Se Denver News

Lafayette, Colorado — On June 2, Congressman Joe Neguse announced that the University Corporation For Atmospheric Research (UCAR)—located in Boulder, Colorado—would receive $91.8 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This funding will support the Airborne Phased Array Radar (APAR). APAR will be a trailblazing radar that will capture 3D views and data of extreme weather, improving climate resiliency and our ability to predict and plan for extreme weather patterns.

“Colorado leads the charge in climate research. Our innovative researchers are producing results that will change the world, and I am thrilled that UCAR will receive transformative funding. I remain steadfast in my commitment to supporting our labs and working to build a more climate-resilient future,” said Congressman Neguse. 

"Against the backdrop of ever increasing extreme weather events, APAR has become a national imperative for the entire atmospheric science community. Together with our prime industry partner, Ball Aerospace, APAR will enable our ability to better understand and predict incredibly damaging weather events. Congressman Neguse’s leadership and support across the weather, water, and climate spectrum is most appreciated,” said Dr. Antonio Busalacchi, UCAR President.

“This is a huge positive step for our country's ability to advance severe weather prediction and mitigation efforts. With its unmatched ability to gather detailed data from within storms, the Airborne Phased Array Radar (APAR) can lead to improved forecasting accuracy and early warning systems to bolster the country's resilience against severe weather phenomena and enable more effective emergency response planning and preparedness. We are fortunate to have the brilliant scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Colorado - their cutting edge innovations in weather assessment technologies deserve this substantial funding by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Our nation will benefit from the increased insights and resiliency around extreme weather events borne of the data gathered by APAR projects. This is the kind of forward-looking taxpayer investment in science we can all be grateful to support,” said Dan Powers, Executive Director, CO-LABS.

This is the third and final Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2 award announced this fiscal year. To learn more about Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2 investments, visit nsf.gov. 

Background:

Congressman Neguse played a key role in the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which is the largest investment for preventing climate change in American history. Some of the benefits included were: $5 billion for forest and reforestation investments and wildfire mitigation programs, $4 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation to combat drought conditions across the West, and $2 billion for federal labs throughout the country – with NCAR, UCAR, and NOAA falling under this jurisdiction.

On August 31, 2022, Rep. Neguse hosted US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to tour and visit the NCAR facility in Boulder. Rep. Neguse and Speaker Pelosi held a roundtable discussion with various community leaders and scientists regarding the ongoing climate crisis and how substantial funding research helps us better understand ways to prevent further climate change in the future. The UCAR Climate Intervention Research will be another impactful project to solve that crisis.

Original source can be found here