NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and CIRES

NOAA provides CIRES with its single largest source of funding and is dedicated to promoting global environmental stewardship. The NOAA mission is to describe, monitor and predict changes in the Earth's environment in order to ensure and enhance sustainable economic opportunities.

The Cooperative Institutes program, run through NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), oversees administration of the 13 Cooperative Institutes around the country. Through this program, institutes that are collocated with NOAA laboratories undertake research that is in the shared interest of OAR and their affiliated universities. CIRES' activities correspond with and complement NOAA's goals and priorities.

NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. Their mission is to conduct an integrated program of fundamental research, technology development, and services to improve understanding of the Earth and its oceans and inland waters, plus the lower and upper atmosphere. A major thrust of OAR's research is to develop the scientific foundation for informed decisions and policies regarding the environment.

CIRES cooperative research efforts with OAR are centered in the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory. CIRES also supports research conducted with other NOAA line offices. The Space Weather Prediction Center is now located within the National Weather Service. The National Geophysical Data Center is affiliated with the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, as is the NOAA Paleoclimatology program. CIRES' Western Water Assessment is supported by NOAA's Office of Global Programs.

NOAA also sponsors research through contracts and grants to universities, state and Federal agencies, and private enterprise. Many research efforts rely on the cooperation of other NOAA elements such as the National Marine Fisheries Service.