NOAA seeks ideas from industry, academia to improve weather prediction

NOAA announced today on FedBizOpps.gov it is seeking ideas, recommendations and best practices from the weather industry and researchers on how to best develop a virtual Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC).

EPIC will create a community earth system prediction model that is accessible to the public and uses innovative strategies to host and manage the modeling system. EPIC will make it easier for scientists outside of NOAA to contribute to NOAA’s forecast models, helping NOAA improve its models by drawing from the strength of the research community. The center will leverage existing NOAA resources to accelerate advances to the Unified Forecast System, a community-based, coupled Earth system model designed to meet NOAA’s operational forecast mission to protect life and property and improve economic growth.  

The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 instructs NOAA to prioritize improving weather data, modeling, computing, forecasting and warnings for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy. The National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2018 instructs NOAA to establish EPIC to accelerate the use of community developed scientific and technical enhancements into the operational applications for numerical weather prediction.

Industry may submit ideas and recommendations by July 10, 12 PM ET. For more information on the request for information and how to submit information, please see the Fedbizopps.gov notice online.