UCAR

The Membership Committee collects new applications for membership by North American academic institutions between January and April each year.

The Membership Committee reviews applications and makes recommendations to the UCAR Members for their vote at the Annual Members Meeting in October.

Please contact the UCAR Governance office if you are interested in submitting an application.

THE 2026 APPLICATION DEADLINE IS Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Membership criteria

Universities and nonprofit corporations organized and operated for educational or scientific purposes, and located within the United States, Canada, or Mexico, are eligible for UCAR membership provided they meet the following criteria:

  1. Program of studies and research. Has made a definitive, substantial, and continuing commitment to a full, coherent, and integrated program leading to a baccalaureate, doctorate or other graduate degree in one or more of the atmospheric sciences or related fields.*
  2. Progress in the atmospheric sciences. Has made a definitive, substantial, and continuing commitment to progress in the atmospheric sciences or related fields as evidenced by scholarly works of significance by its faculty in the atmospheric sciences or related fields.
  3. Participation in the activities of UCAR. Has made, or — as might be the case of new members — is willing to make, a clear commitment of active participation in UCAR activities, including its governance, programs, and facilities.

*Note: "Related fields" are those that deal directly with the study of the atmosphere, including astrophysics, biogeochemistry, hydrology, geography, oceanography, space physics, and related societal research.

New Member Application Process

The Membership Committee makes its recommendations on initial applications based on the material submitted and a site visit. Please prepare the following:

  1. President’s letter. A letter to the president of UCAR from your university's president or chief executive officer affirming the university's commitment to the three membership criteria listed above, along with the materials listed below. The letter can also be used to appoint two member representatives from the university, or the appointments can be announced in a separate letter after the membership is approved.
     
  2. Application materials. Submit a document that demonstrates in a succinct way that your university meets the three membership criteria listed above. A guideline is available here. The document should be three to five pages in length, not including attachments, and should address each of the following topics:
    • Program of studies and research. Describe your UCAR-related departments and programs. Provide website URLs, if available. For each department and program, list the number of tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty, research staff, and students; the types of degrees offered; and the number of degrees of each type awarded over the past three to five years. Also, describe the instructional and research facilities.
    • Departmental Faculty CV.  Include a short (two-page) biography for each faculty member involved in the atmospheric and related departments. 
    • Progress in UCAR-related sciences. Describe the UCAR-related research and scholarship carried out at your institution over the last three to five years. Information provided could include the amount and source of external funding received; the number of refereed publications; the number of non-refereed publications; textbooks or other teaching materials produced; contributions to the history of atmospheric science; and participation in the broader atmospheric science community through scientific societies, government committees, etc.
    • Participation in UCAR Activities. Describe any participation of your faculty, staff, and/or students in UCAR governance; collaborative research activities with UCAR or NSF NCAR; and/or the use of UCAR or NSF NCAR facilities during the past three to five years or your willingness to participate once your institution becomes a member.
       
  3. Schedule a visit. Representatives from the Membership Committee will make a virtual visit to your campus. This visit should happen before the end of your university's spring semester. Work with UCAR Governance staff to coordinate this visit.

Submit your application documentation to UCAR Governance staff before the April 30 deadline. The Membership Committee will review applications in the summer and make recommendations to the Members for their vote at the October Members Meeting.

Membership term and fee

Membership in UCAR is for an eight-year renewable term. Membership starts when the UCAR Members vote to approve the membership application at the UCAR Annual Members Meeting in October of each year, then runs through the end of the eighth calendar year after that. 

For example, Members who are approved in October 2024, expire on December 31, 2032.  Those Members would be invited to submit a renewal application by April 30, 2032 and have their renewal voted on in October, 2032. 

The renewal fee is $3,500 every eight years, and may be paid annually ($437.50), if preferred. The invoice will be sent after the October Members Meeting, if the application is approved by the Members. 

Final note: Institutions are responsible for submission of the required materials by the advertised deadline.

Partial or incomplete submissions may result in membership admission delay or renewal lapse. Receipt of complete application materials by the deadline is extremely important in order for the Membership Committee to have sufficient time to give the application full and proper consideration. If the application materials are not received by the deadline, the Membership Committee will not have sufficient time and will not be able to vote on the application. In the case of renewals, the result will be that membership will lapse. In the case of new applications, membership will be delayed. - Updated by the UCAR Membership Committee, February 2016

Contact us

Aneka Finley Erhart
Assistant Director, UCAR Governance
afinley@ucar.edu
303-497-1655

Rachel Dammann
Membership & Governance Specialist
rdammann@ucar.edu
303-497-1658