| NOAA
2002-R929 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Keli Tarp 10/9/02 |
NOAA News Releases 2002 NOAA Home Page NOAA Public Affairs |
| NOAA ANNOUNCES
$5 MILLION GRANT TO OU’S COOPERATIVE INSTITUTE The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a $5 million grant to the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) at The University of Oklahoma (OU) in Norman. The CIMMS grant will be used to continue its research collaborations with NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and National Weather Service. “Through our cooperative institutes and joint programs, the Bush Administration and NOAA, promote collaborative work between university and agency researchers,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “This partnership effort enables dozens of outstanding scientists to work cooperatively with our agency on research to improve our understanding of the interaction between the Earth’s oceans and atmosphere. NOAA is proud to make this award to the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies at OU.” Sixteen
specific research projects have been identified for funding, including
use of phased array radar technology for hazardous weather detection
and research, quantitative precipitation estimation using multiple sensors,
use of Warning Decision Support
Systems for storm research and improving hazardous weather detection,
application of dual-polarization radar to improve quantitative precipitation
estimates Additional research themes funded with the NOAA grant include contributions to the weather research and forecasting model development and the climate research network, program support through the assimilation, analysis and dissemination of global rain gauge data, role of tropical Atlantic Ocean in West African and North Atlantic climate variability, core demonstration project in climate prediction in Africa, and a workshop on regional climate prediction and applications in the Tropical Pacific Islands and Rim. CIMMS is a cooperative institute between NOAA and The University of Oklahoma. The Joint Institute conducts research in hazardous weather, mesoscale meteorology, regional climate and related subject areas. In Norman, CIMMS has co-located programs and personnel with NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory, National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, Radar Operations Center and Warning Decision Training Branch. About 190 researchers, post-docs, graduate students and staff are supported in CIMMS. NOAA will award more than 1,400 grants totaling $906 million in 2002 to members of the academic, scientific and business communities to assist the agency fulfill its mission which is to study the Earth’s natural systems in order to predict environmental change, manage ocean resources, protect life and property, and provide decision makers with reliable scientific information. NOAA goals and programs reflect a commitment to these basic responsibilities of science and service to the nation for 32 years. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. To learn more about NOAA and its grants programs, please visit http://www.noaa.gov.
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