Having an ACE Up Our Sleeve: Evaluating How FY23-FY24 Changes to WPO’s Funding Application Process Impacted Customer Experience.

Each year, NOAA’s Weather Program Office (WPO) hosts annual Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) competitions to support weather research, inviting academic and private sector stakeholders to submit proposals aimed at advancing weather forecasting, developing innovative weather-related products and services, and improving the delivery of life-saving information to the public. To gain initial insight into applicants’ experiences applying for these funding opportunities, WPO launched the first Applicant Customer Experience and Satisfaction (ACES) survey at the close of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 NOFO. This feedback was then used to refine the FY24 NOFO application process. Notable changes from the FY23 to FY24 NOFO included releasing (i) Letter of Intent (LOI) feedback to applicants about one week earlier, (ii) standardizing the quality of LOI feedback across competitions, and (iii) promoting application resources located on the WPO website within the NOFO. A second iteration of the ACES Survey was launched at the close of the FY24 NOFO to gather another round of feedback from applicants regarding their NOFO application experience. The present research sought to evaluate the effectiveness of these three notable NOFO changes by comparing the 2023 and 2024 ACES data. Specifically, quantitative and qualitative data were examined to assess effectiveness as well as additional opportunities for continued improvement. The results showed applicants were more satisfied with the timeliness of receiving LOI feedback. However, discrepancies in the constructiveness and clarity of reviewer feedback between the two FY24 competitions persisted. Additionally, applicants’ awareness of the WPO website resources remained low, with only 59% of applicants aware of all resources offered on the WPO website. This analysis also identified key gaps in applicant experience data, for which additional questions will be proposed for inclusion in the FY25 ACES survey.