NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Division of Atmospheric Sciences
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230

January 29, 1999

Dear Colleague:

The U.S. Weather Research Program (USWRP) is an interagency effort directed at performing the research and technology transfer needed to improve the delivery of weather services to the nation. The following agencies are participating in the USWRP: National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Priority research areas have been identified jointly by the agencies based upon advice from the research community. The purpose of this announcement is to solicit Fiscal Year 1999 research proposals in the physical sciences to the joint NSF/NOAA USWRP grants program. Research proposals addressing USWRP goals may also be submitted directly to ONR and NASA with the latter entertaining proposals that exploit the CAMEX-3 data set (see Attachment 1, "Contact Information for Key Personnel" and Attachment 3, "Important Web Sites").

In addition to physical sciences research, limited opportunities exist for support of research focussed on behavioral, economic and societal research aspects of the USWRP. These opportunities are described in Attachment 2, "USWRP Opportunities for Research on Weather Impacts".

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The overarching USWRP objective is to improve the specificity, accuracy, and reliability of weather forecasts for disruptive, high impact weather. The USWRP has established as its initial focus a coordinated effort to determine the "best practicable mix" of observations, data assimilation schemes, and forecast models for operations beyond the year 2000. USWRP research will consist of:

technique development associated with measurements, observational strategies, data assimilation, and numerical models;

fundamental studies to improve understanding and to develop improved parameterizations of physical processes;

demonstrations of improved prediction capabilities in research mode.

Projects that exploit operational data, existing research facilities and data sets, operational models, and current research models may be appropriate in many instances. Researchers should be aware of the following data sources: the operational data stream; gridded data and observations from the North American Observing System Program (NAOS) sensitivity tests (see below for further information on NAOS); data from recently completed field programs including the California Landfalling Jets Experiment (CALJET), North Pacific Experiment (NORPEX) and Convection And Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-3). Further information on these programs can be found at the web sites listed on Attachment 3, "Important Web Sites".

Research proposals are solicited that address one or more of the following:

Studies Related to the Importance and Mix of Observations^* (as these affect 0 - 4 day forecast accuracy over North America).

data sensitivity experiments using and denying combinations of data, including data from satellites
observing system simulation experiments to evaluate prospective data sources
adaptive observing strategies for data-sparse or data-sensitive regions or complex terrain
application of adjoint techniques, error breeding, ensemble forecasts, and new statistical techniques
as a means to quantify forecast uncertainty or sensitivity
variational assimilation of standard and "non-standard" observations for regional and smaller
scale forecasting

Studies Related to Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting

estimation and depiction of water vapor distribution
radar and satellite estimation of precipitation amount and type
mechanisms for forcing, initiation and dissipation of convection
orographic precipitation, both stable and convective
improved physics, including microphysics, vegetation, soil effects, and
explicit representation of convection in forecast models
predictability, the value of ensemble forecasting at the mesoscale
very short-term forecasting techniques that combine recent observations and models
techniques to verify mesoscale prediction of precipitation

Studies Related to Hurricane Forecasts Near Landfall

mechanisms for rapid intensity change, including oceanic and tropospheric interactions
initialization of dynamical hurricane models with radar, satellite and targeted in situ data
nowcasting storm intensity and tendency from satellite and radar
mechanisms underlying the occurrence and prediction of hazards such as extreme winds,
rainfall, tornadoes, storm surge, fresh water flooding
adaptive observing strategies for forecasts within and beyond 2 days
effects of coastlines and coastal mountains

ELIGIBILITY AND PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS:

Support will be provided to traditional NSF "Eligible Institutions". It is strongly suggested that proposed activities complement research being conducted within national laboratories and centers. Note that investigators may appear on only one proposal as a Principal or Co-Principal Investigator. Proposals will be evaluated using standard NSF procedures which may involve mail review and/or a panel review. Proposals submitted in response to this "Dear Colleague" letter should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 99-2. The complete text of the GPG (including electronic forms) is available electronically on the NSF Web site at: http://www.nsf.gov/. Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone 301.947.2722 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

Proposers should include the words "Atmospheric Sciences -- USWRP" in the program announcement/solicitation block on the NSF Form 1207, "Cover Sheet for Proposal to the National Science Foundation." Proposals must be postmarked no later than May 11, 1999. No proposals postmarked after this date will be accepted. In FY 99, it is expected that approximately $1 million will be available to support traditional NSF grantees, pending availability of funds.

NSF and NOAA especially encourage submission of collaborative research proposals involving both traditional NSF grantees and NOAA researchers. Such collaborative proposals should contain a clear statement of the separate research tasks to be undertaken by the involved researchers. As part of the budget explanation, NOAA researchers should provide an estimate of needed support from NOAA to accomplish the collaborative research. Funding for the NOAA component of collaborative research proposals will be provided directly to NOAA researchers by the NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories. NOAA scientists should contact Dr. John Gaynor for further information (see Attachment 1).

The agencies collectively look forward to a productive research program. Questions concerning the USWRP should be directed to Dr. William Hooke, Director of the USWRP Program Office; inquiries about this "Dear Colleague Letter" should be directed to Dr. Stephan P. Nelson. Contact information for Drs. Hooke and Nelson is given in Attachment 1.

