NOAA Goals: NOAA sets the following Goals to meet our Nation's economic, social and environmental needs:
Climate: Understand climate variability and change.
Weather & water: Serve society's needs for weather and water information.
Ecosystems: Protect, restore, and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources.
Commerce & transportation: Support the Nation's commerce with information for safe, efficient and environmentally sound transportation.
Supporting NOAA's mission: Provide critical support for NOAA's mission.

Additional ESRL links:

Planning Information and Documents

NOAA Office of Program Planning and Integration: NOAA Strategic Plan FY 2006 - FY 2011 [PDF]

NOAA Research Council: NOAA FY 2008-2012 5-Year Research Plan [PDF]; NOAA 20-Year Research Vision [PDF]

ESRL Integrating Research and Technology Themes

Paramount in the planning of the Earth System Research Laboratory has been the integration of scientific and technical activities to be able to better address broad-scoped, "whole-Earth" information needs. Equally important has been the necessity of developing future collaborative partnerships with other NOAA Laboratories and Programs, and with other organizations. These Integrating Research and Technology Themes describe ESRL's science goals, activities and interactions with partners.

Understanding Earth System Processes and Changes: Carbon Cycle Science; Radiative Forcing of Climate by Non-CO₂ Atmospheric Gases; Aerosols: Climate and Air Quality; Tropospheric Ozone and Air Quality; Stratospheric Ozone Layer Recovery; Surface and Planetary Boundary Layer Processes; The Weather-Climate Connection; Climate and Water Systems
Building and Evaluating Simulative and Predictive Capabilities: Regional Scale Assimilation and Modeling; Global Weather Assimilation and Modeling
Developing End-To-End Testbeds: Hydrometeorology Testbed; Building a Service-Based Grid Computing Infrastructure; Information Systems
Advancing Research Infrastructure: Observing System Design, Simulation and Demonstration