2426200
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Collaborative research: Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) facility research and operations--imaging convection at small scales globally.
The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, or SuperDARN, is an international collaborative experiment for observations of plasma motions in Earth’s upper atmosphere.
By observing ionospheric plasma motions, a multitude of geophysical processes are being studied.
These processes range from fundamental plasma instabilities to the global-scale plasma response to changes in the solar-terrestrial environment.
Each of these areas of study contributes to developing an understanding of the coupling of energy from the Sun into Earth’s upper atmosphere and its effects on humanity and technological systems.
This project will support operations and maintenance of the U.S. SuperDARN radars in the Northern Hemisphere by the consortium of Penn State University, Virginia Tech, Dartmouth College, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
The collaboration operates twelve radars that cover a vast region from Alaska to Iceland at high latitudes, and Oregon to Virginia at middle latitudes.
In addition to operation and maintenance activities, the project will support a program of research that exploits new capabilities that have been developed over the last several years.
This includes providing improved fidelity in measurements (plasma convection mapping and imaging), extending the area over which measurements are obtained (bistatic observations), and providing new types of measurements (sounding).
SuperDARN has a long-standing commitment to including graduate students in all aspects of the program.
The SuperDARN observations are also important for space weather applications since HF radio propagation is sensitive to perturbations in the bottomside ionosphere, e.g., solar flares.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, or SuperDARN, is an international collaborative experiment for observations of plasma motions in Earth’s upper atmosphere.
By observing ionospheric plasma motions, a multitude of geophysical processes are being studied.
These processes range from fundamental plasma instabilities to the global-scale plasma response to changes in the solar-terrestrial environment.
Each of these areas of study contributes to developing an understanding of the coupling of energy from the Sun into Earth’s upper atmosphere and its effects on humanity and technological systems.
This project will support operations and maintenance of the U.S. SuperDARN radars in the Northern Hemisphere by the consortium of Penn State University, Virginia Tech, Dartmouth College, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
The collaboration operates twelve radars that cover a vast region from Alaska to Iceland at high latitudes, and Oregon to Virginia at middle latitudes.
In addition to operation and maintenance activities, the project will support a program of research that exploits new capabilities that have been developed over the last several years.
This includes providing improved fidelity in measurements (plasma convection mapping and imaging), extending the area over which measurements are obtained (bistatic observations), and providing new types of measurements (sounding).
SuperDARN has a long-standing commitment to including graduate students in all aspects of the program.
The SuperDARN observations are also important for space weather applications since HF radio propagation is sensitive to perturbations in the bottomside ionosphere, e.g., solar flares.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
Funding Goals
THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO SUPPORT RESEARCH PROPOSALS SPECIFIC TO "GEOSPACE FACILITIES
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Blacksburg,
Virginia
24060-3359
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Related Opportunity
Analysis Notes
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 138% from $467,420 to $1,112,084.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University was awarded
Project Grant 2426200
worth $1,112,084
from the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences in August 2025 with work to be completed primarily in Blacksburg Virginia United States.
The grant
has a duration of 3 years and
was awarded through assistance program 47.050 Geosciences.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity Geospace Facilities.
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 6/3/26
Period of Performance
8/15/25
Start Date
7/31/28
End Date
Funding Split
$1.1M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$1.1M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Transaction History
Modifications to 2426200
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
2426200
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Public/State Controlled Institution Of Higher Education
Awarding Office
490602 DIVISION OF ATMOSPHERIC AND
Funding Office
490602 DIVISION OF ATMOSPHERIC AND
Awardee UEI
QDE5UHE5XD16
Awardee CAGE
4B976
Performance District
VA-09
Senators
Mark Warner
Timothy Kaine
Timothy Kaine
Modified: 6/3/26