VERMONT: EPSCoR support leads to $25M grant
The University of Vermont – in collaboration with 28 universities and institutions – is poised to advance its status as a prominent institution in hydrological research.
This new initiative was made possible through the tireless efforts of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., with transformative support of up to $25 million over the next five years from the federal government. It establishes the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH), a national consortium of science and services to provide actionable water resources intelligence to improve a national water model and flood forecasting.
“UVM’s work with CIROH builds on a research foundation laid down by more than a decade of NSF EPSCOR support and many other projects brought to Vermont by Sen. Leahy,” said UVM VPR Kirk Dombrowski. “UVM’s involvement in CIROH will solidify our standing as a leading research university and promote exceptional research growth in environment and sustainability in the coming years.”
CIROH will work closely with two federal organizations—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Water Center and the recently announced U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility—allowing for highly productive collaboration between CIROH’s cooperative members and other federal agency scientists.
“I am pleased to see NOAA’s increased commitment to addressing our nation’s water-related challenges,” said Leahy, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee. “It is entirely fitting that the University of Vermont was selected as part of the consortium, given its proven track record of studying and improving water quality. The Cooperative Institute will enable scientists around the country to better understand the water cycle and help us to observe and predict it, which can save lives and protect property from extreme weather events.”