The Iowa Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) is part of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program from NASA which is designed to support science and engineering education.
The ISGC funds activities at Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa and Drake University to coordinate and improve Iowa's future in aerospace science and technology and to stimulate aerospace research, education and outreach. Funded research is done in collaboration with other researchers in government (especially NASA), industry and nonprofit organizations. Funding from ISCG is used to purchase supplies necessary for the researched and provide scholarships for students participating in the research. At Drake University, the base program is lead by Drs. Busch, Dao and Sleister and is focused on understanding how low gravity environments may alter replication of pathogens like influenza A viruses.