{"686820":{"#nid":"686820","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Space Research Institute Announces Inaugural Seed Grant Awardees ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost breakthroughs in space don\u2019t begin as fully formed missions. They begin as questions that are still early, exploratory or simply too uncertain and interdisciplinary for traditional funding paths.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, the Space Research Institute (SRI) brings together space research efforts across campus to answer those questions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year, SRI announced the inaugural recipients of its new Centers, Programs and Initiatives (CPI) seed grant program, with awards to fund 17 research centers, programs and initiatives spanning five colleges and 11 schools across Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis first cohort represents the breadth and ambition of space research at Georgia Tech,\u201d said Jud Ready, executive director of the Space Research Institute. \u201cOur goal is to support researchers across the whole arc, from pressure-testing early ideas to helping more mature efforts reach the next stage of technology readiness and development.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStructured across three progressive tiers\u2014Centers, Programs, and Initiatives\u2014the CPI Seed Grant program is open to all faculty and staff from any Georgia Tech college or affiliated organization, including the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI\u00b2). Launched this year and planned as an annual program across all three tiers, it is designed to meet teams where they are and to help promising ideas gain the collaboration networks needed to scale\u0026nbsp;into major research efforts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s awardees explore topics across the spectrum of modern space research, covering satellite-based cloud computing, analog space missions, supermassive black hole binaries, radar-equipped rovers for lunar exploration, climate sensing, human performance beyond Earth, and a dozen other space-related research areas at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, the projects map onto SRI\u2019s core themes: making space more accessible; living beyond Earth; assured access to space; how space helps us understand our place in the universe; policy, international affairs, and commercialization.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring their funding period, CPI teams are expected to demonstrate excellence across three core areas: advancing scientific and technological innovation, developing talent, and pursuing work with clear societal or economic relevance. That may take many forms, from publications, prototypes, and interdisciplinary mentorship opportunities to training students and postdocs in space-related skills, to laying the groundwork for commercialization, or addressing challenges such as climate change or disaster mitigation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach team will use its funding differently\u2014supporting workshops on campus, conference travel, prototyping, experimentation, or visits with collaborators or sponsors \u2014but all share a common trajectory. The CPI program is designed to nurture teams into viable, externally funded, multi-investigator research efforts, providing the momentum needed to compete for major national and international awards.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith these 17 seed grants, SRI is creating pathways for ideas that begin on campus to shape missions, technologies, and scientific discoveries beyond it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFaculty and staff interested in getting involved can attend the January 28 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/node\/177\u0022\u003ESRI \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/node\/177\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eluncheon\u003C\/a\u003E, where each awardee will briefly present their work and recruit collaborators.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Fall 2025 SRI CPI Seed Grant recipients are:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Centers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astrobiology.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECenter for Astrobiology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECenter for Relativistic Astrophysics\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/policy.space.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECenter for Space Policy and International Relation\u003C\/em\u003Es\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hypersonics.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Georgia Tech Hypersonics Center of Excellence (\u003C\/em\u003EHypersonics@GT)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Programs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompartments in Biological Systems: From Condensates to Communities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Frank Rosenzweig, School of Biological Sciences\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Initiatives\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUsing Art to Highlight Failure as Progress in Space Exploration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Joyce Shi Sim, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFlow Instabilities and Fluid Dynamics for Space Applications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| \u0026nbsp;Suhas S. Jain, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering;\u0026nbsp;Mohammad Mohaghar, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering; and\u0026nbsp;Don Webster, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExtreme-Environment Autonomous Microsystems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| John Cressler, Farrokh Ayazi, Nima Ghalichechian, and Jane Gu, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and\u0026nbsp;Joshua Kovitz,\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech Research Institute\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESoutheast Analog Initiative at Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Christopher Carr, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERESCUE: Remote Environmental Sensing for Climate, Urban, and Ecological Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Lilian Dove, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences; and Rounaq Basu, School of City and Regional Planning\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESPRITE: Building a MIDEX Astrophysics Mission at Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Feryal \u00d6zel, School of Physics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBioastronautics Initiative\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Christopher E. Carr, School of Aerospace Engineering, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences; Thom Orlando, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry; and \u00c1lvaro Romero-Calvo, School of Aerospace Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EToward a Georgia Tech NSF Expedition on Computing in Space\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Ada Gavrilovska, School of Computer Science; and Saman Zonouz, School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFulminoSat: A CubeSat Formation Concept for Ionospheric Measurement through Multi-Modal Transient Signal Detection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Michael Peterson, Megan Birch, and Levi Boggs, Georgia Tech Research Institute; and\u0026nbsp;Morris Cohen, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrecise Characterization of Dust Grains for Lunar Surface Operations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| \u00c1lvaro Romero-Calvo, School of Aerospace Engineering; and Michael Chapman, School of Physics \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpace Domain Awareness Research and Education\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Douglas Hope, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDevelopment of a Radar Payload for Exploring Lunar and Martian Surfaces Using Rovers and Quadrotors\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Indujaa Ganesh, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences; and Yashwanth Kumar Nakka, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Space Research Institute has selected 17 teams for its inaugural CPI Seed Grant program, supporting space research efforts across the full spectrum of development.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Space Research Institute has selected 17 teams for its inaugural CPI Seed Grant program, supporting space research efforts across the full spectrum of development."}],"uid":"36757","created_gmt":"2025-12-10 13:31:56","changed_gmt":"2025-12-10 17:00:34","author":"ychernet3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678814":{"id":"678814","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_1227321384.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1765382534","gmt_created":"2025-12-10 16:02:14","changed":"1765382534","gmt_changed":"2025-12-10 16:02:14","alt":"Picture of Earth from Space","file":{"fid":"262899","name":"AdobeStock_1227321384.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/AdobeStock_1227321384.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/AdobeStock_1227321384.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3976654,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/10\/AdobeStock_1227321384.jpeg?itok=21HuuRj-"}}},"media_ids":["678814"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}