The University Corporation for
Atmospheric Research
UCAR
an overview
UCAR as the Management Entity for NCAR
• Provides a streamlined, effective business & legal
framework in which NCAR flourishes.
• Engages the best of the academic community in
providing advice and high-level strategic &
managerial decision making.
• Conducts managerial practices that develop
human capital, reward achievement, & value
diversity.
• Complements and supports NCAR programs with
excellent companion efforts in:
– Education
– Community service
– Government affairs
– Technology advancement
– Public-private partnerships
Walter Orr Roberts
“I have a very strong feeling that science
exists to serve human welfare. It’s
wonderful to have the opportunity given
us by society to do basic research, but in
return, we have a very important moral
responsibility to apply that research to
benefiting humanity.”
Walter Orr Roberts
NCAR Mesa Lab
in Boulder, Colorado
Architect I.M. Pei
modeled the
laboratory after
the cliff dwellings
of Mesa Verde.
UCAR
a non-profit corporation formed in 1959 to serve
the atmospheric and related science and education
community
The UCAR mission
to support, enhance, and extend the capabilities
of the university community, nationally and
internationally; to understand the behavior of the
atmosphere and related systems and the global
environment; and to foster the transfer of
knowledge and technology for the betterment of
life on earth.
UCAR’s Six Goal Areas
• Science--foster a broad scientific
program of highest quality to
address present and future needs of
society
• Research facilities--develop and
acquire state-of-the-art scientific
research facilities
• Advocacy, public policy, and
communication--in cooperation
with other institutions, play a strong
role in developing enhanced and
more effective methods of
communication among scientists,
policymakers, and the public in order
to foster the use of science in the
service of humankind
• Technology transfer--in
• Education and training--devote
significant attention to education
and training, with emphasis on
women and minorities
conjunction with the UCAR
Foundation, transfer appropriate
UCAR technology to the public and
private sectors
• Research and operational
partnerships--strengthen the
relationship between the operational
and research communities
UCAR Values
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Integrity
Excellence
Fairness
Hard work
Service
Risk taking
Teamwork
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Diversity
Flexibility
Innovation
Creativity
Leadership
Accomplishment
Employee
development
UCAR Governance
• Membership: 66 member North American
universities with appropriate doctorate program;
19 Academic Affiliates
• Governance: 132 Member Representatives, Board
of Trustees and associated committees
• Guidance: advisory committees and review
panels and significant university involvement in
every UCAR program
• Peer Review: 5-year review by NSF and UCAR
Scientific Programs Evaluation Committee
UCAR Members
University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alaska
University at Albany,
State University of New York
University of Arizona
Arizona State University
California Institute of Technology
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Chicago
Colorado State University
University of Colorado at Boulder
Cornell University
University of Denver
Drexel University
Florida State University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard University
University of Hawaii
Howard University
University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
Iowa State University
The Johns Hopkins University
University of Maryland
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
McGill University
University of Texas at Austin
University of Miami
Texas Tech University
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Toronto
University of Minnesota
Utah State University
University of Missouri
University of Utah
Naval Postgraduate School
University of Virginia
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
University of Washington
University and Community College
Washington State University
System of Nevada
University of Wisconsin- Madison
University of New Hampshire, Durham
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
New Mexico Institute of
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Mining and Technology
Institution
New York University
University of Wyoming
