A major U.S. research institute is set to lose a critical supercomputing facility, according to a letter released Thursday by the National Science Foundation.
The move is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, one of the world’s top weather and climate research centers, which administrators see as a source of concern about climate change.
The computing center, which will be handed over to an unspecified third party, runs weather and climate research models and is used by about 1,500 researchers at more than 500 universities across the country. Research conducted on this supercomputer benefits the American public by leading to more accurate predictions of extreme weather events, weather events, and aircraft turbulence.
The problem with separating computing centers from research centers is that access to high-performance computing can be interrupted. Like AI, high-power computing is essential for simulating weather and climate and evaluating the accuracy of new predictive models, ultimately contributing to what Americans see in their weather apps every day.
For example, NOAA chose to upgrade its next-generation computer models using a system known as “Modeling for Prediction Across Scale” developed by NCAR researchers. The agency also relies on supercomputing facilities to run some of its current models.
The White House announced its intention to “disband” NSF NCAR in January.
Some Colorado officials see the move as part of a tit-for-tat campaign by the White House aimed at pressuring Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, to pardon Tina Peters, a former county elections official who was convicted in a 2020 election-related data breach scheme. Peters is a prominent denier of the 2020 election.
In a letter to NCAR staff, Director Everett Joseph raised concerns about losing control and possibly even access to Wyoming’s supercomputer.
“We don’t yet know who the new management will be or the timeline for this transition,” Joseph said.
“We understand that this is difficult news and raises many questions, most of which we cannot answer at this time. But we will continue to work to get more details from NSF as soon as possible, including how this will impact our science and the communities we support,” he said.
NSF also recently issued a letter requesting suggestions for how NCAR and the nation’s climate research infrastructure should be reorganized. The request indicated support for the center’s climate-related programs, but did not mention that the center’s climate research would continue.
The atmospheric science community is rallying to save NCAR as it is currently organized.
In response to NSF’s request, former NCAR Director James Harrell, along with other prominent colleagues in the weather and climate community, told NSF that “any path that leads to the fragmentation or dissolution of NSF NCAR is fundamentally not in the nation’s interest.”
Harrell’s letter to NSF notes that disbanding the agency could jeopardize NOAA’s efforts to improve its own climate modeling capabilities, which have consistently lagged behind international competitors in recent years.
