Howard University is pleased to report on the first six months of the year two (2) of the NOAA Cooperative Science Center in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (NCAS-M).
The NCAS-M promotes the expanded participation in education, training, capacity building, and collaborative research focusing on groups that are traditionally underrepresented in NOAA mission-relevant STEM, social, behavioral, and economic sciences disciplines (including communication sciences). The NCAS-M research and training activities support the primary goal of producing a diverse and highly skilled cadre of technical and environmentally literate professionals who will help build a more resilient nation in the face of increasing vulnerability to weather extremes and other environmental threats.
The NCAS-M is comprised of a thirteen-member consortium with Howard University as the lead institution. The partnership has nine directly funded partners as sub-awardees and four indirectly funded partners (related through a non-funded articulation agreements). NCAS-M nine funded partners include, Howard University (lead), Jackson State University, University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez, University of Texas – El Paso, San Jose State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Maryland – Baltimore County, University of Maryland – College Park, State University of New York – Albany, and four non-funded partners: Fort Valley State University, San Diego State University, Tuskegee University, and Universidad Metropolitana. All thirteen of these academic institutions have been engaged in NOAA mission-relevant activities during this reporting period through faculty, student, or combined faculty-student engagement activities.
During this reporting period, NCAS-M was tasked with hosting the NOAA Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions 9th Biennial Education and Science Forum. Throughout the reporting period, NCAS-M worked diligently with NOAA EPP program office to establish an acceptable NOAA EPP Forum action plan. Much of the reporting period was utilized with the planning and implementation of the 2018 Forum. In addition to the preparation for the 2018 EPP Forum, NCAS-M put forth an ambitious travel schedule to various NOAA entities whom as a Center we deemed had shared research interest. The goals of these meetings were to establish new NOAA collaborations as well as familiarize the various NOAA agencies with NCAS-M faculty and student resources and research capabilities.
The NCAS-M was late with the issuing of subawards to our funded partners. Unfortunately, subawards for year two (2) and Cohort 2 were not issued to our funded partners until the end of this reporting period. Only students from Howard University were brought into Cohort 2 during this reporting period.
The following semi-annual performance report details the activities conducted during September 1, 2017 – February 28, 2018.
