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<br />(3) Small P~oiect Research. This program element will support <br />innovative research by creative individual scientists and small groups in <br />areas with significant potential for advancing scientific understanding that <br />is relevant to weather modification. This includes support for education and <br />training to develop new scientific talent. <br /> <br />This program element provides for selective support of small research <br />projects which are not appropriately incorporated into large programs. Small <br />projects can focus on specific questions or study meteorological features <br />unique to a particular locale. 'They can permit the creativity of individual <br />scientists to develop without the scheduling constraints of large programs. <br />These small projects may be test beds for exploring new concepts or developing <br />new techniques. Innovation in this program element is critical to the overall <br />health and progress of the science. <br /> <br />The small project research program will include a wide variety of <br />research. Activities include exploratory studies, support of 1l1ulti-use <br />laboratories and facilities, instrumentation and technique development, <br />filling research gaps between major programs, interdisciplinary research, and <br />research on weather-modification methods other than cloud seeding. <br /> <br />Since this program element is designed to build on current opportunities <br />as they emerge, it is difficult to specify details of a five-year program. But <br />it is very important to provide a stable funding base for small project <br />research in order to attract and retain high quality scientific talent. Some <br />examples of current and near term projects which are appropriate to this <br />research element are: <br /> <br />o Testing new statistical methods for weather modification evaluation. <br /> <br />o Developing and field testing new ice nucleating materials. <br /> <br />o Developing nucleating tracers and tracer detection instrumentation. <br /> <br />o Studying the occurrence of artificial cirrus clouds and the impacts <br />on surface weather. <br /> <br />o Studying ways to optimize seeding rates and seeding methodology. <br /> <br />o Expanding applications of satellite data to weather modification. <br /> <br />o Conducting simulation studies of modification of mesoscale weather <br />systems. <br /> <br />Continuing support for this research is provided through the NSF EXperimental <br />Meteorology and Weather Modification Program. <br /> <br />b. Future Program Ontions <br /> <br />~NO major fundamental research programs have not yet been formally <br />approved. They are the Ice Crystal Processes Program and the Geographic <br /> <br />- 36 - <br />