NWS Office of Science and Technology Integration: Unified Forecast System | NOAA NWS NWSPO 2020 2006290

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NWS NWSPO 2020 2006290

The National Weather Service (NWS) Office of Science and Technology Integration (OSTI), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce through NOAA, is seeking research proposals to help advance the Unified Forecast System (UFS). The UFS is NOAA's community-based Earth system modeling framework intended to improve operational numerical weather prediction by bringing together coupled components of the Earth system (such as the atmosphere, ocean, land surface, and ice) into a more unified, comprehensive modeling approach. The overall goal is better forecast guidance across many use cases, ranging from short-fused, local forecasts on sub-hourly time scales to global and extended-range predictions out to seasonal horizons. A key point of the solicitation is that it emphasizes projects that are already at particular stages of maturity, described as readiness levels in the full announcement, meaning proposals are expected to be positioned to transition effectively toward operational use rather than purely exploratory research.

This opportunity is a discretionary funding program that will be awarded through cooperative agreements, signaling that NOAA anticipates substantial involvement during the period of performance (for example, through coordination, shared milestones, or integration with NOAA systems). The announcement lists an anticipated first-year funding total of about $2.8 million spread across multi-year projects that are expected to run for two years. The award ceiling is $250,000, and NOAA expects to make roughly 15 awards, indicating a portfolio approach where multiple teams contribute targeted improvements that collectively move the UFS forward. The funding is organized into three related competitions under the same umbrella, each aligned to a major NOAA forecasting priority: the Next Generation Global Prediction System (NGGPS), the Weeks 3-4 Program, and the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program (HFIP).

The NGGPS competition is aimed at accelerating improvements in global weather prediction within the UFS framework. Projects in this track can focus on strengthening coupling among key model components (atmosphere-ocean-land-ice), improving data assimilation methods that blend observations with model states, refining ensemble methods that quantify forecast uncertainty and improve probabilistic guidance, and developing post-processing tools and techniques that translate raw model output into more useful forecast products. NGGPS proposals may also target the engineering side of operational forecasting, such as software architecture modernization, better computational performance on high-performance computing systems, and stronger system engineering practices that make the modeling system more robust, maintainable, and scalable for operations.

The Weeks 3-4 Program competition focuses on the hard problem of extending predictive skill beyond the traditional medium range and into the subseasonal window, bridging weather and climate. Proposals in this area are expected to advance a coupled UFS capability suitable for forecasts from roughly three weeks out toward seasonal time scales. This includes work on data assimilation approaches appropriate for coupled systems and for longer-range predictability challenges, as well as the development of metrics and evaluation methods for validation and verification. In other words, this track is not only about improving the model, but also about building credible, standardized ways to measure whether forecast skill is improving in the subseasonal-to-seasonal range and to diagnose why.

The HFIP competition is oriented toward practical improvements in tropical cyclone forecasting, with an explicit focus on meeting societal needs and reducing economic disruption. Projects under HFIP are intended to support research that improves operational hurricane and tropical storm forecasts, which can include better track and intensity prediction, better representation of storm structure and interactions with the ocean and atmosphere, and other enhancements that translate into more reliable warnings and decision support. While the announcement does not list specific technical subtopics for HFIP in the excerpt, the intent is clear: research should be operationally relevant and aligned with outcomes that matter to emergency management, infrastructure planning, and public safety.

Administrative details in the notice include the funding opportunity number (NOAA NWS NWSPO 2020 2006290) and CFDA number 11.468, with an original closing date of February 7, 2020, and a creation date of November 1, 2019. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text, which typically means applicants should consult the complete announcement for the exact list of eligible institution types and any restrictions. Overall, the opportunity is structured to fund applied research and development that can be integrated into NOAA's operational forecasting enterprise through the UFS, with separate but coordinated paths for global prediction improvements, subseasonal extension, and hurricane forecasting advances.

• 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 "NWS Office of Science and Technology Integration: Unified Forecast System" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.468.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 01, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 07, 2020. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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