NOAA’s Weather Program Office Awards Funding to 30 Projects to Advance Weather Forecasts

WPO competitively funds research from across the Weather Enterprise (government, academia, and the private sector) to improve weather observation, prediction, and response. This research advances science and technology from the research stage to transitionable outputs, or to prototype products that NOAA or other partners can further develop into practical applications and operations.

WPO is funding research proposals received in the following FY25 competitions:

  • Synoptic — Air Quality Research & Forecasting
  • Testbeds
  • Observations
  • Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
  • Subseasonal to Seasonal

In addition to the FY25 NOFO, WPO’s Joint Technology Transfer Initiative selected eight internal projects focused on accelerating transitioning research to National Weather Service operations.

FY25 Funded Projects By the Numbers

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    6 Funding Competitions

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    30 Projects

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    22 Institutions

More Research to Fill Gaps in Forecasting

In Fiscal Year 2025, the Weather Program Office funded 30 new projects aimed at critical forecast improvements for weather. Each of the competitions focused on their areas of expertise to fill identified gaps in weather research and transition weather applications into operations.
More information about each program’s newly funded projects is below.
Image Credit: GOES-17 NOAA

Synoptic

The Synoptic Program’s Air Quality Research and Forecasting competition funds research that explores ways to mitigate unhealthy levels of air pollutants that harm human health and damage sensitive ecosystems.

See the FY25 project >>

Testbeds

The Testbeds Program funds projects that help turn research into real-world tools and services within NOAA by working closely with NOAA testbeds. We focus on mature projects that are nearly ready or ready to be tested in a realistic forecasting environment through one or more of the participating testbeds.

See the FY25 projects >>

A participant looks at an AWIPS display showing radar and satellite data at the Hazardous Weather Testbed at the National Weather Center in Norman, OK. Photo Credit: NOAA NSSL
Differential reflectivity radar map showing varying particle shapes within a storm system over geographic borders.

Observations

The Observations Program supports projects that develop, demonstrate, or analyze new and better ways to observe the environment. These new technologies and methods intend to help make our observation systems more integrated, flexible, affordable, and effective for our mission.

See the FY25 projects >>

Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBES)

The Social Science Program solicits SBES project proposals that advance our knowledge of how the public perceives, responds to, and is impacted by severe weather. We involve SBES researchers that lead interdisciplinary teams to integrate project results that enhance how risk and uncertainty are communicated, improve preparedness by understanding community vulnerabilities, and inform forecasters and emergency responders of impacts to the American public. 

See the FY25 projects >>

A person in a grey sweatshirt and backpack holds a silver smartphone in both hands while standing outdoors near a building.
Satellite view of a massive atmospheric river plume extending from the Pacific Ocean toward the West Coast of North America.

Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S)

The Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S) Program aims to make better S2S forecasts, which cover a period from about two weeks to two years in the future. The projects explore what makes these time frames predictable, how models interpret land or sea conditions, and how to use new AI or machine learning tools to improve the final predictions. These efforts often work closely with the new modeling tools developed under the Unified Forecast System framework in collaboration with the Earth Prediction Innovation Center.

See the FY25 projects >>

Joint Technology Transfer Initiative (JTTI)

The Joint Technology Transfer Initiative Program helps mature research cross the finish line into operational use across the National Weather Service. Its internal funding competition broadly supports strengthening the Unified Forecast System through improving forecast models and data assimilation so forecasters can better predict high-impact weather events.

See the FY25 projects >>

Blurred close-up of source code on a dark screen.

FY25 Notice of Funding Announcement

FY25 Notice of Funding Documentation

View the details of the WPO’s FY25 NOFO, including the Grants.gov announcements, at this link.

View Announcements
Executive Summary for the FY2025 NOAA Weather Program Office Research Programs Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Other Years’ Funded Projects

Explore projects from the past three fiscal years at the links below.

FY24 Projects
FY23 Projects
FY22 Projects