The FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC Science Summer Camp: International Training on GPS Meteorology for U.S. Students

Stimulated by rapid economic development and the need for better environmental prediction, the atmospheric science communities in East Asia countries have enjoyed considerable growth over the past 10 years. As a result, the East Asia countries have established many exciting and innovative research facilities and projects focusing on atmospheric sciences. Two outstanding examples are the GEONET 1200-stations ground based GPS network in Japan and the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC Project in Taiwan. These facilities and projects hold great promise for significant advancement in atmospheric sciences, and present important opportunities for education, research, and international training for American scientists, engineers and educators. Under the support of the International Programs Division of the National Science Foundation, we have established an AWARE (American Workforce And Research and Education) program at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). The purpose of this program is to establish an international linkage between the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the U.S. university community and educational, research and operational institutions in East Asia. Through this program, we provide opportunities for U.S. students and junior scientists to participate in important collaborative research projects between the U.S. and East Asia countries. In collaboration with the National SPace Organization (NSPO) of Taiwan, UCAR conducted a FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC Science Summer Camp in Taipei, Taiwan, from 26 May through 3 June 2005. The purpose of the Science Summer Camp is to provide an introduction to GPS radio occultation techniques and the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC mission. Eleven U.S. students were selected to participate in this international training and educational activity. In this paper, we will describe the education, research, and international training experiences of the U.S. students in the Science Summer Camp.