NCAR was established by the National Science Foundation in 1960 to provide the university community with world-class facilities and services that were beyond the reach of any individual institution.

More than a half-century later, we are still delivering on that mission. NCAR provides the atmospheric and related Earth system science community with state-of-the-art resources, including supercomputers, research aircraft, sophisticated computer models, and extensive data sets.

NCAR's in-house staff of preeminent researchers and engineers works with community collaborators to ensure that these resources and facilities are capable of meeting the demands of today's greatest scientific challenges. Our scientists also delve into fundamental research questions, producing a wealth of scientific publications that help lead the way for the broader Earth system science community.

NCAR also provide rich education and outreach opportunities, from fellowships for early career scientists to free public lectures to scientific workshops.

Since our inception as NSF's first federally funded research and development center, we have been managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a nonprofit consortium of more than 115 colleges and universities. Our headquarters are in Boulder, Colorado, with additional facilities in Wyoming and Hawaii.

Vision & Mission

The NCAR Vision: 

A world-class research center leading, promoting and facilitating innovation in the atmospheric and related Earth and Sun systems sciences

The NCAR Mission:

To understand the behavior of the atmosphere and related Earth and geospace systems
To support, enhance, and extend the capabilities of the university community and the broader scientific community, nationally and internationally
To foster the transfer of knowledge and technology for the betterment of life on Earth