The UCAR board has primary responsibility for setting UCAR's overall direction.

There are eighteen Trustees, twelve from member institutions, and six at-large. Trustees are elected to three-year terms by UCAR’s member colleges and universities at the Annual Members Meeting. The Board meets a minimum of three times a year. 

Currently the trustees are from the following universities or organizations:

• Pennsylvania State University
• Purdue University
• Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• University of Alaska, Fairbanks
• University of California, Irvine
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of Hawaii
• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland, University Park
• University of Miami
• University of Utah
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Kepos Capital
• Rapid Evolution LLC
• Schmidt Sciences
• The Weather Company