FY2019 Office of Weather and Air Quality Research Programs | NOAA OAR OWAQ 2019 2005820

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA OAR OWAQ 2019 2005820

The FY2019 Office of Weather and Air Quality Research Programs opportunity is a Department of Commerce (NOAA) funding announcement that supports applied research and development aimed at improving the nations weather, water, and air quality forecasting capabilities. NOAA is using this notice to engage universities, research organizations, and other eligible external partners on high-priority science and technology gaps that matter for operations, with a strong emphasis on work that can be tested, evaluated, and moved into real-world forecasting practice. The overall effort spans a wide range of time scales, from short-fuse hazards measured in hours (like severe storms) to subseasonal and seasonal outlooks that affect planning and resilience. Funding is offered through grants and cooperative agreements under CFDA 11.459.

A central feature of this opportunity is that it is not a single competition, but eight distinct competitions bundled under one umbrella, with total funding estimated at about $16.2 million and an expected 42 awards. The eight topic areas are: (1) High Impact Weather Testbeds, (2) Joint Technology Transfer Initiative (JTTI), (3) Air Quality Research and Forecasting, (4) VORTEX-SE (Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment - Southeast U.S.), (5) Infrasound Detection of Tornadoes and High Impact Weather, (6) Next Generation of Mesoscale Weather Observing Platforms, (7) Snowpack and Soil Moisture Observations and Data Assimilation to Improve the National Water Model (NWM), and (8) Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S). While each track has its own scientific and technical focus, they share a common goal: deliver improvements that can be demonstrated in NOAA testbeds or otherwise positioned for transition into NOAA operations so the public ultimately benefits through better forecasts, warnings, and decision support.

Across the portfolio, NOAA highlights applied outcomes such as new or improved observations and data streams, better analysis and data assimilation methods, enhancements to statistical and dynamical forecast models, and new techniques for communicating risk and forecast information so it is easier for people and institutions to act on it. The “testbed” idea is important in this announcement: NOAA is explicitly signaling that it values research that does not end as a journal result, but is mature enough to be prototyped, evaluated with forecasters and end users, and prepared for operational adoption. That operational transition focus is reinforced through the inclusion of JTTI, which is designed specifically to speed movement of promising research or technology into NOAA forecasting environments.

Several competitions focus on longer-lead prediction and how it can be made more useful to society. The Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S) component emphasizes foundational understanding of predictability, progress on community-driven modeling efforts aligned with NOAA initiatives, and improved use of multi-model ensemble approaches for end users. The practical motivation is to help communities and sectors make better decisions weeks to months in advance, which can strengthen infrastructure resilience, protect economic activity on land and at sea, support mitigation planning, and improve preparedness for adverse events that develop or persist over longer periods.

Other competitions focus on severe weather risks and the human impacts tied to them. VORTEX-SE, for example, is a NOAA-led effort targeting tornado risk in the Southeast United States, a region where tornadoes can be especially deadly due to factors like storm climatology, terrain and vegetation, housing vulnerability, nighttime events, and communication challenges. The VORTEX-SE competition continues prior years’ emphasis on interdisciplinary work, encouraging proposals that combine meteorological research with social science, behavioral science, economics, engineering, and related disciplines. The underlying intent is to reduce deaths and injuries by improving both the scientific understanding of these tornado environments and the ways warnings and risk information are received and acted upon.

The announcement also carves out three technology-forward competitions that strengthen the observing backbone needed for better forecasts. These include efforts to improve snowpack and soil moisture observing and data assimilation to advance the National Water Model, development of next-generation mesoscale observing platforms to better capture weather features that drive impactful local events, and innovation in infrasound technology for detection of tornadoes and other high-impact weather. Together, these areas reflect NOAAs view that forecast skill gains increasingly depend on the quality, coverage, and smart use of observations, especially for rapidly evolving hazards and for water-related prediction where land surface states matter.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as discretionary funding with an award ceiling of $500,000. The original closing date is March 20, 2019, and the opportunity was created on September 26, 2018. Eligibility is broadly described as “Others,” with details provided in the full announcement’s eligibility section, which typically clarifies which kinds of organizations or institutions can apply under each competition.

Finally, NOAA notes a companion funding opportunity from the National Weather Service through its CSTAR program (funding opportunity number NOAA-NWS-NWSPO-2019-2005754 on Grants.gov). The practical distinction NOAA draws is that CSTAR often targets local forecast applications at NWS Weather Forecast Offices, while OAR/OWAQ funding often targets national-scale applications at NWS national centers, though projects can overlap. This is helpful for applicants deciding where their work best fits, especially if it is tightly tied to a specific local forecasting problem versus a capability meant to scale across national operations.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2019 Office of Weather and Air Quality Research Programs" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.459.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 26, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 20, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 42 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA OAR OWAQ 2019 2005820

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: