Funding Opportunities

Our University Partnerships Program (formerly Outreach program) mission is to support innovative and collaborative research between universities and National Weather Service (NWS) offices. These projects serve as opportunities for students to work with government offices and gain valuable research experience.

To achieve this goal, the program funds collaborative projects between NWS offices and universities, leading to the adoption of new forecast techniques, an increased understanding of local meteorology or phenomena, and/or preparation of joint papers and workshops, and more.

Since its beginning in 1989, the program has sponsored over 350 research projects involving more than 100 different universities and 100 NWS, National Water Center (NWC), U.S. Navy and Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) forecast offices. You can view funded projects here or by clicking “Search Past Projects” in the right hand side.

Current Funding Opportunities

We’re currently offering the following for the Partners Projects.

2024 Outreach Program Request for Proposals

The COMET® Program announces its 2024 Outreach Program Request for Proposals (RFP) for National Weather Service (NWS) Partners Projects.

COMET is currently accepting 1-year NWS Partners proposals (budgets limited to $15,000). Proposals will be reviewed as received, and approved submissions will be funded until program resources are expended.

See NWS Partners RFP Details for more information.

See NWS Partners Proposal for submission instructions.

Please contact the COMET Outreach Program team at outreach@comet.ucar.edu for more information.