NOAA has selected CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder to host a cooperative institute focused on Earth system research and data science. The new partnership builds upon the scientific accomplishments of more than half a century of collaborative work between the institutions. 

Worth up to $565.8 million over the course of five years, the award will fund more than 400 CU Boulder scientists who work side-by-side with NOAA researchers, most at the David Skaggs Research Center in Boulder, Colorado. Under the new cooperative agreement, CIRES will continue to help NOAA advance research that improves weather and climate prediction at all scales, prioritizing work that protects lives and property while building society’s resilience to environmental change.

“The partnership between NOAA and the University of Colorado has been as fruitful as it has been durable,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D.. “We are delighted that this relationship will continue to help us answer some of our nation’s most critical scientific questions and support the development of the next generation of scientists.” 

 “We’re thrilled to continue CU Boulder’s highly productive partnership with NOAA through our joint institute,” said Massimo Ruzzene, acting vice chancellor for Research and Innovation and dean of the institutes at the university. “For more than half a century, CIRES has been key to our shared focus on science in service to society. This reinvestment in our partnership will advance Earth system research at a critical time, benefit our students and early-career scientists, and add new resources dedicated to data science, which is already an area of strength for CU Boulder.”

The new partnership will be formally designated the Cooperative Institute for Earth System Research and Data Science, or CIESRDS; CIESRDS will be embedded in and run by CIRES, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. CIRES is a 54-year-old research institute of CU Boulder, internationally recognized for excellence in Earth system research.

The new NOAA cooperative agreement may be renewed a second five years, based on successful performance, and actual funding is contingent on federal appropriations.

More from NOAA: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-university-of-colorado-to-expand-cooperative-research-partnership