Common use of Scientific Services Clause in Contracts

Scientific Services. Provide scientific services and expertise in meteorology, hydrology, climatology, weather, space and atmospheric sciences to the NOAA enterprise as supported by line offices such as the NWS and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). This includes science- based organizations, such as, but not limited to, the NWS National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL), Office of Water Predictions (OWP) and regional centers, OAR laboratories such the Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), OAR program offices such as the Climate Program Office (CPO) and Office of Weather and Air Quality (OWAQ). This furthermore includes programs such as, but not limited to, the Hurricane Forecasting Improvement Project (HFIP), Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS), Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) and the Joint Technology Transfer Initiative (JTTI). Contractor shall identify and apply appropriate methodologies and research designs needed to test particular technologies or answer a specific research question. In addition, the Contractor shall provide services for social science, atmospheric science, weather and environmental observation and forecasting, on scales ranging from near real time to climate projections. The Contractor shall provide scientific support services to include, but not be limited to the following: C.3.1.1 Develop and support numerical prediction models for environmental components, including but not limited to models for the atmosphere, ocean (including coastal processes), ocean surface waves (including wind waves, tides, and tsunamis), cryosphere, aerosols (ozone, carbon dioxide, particulates, trace gases, etc., addressing both incident response and situational and systematic assessments), land processes (including hydrology), space weather and ecosystems (including marine). C.3.1.2 Develop and support the testing and evaluation of observation systems gathering environmental data for operations and for research using National and International standards. Support holistic planning and prioritization of observing systems. C.3.1.3 Develop, validate and maintain state-of-the-art Data Assimilation (DA) techniques to initialize the environmental models. C.3.1.4 Provide services to move the present suite of operational forecast systems to a unified approach across scales that consists of an ensemble based coupled physical modeling system covering the component models as outlined in C.3. 1.1. This approach is currently known as the Unified Forecast System (UFS). These services may include augmenting the UFS with other methods as appropriate (e.g., statistical methods for outlooks at longer time scales). C.3.1.5 Develop and maintain scientific techniques (including post- processing and visualization) that cover time scales from nowcasting to climate time scales, with appropriate spatial scales and domains (global, regional). Development will focus on high-impact events, including but not limited to severe weather (e.g., tornadoes, tropical cyclones, thunderstorms, fire weather, extreme precipitation, winter weather), droughts and floods, coastal processes (e.g., salt and freshwater inundation, waves, rip currents), water and air quality with health impacts. C.3.1.6 Develop appropriate ensemble techniques at all space and time scales as outlined in C.3.1.4 to address and improve forecast accuracy and assess forecast uncertainty. C.3.1.7 Perform fundamental research to support items C.3.1.1 through C.3.1.5, using alternative approaches as needed. This research includes but is not limited to fundamental model and DA development, predictability studies, process studies, Observation Systems (Simulation) Experiments (OSE and OSSE), field studies, social science impact, and infrastructure. C.3.1.8 Design, develop and perform re-analyses and re-forecasts for all applications to provide calibration of real-time forecast model runs, and to maintain and improve IDSS. C.3.1.9 Develop, operate and maintain pre-processing activities needed for physical environmental modeling. These activities include but are not limited to ingest and storage and access to observational data, quality control of observations, retrieval algorithms for remotely-sensed data and ingest of externally produced data (e.g., ensemble data generated by partners and to be used in Multi Model Ensembles (MMEs)). C.3.1.10 Develop, operate and maintain post processing (e.g., statistical, artificial intelligence) of numerical environmental predictions (i.e., weather, ocean, ice, waves, land, aerosols, etc.) including developing, generating, and disseminating objective guidance products for a wide variety of environmental elements based on model outputs, and in support of IDSS. This includes downscaling of existing products, and providing products for assessments (in contrast to traditional forecast products). C.3.1.11 Develop, operate and maintain Validation and Verification (V&V) tools to objectively assess quality of existing and new forecast tools and products, and to monitor the real-time quality of all weather, climate, and operational forecast systems. Develop and support requirement-based and process-based metrics to support objective evidence-based decision making. V&V tools include “health assessments” of observational systems. C.3.1.12 Develop, operate and maintain IDSS capabilities for all service areas of NOAA, in support of, e.g., Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Service elements can include, but are not limited to, products, collaboration, communication techniques and outreach. C.3.1.13 Develop and maintain processes to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ collaborative operational-research and public-private (including international) partnerships. This includes, but is not limited to, observation systems, Operations to Research (O2R) and Research to Operations (R2O) activities, codes and standards management, and documentation, training, outreach/community building, and data access, integrating social science and societal impacts in IDSS communication elements.

