UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science Announces Awardees of 6th Cycle Grants

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), managed by the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), announced the awardees of its Sixth Cycle research grants. Each recipient will receive up to US$1.5 million over three years, with a maximum annual allocation of US$550,000.

The Sixth Cycle awardees are Dr. Dixon Michael, Principal Radar Meteorologist and Software Engineer at Echo Science Works, USA, for “Advancing Cloud Seeding Science with Dual-Polarization Radar Signatures and AI”; Prof. Linda Zou, Adjunct Professor at Victoria University, Australia, for “AI-assisted Development and Optimization of Glaciogenic Cloud Seeding Materials”; and Dr. Oliver Branch, Senior Scientist at the University of Hohenheim, Germany, for “Rainfall Enhancement through Modification of Land Cover and Land Form (RAINLAND).”

His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, President of the World Meteorological Organization and Director General of NCM, said: “Under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, UAEREP continues to strengthen its position as a global platform for scientific collaboration and applied innovation. NCM plays a central role in enabling this work through advanced infrastructure and operational expertise that translate research into real-world impact. This reflects the UAE’s approach of investing in practical and sustainable innovation.”

Alya Al Mazrouei, Director of UAEREP and Director of the Research and Weather Enhancement Department at NCM, said: “The awardees’ proposals demonstrate high standards of scientific innovation and practical application. Through UAEREP’s technical resources and global collaborations, these projects will deliver science-based solutions that contribute to water security and climate resilience.”

Dr. Dixon Michael’s project advances the evaluation of cloud seeding impacts beyond traditional reflectivity-based storm tracking. It will upgrade LROSE/TITAN to capture microphysical pathways and assess impacts using transparent, uncertainty-aware methods, while strengthening NCM’s capacity to sustain these systems.

Prof. Linda Zou’s project will develop advanced nanocomposite ice-nucleating materials and apply AI-driven analytics to optimize their performance using data from a Portable Ice Nucleation Experiment (PINE) cloud chamber, which will be deployed at NCM in the final phase of the project.

Dr. Oliver Branch’s RAINLAND project will apply a theory–observation–simulation approach to demonstrate how land-cover and land-topography modifications can trigger moist convection. The research aims to identify optimal land-form designs and locations to enhance rainfall in the UAE.