Building national resilience through Earth system research, scientific empowerment, and a vision for our future.

The NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) established by the National Science Foundation in 1960. Its mission is to accelerate the nation’s ability to understand and predict atmospheric and geospace behavior for the betterment of life on Earth. Managed by the nonprofit UCAR consortium, NSF NCAR provides the scientific community with essential resources—such as supercomputers, research aircraft, and open-source models—that are beyond the reach of individual institutions.

The Blueprint for Atmospheric Leadership

The 2025-2029 NSF NCAR Strategic Plan outlines a "North Star" for the center, focusing on four interconnected themes designed to address the increasing frequency of billion-dollar environmental disasters and the evolving needs of society:

• Building National Resilience: NCAR is shifting toward "convergence research," which integrates diverse fields like social science and engineering to provide actionable information that helps communities prepare for hazards like wildfires and hurricanes.
• Understanding the Earth System: The center continues to prioritize fundamental research to close critical knowledge gaps in the "coupled Earth system"—exploring how the atmosphere, oceans, land, and Sun interact.
• Empowering the Scientific Community: By developing next-generation community models and observational platforms, NCAR ensures that researchers worldwide have the tools necessary to drive scientific breakthroughs.
• Inspiring Our Scientific Future: Recognizing that people are its foundation, NCAR partners with academic institutions to nurture a talented, interdisciplinary workforce and engage the public through education and outreach.

Through these efforts, NCAR aims to foster a collaborative research environment that leverages emerging technologies—including Airborn Phased Array Radar (APAR) for storm-scale observations, the Community Earth System Model (CESM3) for global simulations, and AI-Enhanced Modeling—all powered by the world-class high-performance computing capabilities of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center to ensure a safer and more resilient nation.

Emmy Award-winning director Lucian Read documents the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)—a crown jewel of American science—and the peril it faces today.

"The Sky is the Limit (NCAR)" is a documentary project launched in response to the December 2025 announcement that the National Center for Atmospheric Research would be dismantled—an action the filmmakers characterize as political retaliation. The film seeks to preserve the 65-year legacy of an institution that transformed weather forecasting from guesswork into a life-saving science, highlighting breakthroughs in aviation safety, hurricane tracking, and wildfire modeling.

By documenting NCAR’s history—from its founding by Walter Orr Roberts and its architectural debut by I.M. Pei to its Nobel Prize-winning climate research—the project aims to circumvent the federal gag order currently silencing staff. With a target debut at the 2027 Sundance Film Festival, the project ensures the story of this "irreplaceable jewel" of American science is told before its unified structure is lost.

Update April 15, 2026: The Kickstarter was successfully funded, and the documentary trailer was featured at the Earth Day Community Storytelling Night.

Protect Our Weather Lab!

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is crucial for understanding our weather and climate, but it's at risk of being dismantled. This video from The Weather & Climate Livestream explains why NCAR is so important for public safety, scientific research, and our economy. Please watch to learn what's at stake and how you can help save this national treasure! Every voice makes a difference. #SaveNCAR

50 Hours to Save America's Forecasts

Meteorologists and climate scientists from across the U.S. united for a continuous 50-hour Livestream to share their science and show why America's forecasts are worth saving.

Sessions are organized into chapters, making it easy to find your favorite topics. Show your support by liking the videos and subscribing to the channel!

250 Mile Walk for Climate Science

To raise nationwide awareness for the Livestream, Syl Foisy, an atmospheric science Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University, completed an inspiring 250-mile march from New York City to Washington, D.C. The trek culminated on Capitol Hill in a joint press conference where Foisy, members of the scientific community, and members of Congress stood together to voice urgent concerns regarding federal science funding cuts and the future of American research.

Update June 18, 2026: Following the joint press conference and widespread public backlash, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has reversed its decision to dismantle the ocean-monitoring network.