NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH

Office of the NCAR Director

Advanced Study Program (ASP)

Sponsors recent Ph.D. scientists and students in Ph.D. programs, bringing them to NCAR to expand their own studies and enrich the center's research. ASP also offers seminars, workshops, and colloquia on areas of particular importance to the atmospheric sciences.

Atmospheric Chemistry Division (ACD)

Focuses on global- and regional-scale air quality and problems related to the complex interactions among the oceans, ecosystems, and atmosphere. Researchers study the cycles of chemicals in the atmosphere, ways in which the composition of the air evolves, and the impact of human activities on atmospheric chemistry.

Atmospheric Technology Division (ATD)

Provides observing facilities and instrumentation, including advanced radars, research aircraft, flux measurement systems, and integrated sounding systems, to researchers in the atmospheric and related sciences. These facilities allow investigators around the globe to conduct research programs in weather, climate, and air quality.

Climate and Global Dynamics Division (CGD)

Contributes to better prediction of weather and climate through the development of models that promote understanding of the physical causes of past, present, and future climates and large-scale atmospheric and oceanic dynamics.

Environmental and Societal Impacts Group (ESIG)

Improves understanding of the interactions among the atmosphere, environmental processes, and society and communicates information related to atmospheric science to a broad community of researchers and decision makers through research and workshops. ESIG staff assess how societies might better understand and cope with climate shifts and severe weather.

High Altitude Observatory (HAO)

Carries out research into the solar interior, the influence of magnetic fields on the structure and dynamics of the solar atmosphere, and the links between the variable solar output and Earth's magnetosphere and outer atmosphere. Because some solar changes influence Earth's space environment and its climate, understanding solar variability is fundamental to understanding and potentially predicting the variability of Earth's atmosphere.

Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division (MMM)

Investigates the basic physical processes that govern the weather: how the atmosphere and Earth receive incoming radiation, scatter and absorb it, and retransmit it; how weather and climate are affected by terrain and the characteristics of soil and vegetation; how severe storm systems develop and die; and how precipitation processes occur.

Research Applications Program (RAP)

Conducts directed research on disruptive phenomena such as thunderstorms, icing conditions, snowstorms, and turbulence and transfers relevant technology to such weather-sensitive activities as aviation, water resource management, agriculture, and surface and marine transportation.

Scientific Computing Division (SCD)

Provides supercomputing resources, scientific visualization tools and facilities, high-speed networks, and associated data-processing capabilities on a variety of computing machines. In close collaboration with other NCAR divisions, SCD assists in advancing atmospheric research across a broad front. SCD's data archives included over 500 terabytes as of mid-2002. Its Advanced Research Computing System places over 2,000 IBM Power 3 and Power 4 processors at the disposal of university and NCAR scientists.

 

UCAR OFFICE OF PROGRAMS

Office of the UOP Director

Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC)

Leads a collaborative science project between the United States and Taiwan to launch a constellation of six microsatellites. Upon its deployment in 2005, COSMIC will collect atmospheric remote-sensing data for weather prediction, climate, and ionospheric and gravity research.

Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMETÆ)

Improves the weather services of the nation by involving research scientists and academic scholars in the continuing education of weather forecasters and the development of new forecast techniques. The COMET program offers courses, symposia, and workshops and produces interactive computer-based learning systems.

Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) Program Center

Offers educators and learners easy access, through a community-governed digital library, to high-quality information, tools, and services that facilitate learning about Earth at all educational levels. DLESE will include peer-reviewed collections of instructional materials, interfaces to data sets, and computer- and human-mediated services for collaboration and sharing.

GPS Science and Technology (GST) Program

Investigates ground- and satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) data as a tool for observing the atmosphere. Part of GST, the University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO) facility provides technical support and equipment to investigators using measurements to better understand such phenomena as earthquakes and volcanoes. Note: in October 2003 the UNAVCO Facility became independent from UCAR.

Joint Office for Science Support (JOSS)

Provides scientific, technical, and administrative support services to the research community for planning, organizing, and implementing research programs and associated field projects worldwide. Most JOSS services and products fall in three broad categories: (1) community support, including planning advice, meeting management, program office administration, publications, and visitor programs; (2) field program support, including program planning and design, site surveys, and field operation logistics and management; and (3) data management, including system design and the collection, quality control, formatting, and customized delivery of scientific project data.

National Science Digital Library (NSDL)

Offers a nationwide, Internet-based intellectual commons with on-line educational resources for students, teachers, and professionals at all levels across the full range of scientific disciplines. The NSDL is headquartered in UOP; operations and other components of the NSF-funded effort are distributed among numerous partners.

Unidata Program Center

Helps university departments, working as a community, to acquire and use atmospheric and other environmental data for research and teaching, along with software tailored for visualization and analysis of these data.

Visiting Scientist Programs (VSP)

Operates programs designed to support and broaden education and research in the atmospheric, oceanic, and related sciences through fellowships to researchers at graduate, postgraduate, and more advanced levels. VSP also supports advisory panels and review teams, workshops, and summer institutes for the university community and federal-agency sponsors.

 

OTHER UCAR ACTIVITIES

Office of the UCAR President

Office of Development and Government Affairs

Advocates for federal budgetary, legislative, and policy issues of importance to the UCAR community. Monitors the activities of the U.S. Congress and keeps the UCAR community informed on budgetary, legislative, and policy developments involving UCAR, NCAR, UOP, NSF, and other agencies of importance to the atmospheric and related sciences. Communicates with Congress concerning the services provided to society through the UCAR community's research, research applications, education, and training activities. Promotes the growth and well-being of UCAR's programs and activities by supporting grant-seeking activities in the public and private sectors.

Office of Education and Outreach

Coordinates and carries out activities that further the UCAR goal of promoting scientific literacy and advancing all levels of education and training in subjects related to Earth's atmosphere. Activities are focused on facilitating integrative learning across disciplines, with an emphasis on inquiry-based learning environments for students, faculty, and the public that connect research and education.

Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARSÆ)

Conducts a ten-week summer program at NCAR and other national laboratories as part of a four-year undergraduate and graduate program designed to increase the diversity of students pursuing careers in the atmospheric and related sciences. SOARS was established by UCAR through partnership with NSF. Other program sponsors include the U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, NOAA, and the UCAR university community.

UCAR Communications

Provides news and information about UCAR, NCAR, and UOP activities to the UCAR community, journalists, and the public; serves as a resource for internal and external communication policies and practices.

UCAR Foundation

Acts as UCAR's exclusive agent for commercial endeavors. The nonprofit UCAR Foundation includes officers and a board of directors drawn from UCAR, universities, and the private sector. Revenue flows to the foundation through equity positions, license fees, and royalties on the sale of resulting commercial products. A substantial portion of the revenue generated is returned to UCAR for the advancement of its scientific programs.

UCAR Governance Office

Administrates the process by which UCAR member institutions, academic affiliates, and international affiliates govern UCAR research, service, and administrative activities through the UCAR Board of Trustees, members' representatives, and their committees.