The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration granted $1,275,157 to Colorado State University to fund projects with the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The grant will finance the implementation of a five-year plan for CIRA. Projects under this plan include support of the Virtual Institute for Satellite Integration Training, and research of North American sources and sinks of carbon dioxide at high spatial and temporal resolution. In addition, CIRA will research the role of Africa in terrestrial carbon exchange and atmospheric carbon dioxide, evaluate ship-based observations of precipitation, convection, and environmental conditions, and investigate global microwave surface emission error analysis.

“Funding from this NOAA grant will provide scientists with the data they need to make informed decisions regarding atmospheric research,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “NOAA and the Bush Administration are working to improve the understanding of our environment and to strengthen cooperative institutes like the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere.”

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’s goals and programs reflect a commitment to these basic responsibilities of science and service to the nation for the past 34 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, please visit: http://www.noaa.gov.