $254,000 over two years.

The grant supports institutions and allows professors to initiate research, set up and run a laboratory, and engage undergraduate students in cutting-edge research.

Dr. Attard’s proposal titled, “The Predictability of Upward Wave Activity Flux and Sudden Stratospheric Warmings in NASA’s GEOS Model” was one of just 18 proposals selected for funding out of 73 submissions.

“Usually when we think of weather forecasts we consider if it’s going to snow or if it will be warm, but my research looks at forecasts where no one lives – the stratosphere,” Dr. Attard said. “What happens in the stratosphere can come back down and influence what weather we experience here. This study will look at how we can better forecast what happens in the stratosphere so that we can better understand and forecast how that will influence the weather we experience.”

Five undergraduate students will be selected to work on the research project, which will involve looking at years of data from locations in the Northern Hemisphere and up into the stratosphere.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for students to engage in research differently than they do in
their classes,” Dr. Attard added. “All of this research is computational and working with big data. Students will learn how to code, how to parse through large amounts of data to find what they need, and how to effectively communicate their findings. All of these skills are transferable to a myriad of different disciplines and future jobs.”

Dr. Attard said the funding from the Research Initiative Award will position her to apply for similar grants in the future.