Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) FY 2026 Competition

NOAA's Modeling, Analysis, Predictions and Projections (MAPP) program funds research advancing climate and Earth system models, improving multi-annual to decadal climate prediction, and applying AI/ML for weather and environmental forecasting. Supports development of machine learning for environmental prediction, autonomous ocean monitoring systems, and AI-enhanced climate models. Priority areas include advancing next-generation climate models to better simulate climate variability, improving subseasonal to seasonal prediction, and applying Earth system models to understand drought, extreme heat, sea level change, and marine ecosystems. NOAA recently deployed operational AI-driven global weather models (AIGFS and AIGEFS) through Project EAGLE, processing 16-day forecasts using only 0.3% of traditional computing resources. Bipartisan legislation introduced directing NOAA to accelerate AI forecasting for wildfires and extreme weather.