Partners Project Proposal Details

COMET announces its 2024 – 2025 University Partnerships Program Request for Proposals (RFP) for NWS Partners Projects, which are described below along with the proposal submission requirements. Applications for the COMET Partners Projects are accepted at any time that funds are available. Guidelines for Partners Project proposal submission can be found at Partners Proposals page.

RFP Goal

Since 1989, the COMET University Partnerships Program (formerly Outreach Program) has worked to improve local forecast and warning services by providing financial support to universities for applied meteorological and hydrological research. The University Partnerships Program funds collaborative projects between NWS offices and universities that typically lead to the adoption of a new or improved forecast technique and an increased understanding of local meteorology. Since its beginning, the program has sponsored over 350 projects involving more than 100 different universities and over 100 NWS forecast offices.

The National Weather Service has just recently funded an ongoing University Partnerships Program activity that will provide support for Partner’s Projects (described below). The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to encourage university researchers to partner with current NWS offices in collaborative research with the National Weather Service.

Please note that one of the most important criteria for funding is that the work be truly collaborative, i.e., that the NWS forecast office plays a significant role in the research. Examples of projects include the following:

  • Activities that facilitate or improve the use of new observing systems
  • Activities that improve understanding of a local mesoscale forecasting problem
  • Activities to assist operational forecasters in enhancing their educational backgrounds and staying abreast of developments in research
  • Activities to increase the university research community's awareness of operational problems and needs
  • Activities that will create case studies or new data analysis techniques with wide application and usefulness in teaching, research, or operational forecasting
  • Activities that bring together students, operational forecasters, educators, and regional or local experts in forums designed to share information (workshops, conferences, etc.)

Since NWS Outreach Partners Projects are limited to one year in duration, the scope of these projects tends to be fairly limited and usually involves a single university participant teamed with one forecaster. Case studies of unusual events are common subject for Partners Project investigations.

Types of Proposals

This RFP is soliciting proposals for the following projects:

Partners Projects: These projects are for focused efforts that will last one year and have a funding level of $15,000 per project. Partners Projects must also be collaborative efforts with NWS offices or National Centers. These proposals will be accepted beginning Fall of 2023, reviewed as they are received, and will be funded based on the selection criteria until all project funds have been awarded. Minority Serving Institutions are especially encouraged to apply.

Application Procedure

Interested applicants can access the University Partnerships Program Proposal Instructions from the Partners Proposals page or obtain a hardcopy by contacting the COMET University Partnerships Program at outreach@comet.ucar.edu.

For More Information

Please contact the COMET University Partnerships Program Administrator at outreach@comet.ucar.edu. Contact the SSD Chiefs or NCEP Principal Scientist to discuss project ideas. Contact information is available on the Contact Information page.