Today, we stand at a pivotal moment in the history of Earth system science. Society is routinely experiencing larger wildfires, more intense storms, deepening droughts, devastating floods, and more acute air pollution — along with the continued threat of solar storms — all of which threaten national security, lives, and livelihoods. 

People across our country want to understand the risk these extreme events pose to our national resilience and to their own communities, not just within the next few days or weeks, but over the next few years and decades.

As a federally funded institution and a leader of the research community, NSF NCAR has a responsibility to leverage our resources and empower the academic community to meet the environmental challenges facing society today and contribute to a safer and more resilient nation and world. 

Our strategic plan charts our path forward for this work. Click on the plan below to download and read.