The Impact of the SPoRT Center's End User Engagement Process on the Way Data, Products, and Knowledge is Transitioned to the User Community

Several decades ago, NASA began launching a new series of polar orbiting and low inclination satellites as part of its Earth Observing System (EOS) program to make long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans for improved understanding of the Earth as an integrated system. A number of these satellites provided near real-time downlink capabilities enabling the near real-time use of the observations to monitor fast moving weather processes. To demonstrate the utility of these observations for weather applications, NASA established a research transition capability called the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center. SPoRT initially partnered with local NWS forecasts offices and other consumers of advanced weather products to develop a user-focused approach for the transition of the new measurements and products for short term weather applications. As the partnership grew, SPoRT expanded its involvement with the NWS, and partnered more broadly with NOAA to support the GOES-R / JPSS programs. SPoRT learned that bridging the gap between research and operational applications requires innovation and intentional interaction and trust between scientists and stakeholders. It developed a cyclical paradigm which matches data and products to forecast problems or end user needs, integrates solutions into a testbed environment, develops appropriate end user training, conducts assessments and user feedback, while engaging the end user in the entire process. While SPoRT has worked closely with many of the 122 NWS forecast offices and numerous National Centers delivering over 40 near real-time products from NASA and NOAA satellites, the launch of additional EOS instrumentation over the last few decades has enabled SPoRT to expand its interaction beyond the traditional weather community. It now provides products to dozens of federal and state agencies, universities, and private consumers who can benefit from unique products derived from global observations of the Earth. Today SPoRT focuses on applied research in 6 focus areas including Land Surface Processes, Hydrology, Synoptic and Mesoscale Processes, Lightning and Convection, Tropical Systems, and Air Quality with partnerships spanning many government agencies, academia, and the private sector. This presentation will highlight a brief history of SPoRT, its successful process of transitioning data and products to end users, examples of its impact on end user decisions, and its impact on the process NASA, NOAA, and the community uses to transition data, products, and knowledge to the user community.