What is a cooperative agreement?

The legal instrument through which NOAA funds the collaborative research at CIRES is a cooperative agreement. Federal guidelines for using a cooperative agreement (as distinct from a contract or grant) are basically the same as those for a grant except that the funding agency expects to be substantially involved with the recipient of the research funds in carrying out the funded activities. In CIRES' case, there are significant interactions between the institute and NOAA scientific personnel and research is mutually defined in support of the missions of NOAA. Approximately 55% of the research in CIRES is funded by the cooperative agreement with NOAA. The remaining funding is from contracts and grants from various other federal, state, and private sources, with most being federal grants.

CIRES Five Year Comparison of Expenditures
by NOAA Cooperative Agreement,
Individual Grants, and University

Cooperative Agreement (PDF, ~1.6 MB)