Water and Climate Change Research, including Technical Support of Reclamation Programs

Reclamation seeks to work with University of Colorado�s CIRES program because of their complementary capabilities and missions with those of Reclamation in the area of water and climate sciences. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) is a joint institute of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Colorado at Boulder. CIRES researchers are employees of the University of Colorado located on campus and at NOAA�s Earth Systems Research Laboratory in Boulder. Co-location of CIRES and NOAA enables strong coordination and utilization of complementary NOAA/CIRES capabilities on specific research projects and scientific investigations, and provides effective networking and leveraging opportunities throughout NOAA on a national and local basis. As a world leader in environmental sciences, CIRES is dedicated to identifying and pursuing innovative, interdisciplinary research targeted at all aspects of Earth system science, and to communicating these findings to the global scientific community, to decision-makers, and to the public. Being located in Boulder, CO also provides CIRES with access to a local, robust scientific network that is rich in opportunities for collaboration in the environmental sciences. This network includes the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and a host of Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture bureaus located in nearby Lakewood, CO and Fort Collins, CO. Reclamation is included in this local network of agencies with a stake and common interest in the environmental sciences at the core of CIRES� mission and seeks access to CIRES researchers and technical experts for collaborative research and scientific investigations dealing with Earth system sciences with an emphasis on water and related aquatic ecosystem and climate sciences. CIRES� long-standing scientific reputation and their productive scientific network coupled with Reclamation�s long standing national and international reputation and networks across the water management communities, bring together the science and user communities that are better positioned to leverage research capabilities and more broadly apply research results.