Advancing Climate Science and Services by NOAA’s Climate Program Office and Partners

Back in 1978 the NOAA Climate Program Office received its legislative mandate to advance scientific understanding of climate variability and change, and to deliver actionable information to society. As a program office within the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), CPO plays dual roles, driving fundamental science for NOAA’s mission and ensuring science is applied and useful across a broad national and international user base for national and global climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience. CPO’s programs span foundational, cross-disciplinary climate sciences, assessments, capacity building, tool development, and education.

One of CPO’s core functions is to entrain extramural research expertise across these programs through a competitive grant process to support NOAA’s climate priorities. CPO collaborates closely with partners in NOAA and with the broader academic, Federal, Tribal, international, and private sector communities. CPO partners with NOAA’s laboratories and programs within OAR to complement, extend, and accelerate their studies. CPO also works with other Line Offices to enhance and expand NOAA services across weather, oceans, fisheries, and climate. CPO further builds networks, coalitions, and collaborations, converges around the best ideas, and provides support to accelerate emerging innovation across the climate enterprise of public and private institutions, researchers, practitioners, and consumers. To date, CPO investments in climate research capabilities have accelerated development of models and climate services, and enhanced the workforce in climate adaptation and resilience for NOAA, the US science enterprise, and the Nation.

This talk will provide an overview of NOAA’s Climate Program Office research programs and opportunities to advance NOAA’s climate science and services through external community engagement.