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Program Elements
Atmospheric Composition and Climate Program (ACC)
The Atmospheric Composition and Climate (ACC) Program pursues research to improve the predictive understanding of the radiative forcing of the climate system by aerosols and by chemically active greenhouse gases, including the role of water vapor in the upper troposphere in altering the radiative forcing directly and via its influence on aerosols and other chemically active greenhouse gases. The integrated research activities that address these objectives involve field and laboratory studies, instrument development, regional to global observations, and theoretical modeling by NOAA and extramural partners. Primary emphasis is on utilizing process research to contribute to the improvement of climate modeling ability for decision support.
Climate Change Data and Detection Program (CCDD), including Paleoclimatology
The goal of the Climate Change Data and Detection (CCDD) Program is to provide data and information management support to assure the availability and analysis of critical data sets for a variety of programs and assessments, both national and international, e.g., the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP). The data and resulting products will extend the existing long-term climate record and serve as essential input (initialization, calibration, validation) for predictive models. CCDD provides support for documenting variations in climate on time scales ranging from less than one year to periods of 100 years and longer. Support is also provided for the analysis of observed climate variations and changes to monitor the state of the climate system and to identify causes that are consistent with Earth's long-term climate history.
Climate Prediction Program for the Americas (CPPA)
The Climate Prediction Program for the Americas (CPPA) is a competitive research program with a goal to improve operational intraseasonal to interannual climate and hydrologic predictions for the Americas with quantified uncertainties sufficient for making informed decisions. To achieve its goal, CPPA has the following major objectives: to improve the predictive understanding and model simulation of ocean, atmosphere and land-surface processes, to quantify the sources and limits of predictability of climate variations on intra-seasonal to interannual time scale, to advance NOAA's operational climate forecasts, monitoring, and analysis systems and to develop climate-based hydrologic forecasting capabilities for decision support and water resource applications.
Climate Process Teams (CPT)
As part of its activities, the U.S. CLIVAR Interagency Group (IAG) has proposed the concept of Climate Process Modeling Teams (CPTs), whose purpose is to speed development of global coupled climate models by bringing together theoreticians, observationalists, process modelers and the large modeling centers to concentrate on the leading problems confronting models.
It is the objective of the CPTs to bridge the gaps among the field and remote sensing observation programs, process models, and global modelers by building new communities, in which those with observational expertise and data, those with highly detailed process models, and those building global models work together to address systematically the critical issues that limit progress in improving global climate models. The CPT is envisioned to support collaborations that will accelerate progress in climate model development.
Climate Test Bed (CTB) Research Program
The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the Climate Program Office are jointly sponsoring the Climate Test Bed (CTB) Research Program. The objective of the NCEP's CTB is to improve operational methodologies and techniques leading to improved quality and applicability of NOAA operational climate forecasts, products, and applications. The goal of the CTB Research Program is to support research that forms a foundation for potential transition of research advancements into the CTB. The CTB will provide a testing environment for short-term competitive applied research and development projects. Scientists from the broad research community, other NOAA organizations and NCEP are expected to jointly carry out competitive CTB Research Program projects. For further details on the Climate Test Bed, visit www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/ctb/.
Climate Variability and Predictability Program (CVP)
In support of NOAA's prediction mission, the Climate Variability and Predictability (CVP) Program seeks to understand the role and inherent predictability of coupled ocean-atmosphere interactions in the global climate system over sub-decadal and longer timescales with an emphasis on climatic impacts over North America.
Global Carbon Cycle Program (GCC)
The goal of the Global Carbon Cycle (GCC) Program is to improve our ability to predict the fate of anthropogenic carbon dioxide and future atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations using a combination of atmospheric, terrestrial and oceanic observations, process-oriented field studies and modeling.
Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA)
The Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program supports integrated, place-based research across a range of social, natural, and physical science disciplines to expand decision makers' options in the face of climate change and variability at the regional level. It does this in a manner that is cognizant of and analyzes the context decision-makers function within and the constraints they face in managing their climate sensitive resources. RISA possesses three distinct qualities: (1) fostering interdisciplinary research and assessment synthesis; (2) improving our understanding of and bridging the gap among climatic, environmental and societal interactions on different temporal and spatial scales; and (3) contributing to regional decision support and climate information service. A successful RISA program requires innovative and embedded long-term partnerships among a spectrum of interested parties including Federal, State, Native, regional, local and private entities. Proposals must demonstrate partnership among institutions focused on the region and build on existing efforts within the region to study the impacts of climate and expand integrated social, physical, and natural science research in support of climate services. Projects can be up to 5 years in duration.
Sector Applications Research Program (SARP)
The Sector Applications Research Program (SARP) is designed to catalyze and support interdisciplinary applied research, outreach and education activities that enhance the capacity of key socio-economic sectors and systems to respond to and plan for climate variability and change through the use of climate information and related decision support resources. SARP pursues its objectives through the establishment of sector projects that are composed of a combination of competitive applications research, decision support resource development, outreach and community building, and establishing productive partnerships with sector-specific decision-making and scientific entities. These research projects and partnership efforts must: a) involve stakeholders in the design and assessment of the research; and b) develop and communicate innovative and transferable methods, knowledge, information, and/or tools for understanding and adapting to a changing climate. The program serves as a mechanism for the creation, dissemination and exchange of climate-related research findings and decision support resources critical for understanding and addressing resource management challenges in vital social and economic sectors.
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