NOAA AWARDS $9 MILLION TO BOULDER’s
UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
Grant Continues Climate Change Research

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded more than $9 million to the Boulder-based University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in a multi-year grant to continue its partnership in climate change and atmospheric research. NOAA is an agency of the Commerce Department.

“NOAA and the Bush Administration are leading the effort to improve the understanding of climate change,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “This grant will help advance Earth climate system knowledge critical toward improving climate prediction information for the public, stakeholders and policy makers.”

The $9.1 million grant will allow UCAR to continue support for research scientists engaged in model development and experimental climate prediction; data collection, management and dissemination; planning for international climate change programs; and participation in various scientific fora, outreach programs and research activities.

"We deeply appreciate the continued vital support from NOAA for climate research at NCAR, the UCAR Office of Programs, and the university community," said UCAR president Rick Anthes. "This support is critical for increasing understanding of the complex global climate system and enabling improved forecasts of climate variability and change."

UCAR is a nonprofit corporation formed in 1959 by research institutions with doctoral programs in the atmospheric and related sciences. UCAR was formed to enhance the computing and observational capabilities of the universities, and to focus on scientific problems that are beyond the scale of a single university. Based in Boulder, UCAR comprises 66 member representatives and 20 Academic Affiliate institutions.

Each year, NOAA awards approximately $900 million in grants to members of the academic, scientific and business communities to assist the agency in fulfilling its mission 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 the past 33 years.

The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (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, please visit http://www.noaa.gov.

On the Web:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: http://www.noaa.gov.

Conrad C. Lautenbacher: http://www.noaa.gov/lautenbacher.html