US Weather Research Program & the Joint Hurricane Testbed ...

US Weather Research Program & the Joint Hurricane Testbed Ward R. Seguin USWRP Interagency Program Office Presented to the IHC March 3, 2004 USWRP

Established in 1994 by four agencies to facilitate the coordination and collaboration among members supporting weather-related research and to allow USWRP members to leverage sponsored research and development. JHT Mission To advance the transfer of new research and

technology into operational hurricane prediction. The JHT Infrastructure Supported by NOAA USWRP IWG makes decisions in the context of the overall interagency USWRP priorities IPO provides funding, coordination and grants support

SSC provides science guidance and proposal reviews JHT Director and Administrator, with technical assistance, provide day-to-day operations coordination and support Resource and overall JHT support issues Funding in research component of NOAA transferred to

operations. Perhaps not a good permanent resource solution (detracts from flexibility in research funding). Uncertainty concerning overall coordination, funding decisions and grants support (basically the IPO functions) as NOAA USWRP moves from OAR to NWS in FY2005. Details and logistics of this move need to be determined. Achievements

Initiated and funded two, two-year JHT project cycles and completed one Accepted a number of projects for operational implementation JHT is being used as a model for emerging and future testbeds USWRP & JHT Challenges

Establishing a fair competitive grants program open to all Applying a process to select viable projects Developing and maintaining an infrastructure to test and evaluate testbed projects Assimilating new technologies into current operations Ensuring a pipeline of transition ready

projects by supporting applied research Future Plans Continue to refine the process of announcing and awarding transition research grants Issue an Announcement of Opportunity in June/July 2004 for grants beginning in 2005 Work to transition model research results to

the Development Testbed Center