1. WRN Workshop NWS Funding Opportunities
Fred Toepfer,
NWS Modeling Program Lead
Christopher Hedge,
NOAA/NWS Federal Program Officer
November 1, 2017

2. Currently Funded Projects
NWS/STI supports collaborative research with the external/academic community through these programs
NGGPS: Next Generation Global Prediction System
S2S: Seasonal to Sub-seasonal (Weeks 3-4) forecasting improvements
HFIP: Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project
CSTAR: Collaborative Science, Technology, and Applied Research
Full list of STI grants ( and also in the NOAA VLab CSTAR community
Total funding in FY17: ~ $5.4M for 35 projects
This is an overview of the NWS/STI Programs that support the external/academic research community

3. Upcoming NWS Funding Opportunities
Upcoming: 2 companion Federal Funding Opportunities (FFO)
First FFO is two separate competitions: NGGPS and HFIP
NGGPS: Collaborative projects with EMC or CPC researchers, including S2S projects
HFIP: Collaborative projects with EMC or NHC researchers
Open only to non-federal applications in the academic community (no funding for feds or contractors)
Estimated funds available: $2.5M for NGGPS, $1M for HFIP
2-year projects, maximum funding $200K/year
LOIs are strongly recommended and due ~December 1, 2017
Full applications due: ~February 7, 2018
Expected project start date: September 1, 2018
This slide is for the schedule/logistics of the 1st FFO: NGGPS and HFIP

4. NGGPS Priorities Data Assimilation Prediction Ensemble Development
Post-processing
Verification
Weeks 3-4 (S2S) Products
These are the priority areas for the NGGPS competition.
Data Assimilation: Includes advancements in data assimilation techniques for atmosphere, land surface, ocean and waves including hybrid (3D- or 4D-Var + EnKF) techniques suitable for global and regional models. Priorities include remotely sensed observations, impact studies, eddy-resolving global ocean DA, quality control methods, higher-resolution data sets, etc.
Prediction: Advancement in representation of atmospheric model physical processes through coupling with land surface, ocean, waves, sea ice and aerosols. Development of physically-based parameterizations.
Ensemble Development: Appropriate, physically-based methods for ensemble initialization and treatment of model uncertainty in ensembles including physically-based stochastic parameterizations, and treatment of the uncertainty in the coupling of the atmosphere to the land, ocean, and cryosphere. Development of ensembles of higher resolution (global ca. 10 km, regional ca. 3km) with realistic ensemble properties is essential for the unification of the production suite and is considered a high priority.
Post-Processing: Extending the current development of techniques for post-processing and downscaling model guidance of key variables, extreme events, and the development of methods of post-processing particularly suited to the day time range.
Verification: Model forecast verification is based on comparisons of forecasts with analyses and observational data sets. Priority efforts will explicitly include the uncertainties of these analyses and observational data sets in model forecast verification methods.
Weeks 3 and 4 products: Highlighted on the Next Slide

5. Weeks 3-4 Priorities
This priority area covers sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) research. Specific priorities include:
Model development expected to be within the NOAA unified coupled modeling framework
Post-processing techniques for ensembles of dynamical models
Novel statistical forecast techniques
Hybrid dynamical-statistical techniques
Interactions of tropical dynamics and land-marine boundary layer processes
Focus on improving forecasts of precipitation and temperature over the U.S. including studies that target outlooks of temperature and/or precipitation extremes
This slide is for the Weeks 3-4/S2S priorities under the NGGPS Competition

6. HFIP Priorities Data assimilation
Advances in the prediction sub-system
Ensemble development
Post-processing techniques
These are the priority areas for the HFIP competition:
1. Data Assimilation: Advances in data assimilation techniques for hurricane NWP including hybrid (3D- or 4D-Var + EnKF) techniques using in-situ data (e.g., airborne Doppler radar data, Lidar, Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR), dropsonde) to supplement next-generation satellite data for accurate three-dimensional description of the tropical cyclone circulation in advanced high-resolution hurricane initialization procedures.
2. Advances in the hurricane and TS prediction subsystem: Reducing hurricane intensity errors and improving the predictions for rapid changes in intensity. Priorities include new/enhanced techniques for (i) high resolution (e.g., scales less than 3 km) model physics focused on microphysical improvements that can more accurately represent moist processes in the hurricane core, land-air-sea-wave-aerosol interactions, and boundary layer processes; (ii) high resolution vortex initialization techniques; and (iii) downstream applications for landfalling storms for improved size, structure, rainfall, surge and inundation forecasts.
3. Ensemble Development: This effort should demonstrate the value of high resolution single model or multi-model ensemble approaches or a combination of both techniques for hurricane forecast guidance.
4. Post-processing Techniques: To increase hurricane forecaster utility of tropical cyclone forecast guidance. This includes techniques for genesis, track, intensity, surface wind structure and estimating forecast uncertainty.

7. NWS Funding Opportunities NOAA Testbeds
The second FFO will have 1 competition: NOAA Testbeds
These are NGGPS modeling projects which have a collaborative partnership with 1 or more NOAA Testbeds
Open to federal and non-federal applications
Estimated funds available: up to $1M
2-year projects, maximum funding $200K/year
LOIs are required and due ~December 1, 2017
Full applications due: ~February 7, 2018
Expected project start date: September 1, 2018
This slide is for the schedule/logistics of the companion TESTBED FFO.

8. NGGPS-Testbed FFO Priorities
This companion FFO includes priorities for testing service impacts of proposed model advances for prediction of high-impact weather over several key time frames for decision support:
Forecasting for days 6-10
Evaluate NGGPS guidance in this range with a focus on high-impact events
May leverage testing of HMT, ATB, or JHT
Forecasts for weeks 3-4
Investigate research gaps to improve forecasts in this time frame
Collaborate with the CTB
High-Impact weather: days 0-3
Advances in storm-scale, fire weather and convective/severe weather prediction
May leverage testing capabilities of HWT or AWT
These are the priority areas for the companion TESTBED FFO.
This FFO includes priorities for testing service impacts of proposed model advances for prediction of high-impact weather over several key time frames for decision support.
HMT (Hydrometeorology TB); ATB (Arctic TB); JHT (Joint Hurricane TB); CTB (Climate TB); HWT (Hazardous Weather TB); AWT (Aviation Weather TB)

9. CSTAR
This program focuses on the needs of the NWS regions and field offices to improve overall forecast and warning capabilities through collaborative research between NWS and academic institutions.
Status of current CSTAR Projects:
5 new CSTAR projects selected from FY17 RFP began July
7 projects awarded from FY16 RFP; to continue until 2019
5 projects awarded from FY14 RFP are under a no-cost extension until mid-2018
These are 2 to 3 year projects; Maximum $150K/year
Next CSTAR funding opportunity expected to be published Fall 2018
This slide is an overview and status of the CSTAR Program

10. CSTAR Most recent CSTAR priority areas:
Improving lead-time and accuracy of forecasts and warnings for high-impact weather and climate events
Improving IDSS to integrate physical and social science for better messaging of weather, water, and climate hazards
Improving water resource information for decision support and situational awareness
These priorities are subject to change; NWS will re-evaluate critical needs before issuing the next funding opportunity in Fall 2018
This slide has the most recent CSTAR priority areas and expected date of next published FFO.

11. NWS Funding Opportunities
POC: Christopher Hedge
Questions?