The scientific infrastructure developed through the ARM Program by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is a valuable national and international asset for advancing scientific knowledge of Earth systems. Since 1989, DOE has funded the development of several highly-instrumented ground stations for studying cloud formation processes and their influence on radiative transfer and for measuring other parameters that determine the radiative properties of the atmosphere. These ground stations known as ARM sites, the ARM Mobile Facility currently being developed, and the ARM Data Archive are now being made available for use by scientists worldwide through the ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF).

The ACRF has enormous potential to contribute to a wide range of interdisciplinary science in areas such as meteorology, atmospheric aerosols, hydrology, biogeochemical cycling, and satellite validation, and to provide
potential monitoring sites where remote sensing and modeling related to homeland security can be validated. The ACRF is overseen by the ACRF Science Board, a group of highly respected scientists who will provide direction for the facility and review requests for ACRF Intensive Operational Periods. For more information about the ACRF Science Board, see their charter.