Scientific Services. Provide scientific services and expertise in meteorology, hydrology, climatology, weather, space and atmospheric sciences to the NOAA enterprise as supported by line offices such as the NWS and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). This includes science- based organizations, such as, but not limited to, the NWS National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL), Office of Water Predictions (OWP) and regional centers, OAR laboratories such the Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), OAR program offices such as the Climate Program Office (CPO) and Office of Weather and Air Quality (OWAQ). This furthermore includes programs such as, but not limited to, the Hurricane Forecasting Improvement Project (HFIP), Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS), Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) and the Joint Technology Transfer Initiative (JTTI). Contractor shall identify and apply appropriate methodologies and research designs needed to test particular technologies or answer a specific research question. In addition, the Contractor shall provide services for social science, atmospheric science, weather and environmental observation and forecasting, on scales ranging from near real time to climate projections. The Contractor shall provide scientific support services to include, but not be limited to the following: C.3.1.1 Develop and support numerical prediction models for environmental components, including but not limited to models for the atmosphere, ocean (including coastal processes), ocean surface waves (including wind waves, tides, and tsunamis), cryosphere, aerosols (ozone, carbon dioxide, particulates, trace gases, etc., addressing both incident response and situational and systematic assessments), land processes (including hydrology), space weather and ecosystems (including marine). C.3.1.2 Develop and support the testing and evaluation of observation systems gathering environmental data for operations and for research using National and International standards. Support holistic planning and prioritization of observing systems. C.3.1.3 Develop, validate and maintain state-of-the-art Data Assimilation (DA) techniques to initialize the environmental models. C.3.1.4 Provide services to move the present suite of operational forecast systems to a unified approach across scales that consists of an ensemble based coupled physical modeling system covering the component models as outlined in C.3.C. 1.13.1.1. This approach is currently known as the Unified Forecast System (UFS). These services may include augmenting the UFS with other methods as appropriate (e.g., statistical methods for outlooks at longer time scales). C.3.1.5 Develop and maintain scientific techniques (including post- processing and visualization) that cover time scales from nowcasting to climate time scales, with appropriate spatial scales and domains (global, regional). Development will focus on high-impact events, including but not limited to severe weather (e.g., tornadoes, tropical cyclones, thunderstorms, fire weather, extreme precipitation, winter weather), droughts and floods, coastal processes (e.g., salt and freshwater inundation, waves, rip currents), water and air quality with health impacts. C.3.1.6 Develop appropriate ensemble techniques at all space and time scales as outlined in C.3.1.4 to address and improve forecast accuracy and assess forecast uncertainty. C.3.1.7 Perform fundamental research to support items C.3.1.1 through C.3.1.5, using alternative approaches as needed. This research includes but is not limited to fundamental model and DA development, predictability studies, process studies, Observation Systems (Simulation) Experiments (OSE and OSSE), field studies, social science impact, and infrastructure. C.3.1.8 Design, develop and perform re-analyses and re-forecasts for all applications to provide calibration of real-time forecast model runs, and to maintain and improve IDSS. C.3.1.9 Develop, operate and maintain pre-processing activities needed for physical environmental modeling. These activities include but are not limited to ingest and storage and access to observational data, quality control of observations, retrieval algorithms for remotely-sensed data and ingest of externally produced data (e.g., ensemble data generated by partners and to be used in Multi Model Ensembles (MMEs)). C.3.1.10 Develop, operate and maintain post processing (e.g., statistical, artificial intelligence) of numerical environmental predictions (i.e., weather, ocean, ice, waves, land, aerosols, etc.) including developing, generating, and disseminating objective guidance products for a wide variety of environmental elements based on model outputs, and in support of IDSS. This includes downscaling of existing products, and providing products for assessments (in contrast to traditional forecast products). C.3.1.11 Develop, operate and maintain Validation and Verification (V&V) tools to objectively assess quality of existing and new forecast tools and products, and to monitor the real-time quality of all weather, climate, and operational forecast systems. Develop and support requirement-based and process-based metrics to support objective evidence-based decision making. V&V tools include “health assessments” of observational systems. C.3.1.12 Develop, operate and maintain IDSS capabilities for all service areas of NOAA, in support of, e.g., Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Service elements can include, but are not limited to, products, collaboration, communication techniques and outreach. C.3.1.13 Develop and maintain processes to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ collaborative operational-research and public-private (including international) partnerships. This includes, but is not limited to, observation systems, Operations to Research (O2R) and Research to Operations (R2O) activities, codes and standards management, and documentation, training, outreach/community building, and data access, integrating social science and societal impacts in IDSS communication elements.