Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

What are the scientific and educational partnerships with the Institute?

Partnerships are developed in order to accomplish the scientific work that has been proposed and funded. One of CIRES major roles is as a facilitator of research, helping to identify appropriate partnerships to carry out science activities. The major partners are the NOAA/OAR research laboratories located in Boulder, Colorado. CIRES personnel and other University faculty/researchers collaborate with federal scientists in the laboratories. Key senior scientists from these laboratories are members of the Council of Fellows.

CIRES also has ties with academic departments, academic programs, and university research institutes/centers. Faculty in CIRES teach in these units, with teaching loads equivalent to those of the faculty rostered solely in the departments and programs. New courses have been developed by CIRES affiliated faculty that reflect the diversity of CIRES research programs, including courses in complex systems, ocean-atmosphere coupling, land-atmosphere coupling, hydrology, geophysical data analysis, remote sensing, and science policy. It is worth noting that several NOAA scientists and CIRES scientists also participate in the teaching program at the university through classroom instruction, supervision of graduate student research projects, and participation in graduate student thesis committees. This coupling of research and education is highly valued within the Institute and contributions are recognized as part of the annual evaluation process. A diagram illustrating the important NOAA and University partnerships is shown in the figure shown below. The close relationships between CIRES and the NOAA and University organizations with which CIRES personnel interact make the Institute truly "cooperative."

Scientific Connections Facilitated through CIRES

University Departments and Programs Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Chemistry and Biochemistry Geography Geological Sciences Physics Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Environmental Studies Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Aerospace Engineering Sciences Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering Hydrologic Sciences Geophysics

CIRES Divisions Cryosphere & Polar Modeling & Forecasting Ecosystem Science Solid Earth Sciences Environmental Chemistry Weather & Climate Interdisciplinary Centers Climate Diagnostics Earth Science & Observation Limnology National Snow & Ice Data Science & Technology Policy

ESRL Research Divisions: Physical Sciences Global Monitoring Chemical Sciences Global Systems Other NOAA Partners: Space Environment Center National Geophysical Data Center

Finally, key partnerships develop external to the university and NOAA research laboratories when conducting the CIRES research programs. The partnerships emerge most when interacting with stakeholders from the public and private sectors on specific research topics. Stakeholders are identified as those groups whose own success depends on the success of the CIRES research. Examples include community planners, indigenous community developers, water reservoir managers, regional EPA offices, Hydrosphere Inc., the Western Governors Association, as well as the service organizations within NOAA.