Joint Technology Transfer Initiative: The Role of Testbeds in Transitioning Community-Based Weather Research to NWS Operations.

In FY2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) received an appropriation increase of $6M to establish a new program named the Joint Technology Transfer Initiative (JTTI). In the following years, OAR continued to receive augmented funding in support of this program. The program was executed in coordination with the National Weather Service (NWS) and in collaboration with the American Weather Enterprise. The primary mission of JTTI is to transition matured weather research from the American Weather Enterprise into NWS operations. Within OAR, the Weather Program Office (WPO) oversees the management of the JTTI program.

Testbeds are pivotal in transitioning community-based weather research to NWS operations. Numerous JTTI-funded community-based Research to Operations (R2O) projects undergo testing in NOAA testbeds such as the Hydrometeorological Testbed (HMT), Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT), and the Hurricane and Ocean Testbed (HOT) prior to their integration into NWS operations. Evaluating potential R2O applications in NOAA testbeds significantly expedites their operational transition. In this presentation, we discuss the instrumental role testbeds play in transitioning JTTI projects to operations and aim to enlighten the community, particularly the JTTI-funded investigators, about participating in NOAA testbeds.