Sincerely,

Stephan P. Nelson
Program Director for
Mesoscale Dynamic Meteorology

Enclosures

Attachment 1: Contact Information for Key Personnel:
Attachment 2: USWRP Opportunities for Research on Weather Impacts
Attachment 3: Important Web Sites
Attachment 4: About the National Science Foundation
Attachment 5: NSF Proposal Review Information

Attachment 1

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR KEY PERSONNEL

USWRP PROGRAM OFFICE:

Dr. William Hooke;                                                Office: 202-482-5419
Director, U.S. Weather Research Program;            Fax: 202-482-4636
U.S. Department of Commerce;                             E-mail: william.hooke@noaa.gov
14th & Constitution
HCHB, Room 5835
Washington, DC 20230

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, Atmospheric Sciences:

Dr. Stephan P. Nelson                                             Office: 703-306-1526
National Science Foundation                                    Fax: 703-306-0377
Room 775                                                               E-mail: snelson@nsf.gov
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, Social, Behavioral, & Economic Research:

Dr. Jeryl Mumpower                                                 Office: 703-306-1757
National Science Foundation                                     Fax: 703-306-0485
Room 995                                                                E-mail: jmumpowe@nsf.gov
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, Environmental Research Laboratories:

Dr. John Gaynor                                                              Office: 301-713-2465; x117
Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research                   Fax: 301-713-4023
Environmental Research Laboratories                               E-mail: John.Gaynor@noaa.gov
#11460 SSMC-3
1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION:

Dr. Ramesh Kakar                                                                            Office: 202-358-0240
NASA Headquarters                                                                         Fax: 202- 358-2770
Code YS                                                                                           E-mail: rkakar@hq.nasa.gov
300 E. Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20546

OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH:

Dr. Scott A. Sandgathe Office: 703-696-0802
Team Leader, Fax: 703- 696-3390 Marine Meteorology and Atmospheric Effects E-mail: sandgas@onrhq.onr.navy.mil ONR 322MM
Room 428, BCT #1
800 N. Quincy Street
Arlington, VA 22217-5660

NORTH AMERICAN OBSERVING SYSTEM

Dr. Thomas W. Schlatter                                                                 Office:303-497-6938
Chair, NAOS Test and Evaluation Working Group                          Fax: 303-497-3329
NOAA/ERL/FSL R/E/FS1                                                             E-mail: schlatter@fsl.noaa.gov
325 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80303-3328

Attachment 2

USWRP Opportunities for Research on Weather Impacts

National Science Foundation:

A limited amount of funds are available at the National Science Foundation under the U.S. Weather Research Program to support behavioral, economic, and social research related to weather. Six major areas of emphasis are:

Information use in weather forecasting
Policy, politics, and decision making relating to weather events
Individual and social responses to weather events
The economic impacts of weather events
The interaction between social policies, characteristics of the built environment, and weather events
The social and economic impacts of weather forecasts

Illustrative examples of research topics of interest within these general areas include

Information use in weather forecasting

Methods for improving the ability of forecasters to use large amounts of information to make accurate forecasts; human factors relating to the design of weather-related information systems; decision support systems for weather forecasting.

Policy, politics, and decision making relating to weather events

Studies relating to national, state, and local policies influencing the effects of weather events (e.g., policies relating to coastal zones and flood plains); studies of emergency management policies for weather-related events

Individual and social responses to weather events

Studies relating to individual and social responses to severe weather events; studies relating to individual and social responses to forecasts or warnings of weather-related events; role of behavioral and social norms in influencing the development, use, and response to forecasts and to severe weather events and their aftermaths.

The economic impacts of weather events

Assessments of the economic impacts of severe weather events, including floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, severe wind, snow and ice storms, and extreme temperatures.

The interaction between social policies, characteristics of the built environment, and weather events

Interaction between land use policies and levels of damage resulting from hurricanes, floods, and other forms of severe weather.

The social and economic impacts of weather forecasts

Assessments of the social and economic benefits of current weather forecasts and potential improvements thereto within specific sectors, including transportation, agriculture, public health, and others; intentional and unintentional effects of forecasts on human and social behaviors; socioeconomic aspects of preparedness and mitigation.

Traditional NSF Principal Investigators who are interested in submitting proposals on these topics are encouraged to first contact Dr. Jeryl Mumpower (see Attachment 1, "Contact Information for Key Personnel").

Office of Naval Research:

Opportunities exist for support from the Office of Naval Research for research that is focussed on the impacts of weather on naval operations. Interested investigators should first contact Dr. Scott Sandgathe (see Attachment 1, "Contact Information for Key Personnel").

Attachment 3

IMPORTANT WEB SITES

Attachment 4

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. Grantees are wholly responsible for conducting their project activities and preparing the results for publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for such findings or their Interpretation.

NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from NSF (unless otherwise specified in the eligibility requirements for a particular program).

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the program announcement or contact the program coordinator at (703) 306-1636.

The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation regarding NSF programs, employment, or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 306-0090 or through FIRS on 1-800-877-8339.

PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS

The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals; project reports submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the review process; to applicant institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies needing information as part of the review process or in order to coordinate programs; and to another Federal agency, court or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Reports Clearance Officer; Information Dissemination Branch, DAS; National Science Foundation; Arlington, VA 22230.

YEAR 2000 REMINDER

In accordance with Important Notice No. 120 dated June 27, 1997, Subject: Year 2000 Computer Problem, NSF awardees are reminded of their responsibility to take appropriate actions to ensure that the NSF activity being supported is not adversely affected by the Year 2000 problem. Potentially affected items include: computer systems, databases, and equipment. The National Science Foundation should be notified if an awardee concludes that the Year 2000 will have a significant impact on its ability to carry out an NSF funded activity. Information concerning Year 2000 activities can be found on the NSF web site at http://www.nsf.gov/oirm/y2k/start.htm.

ATTACHMENT 5