North Carolina State University
Yale University
The Ohio State University
York University
University of Oklahoma
Old Dominion University
Oregon State University
Pennsylvania State University
Princeton University
Purdue University
University of Rhode Island
Rice University
Rutgers University
Saint Louis University
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD
Stanford University
Texas A & M University
UCAR Board of Trustees
Otis Brown, University of Miami, Chairman*
Richard Anthes, UCAR President
Leo Donner, Princeton University
Kelvin Droegemeier, University of Oklahoma
Barbara Feiner, Washington University at St. Louis
Eugenia Kalnay, University of Maryland
Charles Kennel, Scripps Institution of Oceanography*
Ron McPherson, American Meteorological Society
Neal Lane, Rice University
Mary Jo Richardson, Texas A&M University
Paola Rizzoli, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Soroosh Sorooshian, University of Arizona
David Skaggs, Center for Democracy and Citizenship
Ronald Smith, Yale University*
Orlando Taylor, Howard University
Gabor Vali, University of Wyoming
*term expires in February 2003
Term begins 2003: Eric Barron, The Pennsylvania State University
Len Pietrafesa, North Carolina State University
Lynne Talley, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Member Institutions
Board of Trustees
Finance &
Administration
UCAR President
Katy Schmoll, VP
Richard Anthes
Tim Killeen, Director
Steve Dickson, Associate Director
Atmospheric
Technology Division
(ATD)
Advanced Study
Program
(ASP)
David
Carlson
Daniel
McKenna
Jack Fellows, VP
UCAR Programs
Education and
Outreach
NCAR
Atmospheric
Chemistry Division
(ACD)
Corporate
Affairs
Roberta Johnson
Climate & Global
Dynamics Division
(CGD)
Al
Cooper
Maurice
Blackmon
Jack Fellows, Director
Kathryn Strand, Manager, Budget
and Administration
Cooperative Program for
Optional Meteorology
Education and Training
(COMET)
Constellation Observing
System for Meteorology
Ionosphere Climate
(COSMIC)
Digital Library
for Earth System
Science (DLESE)
Bill
Kuo
Mary
Marlino
Timothy
Spangler
Environmental
& Societal
Impacts Group
(ESIG)
High
Altitude
Observatory
(HAO)
Mesoscale &
Microscale
Meteorological Division
(MMM)
Research
Applications
Programs
(RAP)
Scientific
Computing
Division
(SCD)
GPS Science
& Technology
Program (GST)
Unidata
Visiting Scientists
Programs
(VSP)
Robert
Harriss
Michael
Knölker
Robert
Gall
Brant
Foote
Al Kellie
Randolph
Ware
David
Fulker
Meg
Austin
Joint Office
for Science
Support
(JOSS)
Karyn
Sawyer
Nat’l SMETE
Digital Library
(NSDL)
David
Fulker
Denotes President’s Office 10/01
Highlights
• Science
• Facilities
• Education and
Outreach
• Advocacy, Public
Policy and
Communication
• Technology Transfer
• Research and
Operational
Partnerships
STARE & Hubble
Connection
ACE-Asia
15 March-5 May
2001
Participation
by 130
scientists from
12 countries;
22 universities
and 12 other
research
institutions.
NCAR ATD and UOP Joint Office for Science Support (JOSS)
provided research aircraft, support for field ops planning,
implementation, logistics/administration, documentation, and
ongoing access to ACE-Asia data worldwide.
Aerosol Assimilation
Model for ACE-Asia
Courtesy Phil Rasch (http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/cms/pjr)
Highlights
• Science
• Facilities
• Education and
Outreach
• Advocacy, Public
Policy and
Communication
• Technology Transfer
• Research and
Operational
Partnerships
Facility Enhancements
Required Sustained GFLOPs from this RFP
1200
Sustained GFLOPs
• Advanced Research
Computing System
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2001
• High-Performance
Instrumented Airborne
Platform for
Environmental
Research
2002
2003
2004
2005
High-Resolution Global Modeling
Animation courtesy of NCAR SCD Visualization and Enabling Technologies Section
Highlights
• Science
• Facilities
• Education and
Outreach
• Advocacy, Public
Policy and
Communication
• Technology Transfer
• Research and
Operational
Partnerships
Education and Outreach Strategic Plan
In partnership with the
university community, UCAR
promotes scientific literacy and
advances all levels of
education and training in
subjects related to Earth’s
atmosphere.
www.ucar.edu_outreach/stratplan.html
Significant Opportunities in
Atmospheric Research
and Science (SOARS)
Tom Windham, Director
Goal: Significantly increase the
number of underrepresented
groups in the atmospheric and
related sciences.
