NA25NWSX467C0009
Cooperative Agreement
Overview
Grant Description
HALF OF THE WORLDS COUNTRIES ARE CURRENTLY NOT PROTECTED BY MULTI-HAZARD EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS (MHEWS; WMO, 2022). THE COMET PROGRAM, PART OF THE UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH (UCAR), IS POISED TO SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO DEVELOPING THE CAPACITY OF OPERATIONAL NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL AND HYDROLOGICAL SERVICES (NMHS) WORLDWIDE TO IMPLEMENT END-TO-END EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS BY: (1) DESIGNING AND DEPLOYING SUSTAINABLE 3D PRINTED AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATIONS (3D-PAWS), RAIN GAUGES, STREAM GAUGES, STORM SURGE GAUGES, AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING OBSERVATION NETWORKS; (2) PROVIDING ROBUST TRAINING, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT; AND (3) FACILITATING IMPLEMENTATION OF OPERATIONAL END-TO-END MHEWS AT NMHS. AS OF 2024, COMET AND PARTNERS HAVE DEPLOYED 3D-PAWS, STREAM GAUGES, STORM SURGE GAUGES, AND SNOW DEPTH SENSORS IN 18 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS, COMET HAS PUBLISHED OVER 180 ONLINE LESSONS AND CONDUCTED OVER 40 MULTI-WEEK RESIDENCE AND VIRTUAL COURSES FOR FORECASTERS AND FORECASTER-TRAINERS SPANNING A RANGE OF NMHS-RELEVANT TOPICS. COMET AND ITS PARTNERS (CLIMATE HAZARDS CENTERS LOCATED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-SANTA BARBARA, SYNOPTIC DATA AND UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND - COLLEGE PARK) BRING DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE TO SUCCESSFULLY LEAD THIS MULTIFACETED EFFORT TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES IN BUILDING THEIR RESILIENCE TO WEATHER AND CLIMATE-BASED HAZARDS. IMPLEMENTING PEOPLE-CENTERED, END-TO-END EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS REQUIRES AN INTERACTIVE APPROACH THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITIES BEING SERVED. COMETS CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK INCLUDES NEEDS ASSESSMENT, TAILORED SOLUTIONS BASED ON REQUIREMENTS, IMPLEMENTATION AND TRAINING, FOLLOW-UP TO GALVANIZE SKILLS, AND DOCUMENTATION OF THE LESSONS LEARNED TO ENSURE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. TRAINING IS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF ANY CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, AND, AS AN ESTABLISHED WORLD LEADER IN INNOVATIVE, INDUSTRY-LEADING WEATHER, WATER, AND CLIMATE EDUCATION AND TRAINING SOLUTIONS, COMET WILL LEVERAGE ITS TRAINING EXPERTISE AND THE COMET METED ONLINE LEARNING PORTAL IN SUPPORT OF THIS EFFORT. COMET WILL ADDRESS ALL TEN OF THE PRIORITY AREAS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FOR WEATHER AND CLIMATE FORECASTING AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM. SPECIFICALLY, COMET WILL INCREASE EARLIER DETECTION OF HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL HAZARDS BY EXPANDING SUSTAINABLE OBSERVATION NETWORKS; FACILITATING AND DEVELOPING ROBUST TRAINING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT; IMPROVING EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION NETWORKS; INTEGRATING AND STREAMLINING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF END-TO-END MHEWS; AND SKILLFULLY MANAGING OUTREACH PARTNER DEVELOPMENT AND SUB-AWARDS. OVERALL, COMET WILL MEET THE NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES BY MEETING THEM WHERE THEY ARE, ADAPTING THE END-TO-END EARLY WARNING PROCESS TO WORK WITH THEIR EXISTING SYSTEMS WHILE EMPOWERING NMHS THROUGH INVESTMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND TRAINING TO MEET THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM.
Funding Goals
TO MAINTAIN A COOPERATIVE UNIVERSITY AND FEDERAL PARTNERSHIPS TO CONDUCT METEOROLOGICAL TRAINING, EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ON ISSUES COMMON TO THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL COMMUNITY, AND TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF TSUNAMIS THROUGH HAZARD ASSESSMENT, WARNING GUIDANCE, AND MITIGATION.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Boulder,
Colorado
803012252
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
University Corporation For Atmospheric Research was awarded
Enhancing Global MHEWS Capacity with 3D-PAWS and Training
Cooperative Agreement NA25NWSX467C0009
worth $12,534,500
from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in September 2025 with work to be completed primarily in Boulder Colorado United States.
The grant
has a duration of 5 years and
was awarded through assistance program 11.467 Meteorologic and Hydrologic Modernization Development.
The Cooperative Agreement was awarded through grant opportunity International Capacity Development for Weather and Climate Observations and Forecasting and Disaster Risk Reduction.
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 9/19/25
Period of Performance
9/1/25
Start Date
8/31/30
End Date
Funding Split
$12.5M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$12.5M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
NA25NWSX467C0009
SAI Number
NA25NWSX467C0009-000
Award ID URI
None
Awardee Classifications
Nonprofit With 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other Than An Institution Of Higher Education)
Awarding Office
1305N2 DEPT OF COMMERCE NOAA
Funding Office
1333BS ACQUISITION AND GRANTS OFFICE
Awardee UEI
YEZEE8W5JKA3
Awardee CAGE
0SEF6
Performance District
CO-02
Senators
Michael Bennet
John Hickenlooper
John Hickenlooper
Modified: 9/19/25