NOAA/UM Sign New Agreement on National Climate Prediction Center

College Park, Md. - The University of Maryland and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, have laid the framework for shared advances in weather and climate prediction by signing a Memorandum of Understanding today that will greatly expand their research and education collaborations.

The agreement comes months ahead of the scheduled completion of the new NOAA facility, a centerpiece of the University of Maryland's 50-acre M-Square Research and Technology Park.

When construction is finished in 2009, the center will be the U.S. focal point for generating ocean and atmospheric forecasts, including outlooks for the four seasons and hurricanes.

"With this agreement, NOAA and the University of Maryland build on long-existing partnerships to create a world-class weather and climate prediction capability delivered by new generations of earth and climate scientists. It will be a remarkable resource," said University of Maryland President C.D. Mote Jr.

Maryland researchers and students are expected to have frequent and significant interactions with the NOAA center personnel. To facilitate collaboration, two of the University's major climate change research centers will be NOAA's neighbors in M-Square: the University's Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center and the Joint Global Climate Change Research Institute.

"Our goal is to create synergy within the research and academic communities that will more quickly transition new science and technology into improved operational forecasts to better serve the American public," said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

The 268,762 square-foot office and research complex will house 800 people, including staff from NOAA's Satellite and Information Service; the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, part of the National Weather Service; and the Air Resources Laboratory, part of NOAA's Office and Atmospheric Research.

At full capacity, M-Square will be Maryland's and the Washington region's largest university research park, with over 2 million square feet of facilities.

Learn about the expertise of climate researchers at the University of Maryland and their contact information.

University of Maryland, a National Leader in Climate Change Research

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Lee Tune, University of Maryland
301-405-4679
ltune@umd.edu

John Leslie, NOAA Public Affairs
301-713-2087, ext. 174

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