Class of 1996
• 4-year program for ~20 protégés
• ~60 UCAR-NCAR-UOP staff
participate as mentors
• Nominated for 2001 Presidential
Award for Excellence in Science,
Mathematics and Engineering
Mentoring
• Sponsors: NSF, DOE, NOAA, NASA
Class of 2001
Highlights
• Science
• Facilities
• Education and
Outreach
• Advocacy,
Public Policy,
Communication
• Technology Transfer
• Research and
Operational
Partnerships
UCAR Office of Government Affairs Web Page
www.ucar.edu/oga/
• Latest information on Federal budget process
• Summary of UCAR’s activities on behalf of
the community through Action Alerts,
Appropriations and other Testimony, Letters
to Congress, Hill science briefings
• Lists of Members of Congress and leadership
of key committees
• Links to all Congressional Office web sites, all
key agencies and partner organizations
Testimony
Submitted annually on the following budgets:
NSF
DOE
NASA
FAA
NOAA
USGS
Rick Anthes testifying before the House VA
HUD Sub. on FY02 Budget
Hill Briefings
• Purpose to relay to Members and staff current research results based on
societal applications
• Expert panelists drawn from throughout the community
• Always hosted by a congressional office or committee and often
cosponsored with the American Meteorological Society and the
Congressional Natural Hazards Caucus
• Recent examples include:
“Hurricanes: The
Danger, The
Impacts, The
Outlook”
“Energy Policy
and Weather
Information”
Transition Documents for new
Administration and Congress
A National Priority: Building
Resilience to Natural Hazards
The time has come for a
new national approach to
natural hazards
Produced by
UCAR, AMS, and
Congressional
Natural Hazards
Working Group
Produced by
AMS and
UCAR
Produced for the
community following
September 11th attacks
Sent to the Office of
Management and
Budget, the Office of
Science and
Technology Policy, the
State Department, the
Office of Homeland
Security, and agencies
Participation in Hill events
Coalition for National Science
Funding Exhibit/Reception for
Members of Congress and Staff
Representative Vern Ehlers and Tim Killeen
Breakfast Honoring
House Science Committee Chair
Sherwood Boehlert
Highlights
• Science
• Facilities
• Education and
Outreach
• Advocacy, Public
Policy and
Communication
• Technology
Transfer
• Research and
Operational
Partnerships
ATD Systems: GPS Dropsondes
TRACK GUIDANCE JUST PRIOR TO G-IV MISSION
ATD Systems: GPS Dropsondes
Thanks to James Franklin,
NOAA/AOML/NHC
TRACK GUIDANCE JUST AFTER G-IV MISSION
Highlights
• Science
• Facilities
• Education and
Outreach
• Advocacy, Public
Policy and
Communication
• Technology Transfer
• Research and
Operational
Partnerships
Weather Support to Deicing Decision Making
Operational system to
support ground icing
Research for FAA
Real-time nowcasting
of snowfall rate,
temperature,
humidity, wind.
Based on science that
won UCAR publication
prize in 2000
Community Input to UCAR
•
Overview. For the past three years, the UCAR Members' Meeting has focused on
how the UCAR community should position itself to meet the opportunities and
challenges of the next several decades.
•
1999 Forum. Considered these challenges as framed in the 1998 BASC Report
and the NSF Geosciences Beyond 2000 report. The issues raised formed the
basis for a UCAR survey of the community in 2000.
•
2000 Forum. Areas of interest identified in the Community Survey
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–
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Observational Facilities, Instrumentation, and Field Program Support
Computing Facilities/Community Models
Real-time and Archived Data, Data Sets, Data Streams
Education and Training
Recruiting Graduate Students
•
2001 Forum. Focused on NCAR and E&O Strategic Plans and how we can
increase the NCAR/UCAR-community collaboration in a broad range of areas.
•
2002 Forum. Will focus on academic-private sector relationships.
UCAR Community Survey
• Web-based survey sent to 2048 people in
2000
• 599 responses (29%)
• Fall UCAR Quarterly President’s Corner
article
http://www.ucar.edu/communications/quarterly/fall00/president.html
Discipline
Number of responses
Atmospheric sci/meteor
Atmospheric chemistry
Climatology
Oceanography
Astronomy/solar phys
Solar-terrestrial
Biological sciences
Computer science
Social sciences
Engineering
Physics
Hydrology
Geology/geophysics
Other
1
2
3
305
25
32
61
30
35
5
22
2
17
25
4
24
20
76
39
92
23
16
24
8
23
0
22
34
20
15
19
25
20
37
17
10
10
10
35
0
11
27
23
12
14
Relationship with UCAR past 10 yr
Collaborator
235
Visitor
241
User of community model
177
User of data set or data stream
274
User of obs facility (e.g. aircraft..)
84
User of computational facility 153
User of UCAR software (e.g. NCAR
graphics..)
187
User of educational facility or product
(e.g. COMET, Skymath….)
111
Member of adv panel, committee
130
Participation in advocacy activities
72
Participation in SOARS
9
Sponsor of a UCAR program
24
What additional or increased areas of service to
the community should UCAR consider?
Observational facilities
Computational facilities
Instrumentation
Community models
Data sets or data streams
Educational/training matls
Support for field programs
(planning, logistics, ops and data
mgmnt)
Advocacy on behalf of community
Provide RT data to univ
Community workshops
Help with recruiting grad students
Other
None of above
149
139
155
155
221
204
112
135
166
180
158
17
7
UCAR and NCAR 1960-2000
Celebrating
40 years of
successful
partnership
with the
universities,
NSF and
other
agencies
UCAR 40 forty
Highlights 2002
http://www.ucar.edu/communications/highlights/2002/highlights.pdf