JHT Highlights - 2001 to present
Concept of Joint Hurricane Testbed was approved and funded by NOAA for implimentation (Winter 2001).

Proposals solicited for first JHT projects (Spring 2001)

Develop JHT Terms of Reference (PDF) (Mar 2001-May 2002)

Thirteen proposals reviewed by a committee (Russ Elsberry, Naval Postgraduate School; Mark DeMaria, NOAA/Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere; Ed Rappaport, NOAA/NWS/Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane Center - May 2001)

Ten proposals for FY01 were funded (June 2001)

Form Steering Committee (Mar 2002)

Project PIs present progress reports at the 56th InterDepartmental Hurricane Conference (Mar 2002)

Fund second year continuation of favorably reviewed FY01 projects (Q3 2002)

Procure JHT IT hardware (Q3 2002)

Hire JHT IT facilitator (Jul 2002)

2002 hurricane season real-time testing and evaluation of JHT projects (Jul-Nov 2002)

Develop Announcement of Opportunity for FY03 funding (Federal Register Notice - FRN) (Aug-Dec 2002) (Open to government, academic, and private sector applicants worldwide. Estimated total available funding $1.5M.)

FRN released (3 January 2003)

Preapplications (Letters of Intent) reviewed (February 2003)

• 34 preapplications received
• 24 recommended to submit full proposal

Full proposals reviewed (April and May 2003)

• 24 full proposals received
• Independently reviewed and scored by 7-member review panel (JHT Steering Committee) based upon six review criteria

Recommendations and Selections (Jun.-Sep. 2003)

• Proposal rank determined by the average of total scores from all (non-recused) reviewers
• TPC/JHT Directors endorsed numerical rankings and made recommendations to fund maximum number of proposals (16 of 24) within available funding
• Funding selections made by Director of NOAA Office of Weather and Air Quality Research (W&AQR) – no changes to JHT/TPC Directors’ recommendations
• Approval of non-NOAA awardees made by NOAA Grants Management Division
• 15 new JHT projects funded for summer 2003 – summer 2004 (one of selected 16 withdrawn)
• 3 one-year projects, and 12 two-year projects (will be reviewed after first year for second year of funding)

Decisions for Operational Implementation of 2001-2003 Projects (December 2003). The TPC Director made decisions regarding the operational implementation of seven of the 2001-2003 JHT projects:

• Four projects implemented (SHIPS, Rapid Intensification, AMSU, Rain-CLIPER)
• Two projects deferred (DYMES, Targeting)
• One project not accepted at this time (H*Wind) (Two projects - EMC and GFDL were previously accepted for operational implementation by EMC in time for the 2003 hurricane season.)

Revise Announcement of Opportunity for FY05 funding (Federal Register Notice - FRN) (Feb. - May 2004) (Open to government, academic, and private sector applicants worldwide. Estimated total available funding $1.2M.)

FRN released (30 June 2004)

2004 hurricane season real-time testing and evaluation of JHT 2003-05 projects (Aug. 2004)

• 3 one-year projects concluded
• 2 accepted for operational implementation (CLIPER and Ensemble), 1 not accepted (DYMES)
• Remaining 12 two-year projects approved for 2nd year funding and continuing through Aug. 2005

Preapplications (Letters of Intent) reviewed for JHT 2005-07 (Aug. 2004)

• 40 preapplications received
• 18 recommended to submit full proposal

Full proposals reviewed for JHT 2005-07 (Nov. - Dec. 2004)

• 19 full proposals received
• Independently reviewed and scored by 7-member review panel (JHT Steering Committee) based upon six review criteria

Recommendations and Selections (Jan. - Mar. 2005)

• Proposal rank determined by the average of total scores from all (non-recused) reviewers
• TPC/JHT Directors endorsed numerical rankings and made recommendations to fund maximum number of proposals (15 of 19) within available funding
• Funding selections made by Director of NOAA Office of Weather and Air Quality Research (W&AQR) - no changes to JHT/TPC Director's recommendations
• Approval of non-Federal awardees made by NOAA Grants Management Division
• 15 new JHT projects funded for spring 2005 - spring 2006
• All 15 are two-year projects (will be reviewed after first year for second year of funding)

2005 hurricane season real-time testing of 'Round 2' JHT 2003-05 projects and 'Round 3' JHT 2005-07 projects

The TPC Director made decisions regarding the operational implementation the remaining twelve of the fifteen 2003-2005 'Round 2' JHT projects:

• Eight projects implemented
• Four projects deferred. Additional test through 2006 season needed.

Revised Announcement of Opportunity for FY07 funding (Federal Register Notice - FRN) (Feb. - Mar. 2006) (Open to government, academic, and private sector applicants worldwide. Estimated total available funding $1.035M.)

FRN released (12 June 2006)

2006 hurricane season real-time testing and evaluation of JHT 2005-07 projects (Aug. 2006)

• All 'Round 3' projects approved for 2nd year funding and continuing through Aug. 2007

Preapplications (Letters of Intent) reviewed for JHT 2007-09 (Aug. 2006)

• 43 preapplications received
• 20 recommended to submit full proposal

FRN reopened (12 November 2006)

Full proposals reviewed for JHT 2007-09 (Dec. 2006 - Jan. 2007)

• 28 full proposals received
• Independently reviewed and scored by 7-member review panel (JHT Steering Committee) based upon six review criteria