NOAA Cooperative Agreement Renewed

The North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies (NCICS) announces the renewal of a cooperative institute support agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and North Carolina State University. The $40 million, five-year agreement funds NCICS’ Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites-North Carolina (CICS-NC), co-located with NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI, formerly the National Centers for Environmental Information) in Asheville, North Carolina.

CICS-NC is unique among the NOAA cooperative institutes in being completely housed within a NOAA facility rather than on a university campus. The ability to share resources and work side-by-side with NCEI staff allows NCICS/CICS-NC to serve as a source of innovation and expertise in support of NCEI activities and broader NOAA mission goals. As an Inter-Institutional Research Center of the University of North Carolina System, NCICS will also continue as a catalyst for innovation at NC State University and across the UNC system, and as an important hub for an expanding range of public and private climate- and weather-related activities in the Asheville area.

With its focus on transitioning science and data from research into operations and on advancing climate literacy, NCICS/CICS-NC supports a variety of NCEI activities, including the Climate Data Records program, surface observing networks, engagement and climate literacy activities, climate assessments, data access and customer service, climate science research, and more. The institute also provides early-career scientists with an opportunity to do important research at a world-class environmental data facility.

“CICS-NC’s next five years will focus on engaging NCEI’s clients to better understand their needs, sustaining our strong relationship with NCEI, building new partnerships with NCSU, and broadening educational opportunities and collaborations,” said NCICS/CICS-NC Director Otis Brown. “The best years are ahead of us.”