NC State to Receive $95 Million as Part of NOAA Cooperative Agreement for Earth System Studies

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today announced a five-year, $388 million cooperative funding agreement for collaborative research in Earth system science, including $95 million for North Carolina State University. 

The agreement renews the Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS), a national research consortium led by the University of Maryland (UMD) and NC State. The consortium includes researchers from more than three dozen academic and nonprofit institutions working on the grand challenge of understanding how human activity interacts with Earth’s environment as a coupled system. 

“This award confirms the excellence and ascent of CISESS, a true leader for Earth system and climate science research nationally,” said UMD President Darryll J. Pines. “Renewing UMD’s cooperative agreement with NOAA acknowledges the incredible accomplishments and dedication of researchers who are making discoveries that improve our ability to observe and predict changes in our planet. We look forward to what we will accomplish in partnership with NOAA.”

Launched in 2019 with a five-year, $175 million cooperative funding agreement, CISESS is expanding on the success of the Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites, which was co-led by UMD and NC State from 2009 to 2019, as well as the UMD-hosted Cooperative Institute for Climate Studies (1984-2009).

CISESS has two primary locations: at UMD in College Park, Maryland, adjacent to NOAA’s Center for Weather and Climate Prediction; and in Asheville, North Carolina, co-located with NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and hosted by NC State’s North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies (NCICS).

“We’re delighted to see this recognition of the outstanding work of our CISESS scientists,” said CISESS Executive Director Ellen Williams, who is also a Distinguished University Professor Emerita of Physics at UMD. “Their efforts in collaboration with NOAA advance our understanding of the Earth and its atmosphere and address the profound goal of providing predictions of weather and climate that serve U.S. and global communities.”  

E. Hugo Berbery, a research professor in UMD’s Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, serves as CISESS deputy director and leads the College Park location. Otis Brown, the founding director of NCICS and a research professor in NC State’s Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, serves as director of the Asheville location of CISESS.

In support of NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, CISESS research activities cover three themes: satellite services, Earth system observations and services, and Earth system research. 

“We look forward to continuing to support NOAA’s efforts to provide users across the nation and around the world with actionable information,” Brown said. “Our staff will be enhancing and developing datasets by blending information from multiple observing systems, expanding cloud-based access to NOAA data, engaging with users to better meet their needs, and advancing efforts to understand and respond to the challenges of climate change.”

Over the last five years, CISESS researchers have developed nearly 700 new or improved products; published more than 500 peer-reviewed research papers, 125 books and book chapters, and 40 NOAA technical reports; and mentored more than 300 high school, undergraduate and graduate students.

Recent CISESS North Carolina accomplishments include:

• Providing extensive scientific and technical support for the Fifth National Climate Assessment, which was released in November 2023 
• Supporting NCEI’s transition to cloud computing via multiple projects, including developing and leading Earth Systems Data Science in the Cloud courses for CISESS and NOAA scientists
• Improving NOAA dataset quality through artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques and supporting NOAA’s Center for Artificial Intelligence
• Developing new wildfire weather products, including an alert system to detect weather patterns conducive to wildfires
• Supporting NCEI’s Industry Proving Ground program by working with stakeholders in key sectors to inform the development and delivery of innovative and user-focused climate data products
• Cross-disciplinary research on the physical and mental health impacts of climate change
• Advancing our understanding of the drivers of extreme precipitation events, with contributions to multiple projects aimed at increasing resilience in a warmer, wetter climate 

Over the next five years, CISESS researchers will continue using environmental observations from satellites to develop new, more accurate products that help NOAA improve weather and climate forecasts and build resilience to extreme events. Researchers will also monitor the oceans, the atmosphere and the cryosphere, and share that information to assist with decision-making. CISESS will help improve systems for data access, quality, management, processing, analysis, assimilation, modeling, dissemination and visualization.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with CISESS,” said NCEI Director Deke Arndt. “The scientists and experts at CISESS are invaluable in helping NCEI build a more informed country through essential climate research and assessment, new and improved datasets, a better understanding of our users and their needs and support for our transition to cloud computing.”

In addition to advancing research, CISESS researchers will continue to educate and train students and scientists while pursuing outreach and engagement activities with the scientific community, decision-makers and the public.

“This partnership is incredibly valuable for NC State. Our work in Asheville is an example of how we can drive research excellence while creating interdisciplinary opportunities for our scientists and students,” said Alyson Wilson, interim vice chancellor for research and innovation at NC State. “NCICS helps lead the university’s thinking about data science and high-performance computing and helps extend NC State’s leadership across North Carolina and internationally.”

In addition to UMD and NC State, research at CISESS includes collaborations with the University of North Carolina System; the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; the University of Alabama in Huntsville; the City University of New York; George Mason University; Oregon State University; Howard University; the University of Michigan; the University of South Carolina; the University of Georgia; the University of California, Irvine; South Dakota State University; Florida International University; and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.