NOAA Awards More than $400,000 to Idaho State University to Study Remote Sensing

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration granted $494,739 to Idaho State University’s Boise Center Aerospace Laboratory to fund the development of a remote sensing laboratory. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Remote sensing involves gathering data and information about the physical world by detecting and measuring radiation, particles and fields associated with objects located beyond the immediate vicinity of the sensor device. This grant will finance a project that will provide southwest Idaho with expertise, leadership and coordination of remote sensing research and application. It will provide education and training programs that promote remote sensing and spatial technologies. BCAL will serve as a bridge between Idaho State University campuses and simultaneously serve as a resource to a high density of users in southwest Idaho. Furthermore, BCAL will specialize in research, education and outreach of remote sensing spatial technologies and coordination between the universities and local, state, federal and tribal activities in remote sensing.

“This funding will allow us to study the Earth from remote sensor satellites, and gather more data from space,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “NOAA and the Bush Administration are proud to be working with Sen. Larry Craig to improve the understanding of our environment and to strengthen local and regional initiatives like the Boise Center Aerospace Laboratory.”

Each year, NOAA awards approximately $900 million in grants to members of the academic, scientific and business communities to assist the agency in fulfilling its mission to study the Earth’s natural systems in order to predict environmental change, manage ocean resources, protect life and property, and provide decision makers with reliable scientific information. NOAA’s goals and programs reflect a commitment to these basic responsibilities of science and service to the nation for the past 34 years.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. To learn more about NOAA, please visit: http://www.noaa.gov.