The NOAA Chief Scientist’s Annual Report provides a corporate-level overview of NOAA’s Research and 

Development (R&D) activities, including a clear expression of the agency's research portfolio logic. As the nation’s 

environmental intelligence agency, with a legacy reaching back more than 200 years, NOAA supports a research 

enterprise that is a rich blend of disciplines, methods, and objectives. This document, a first of its kind, highlights 

NOAA’s progress towards meeting agency priorities in R&D, scientific integrity, and workforce development.

From daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings, climate 

monitoring, fisheries management, coastal restoration,

and supporting marine commerce, NOAA’s products and 

services support economic vitality and affect more 

than one-third of America’s gross domestic 

product. NOAA’s dedicated scientists use 

cutting-edge research and high-tech 

instrumentation to provide citizens, planners, 

emergency managers, and other decision makers 

with reliable information they need, when they need it --

and all for less than 5 cents per day for each American.

The report is comprised of the 1) NOAA research portfolio logic model, 2) five themed chapters with 54

vignettes highlighting scholarly research results, 3) a presentation of comprehensive research analytics

evaluating the agency’s research, and 4) an assessment of the quality and performance of NOAA’s scientific

workforce.

NOAA Research Portfolio Logic

• Why NOAA Invests in Research – NOAA transforms basic 

conceptual research into data, tools, and information to support 

our mission priorities.

• What Kind of Research NOAA Supports – NOAA’s R&D 

addresses the needs of the user community, while advancing 

fundamental scientific understanding.

• Where NOAA Invests in Research – NOAA maintains both 

intramural and extramural research investments.

• What Principles Guide NOAA Research – NOAA strives to 

direct, formulate, and evaluate all agency research in light of key 

principles.

• What is the Budget for NOAA Research – NOAA dedicated 

$560 million in Fiscal Year 2016 to provide requisite

environmental intelligence and services to the American public. 

• How NOAA Research Transitions into Operations, 

Applications, Commercialization, and Utilization – NOAA 

continues to improve its processes and provide the needed 

resources to accelerate the transition of R&D outputs into 

operations, applications, commercialization, and other uses.

NOAA Chief Scientist’s Annual Report - 2016

Why

Principles of Research Investments

What Kind of Research
Integrated Earth 

System Processes and 

Predictions

Environmental 

Observations and 

Data

Decision Science, Risk 

Assessment, and Risk 

Communication

Water Prediction

Arctic

Compilation of NOAA R&D Activities (Theme Chapters and NOAA Research Study Examples)

Integrated Earth System Processes and Predictions

• El Niño Rapid Response Campaign Yields New Discoveries on 

Weather Phenomena

• Last Place on Earth Where CO2 Exceeds More than 400ppm

• Nine other examples

Environmental Observations and Data 

• Next Generation Satellite Provides Enhanced Observational 

Capabilities

• Ocean Exploration Activities Reveal New Discoveries

• 17 other examples

Decision Science, Risk Assessment, and Risk Communication

• Assessing the Vulnerability of the California Current Ecosystem 

to Ocean Acidification

• Impact of Ocean Noise on Marine Life

• 10 other examples

Water Prediction

• Increased Capability in Water Prediction Nationwide

• In-situ Water Collection Instrument Sequences Samples in Near Realtime

• Two other examples

Arctic

• Innovative Technology for Arctic Exploration

• Forecasting Sea Ice

• Six other examples

Research Analytics

This report provides one of the most 

comprehensive performance assessments of 

NOAA’s scholarly research conducted to date, 

measuring both productivity and impact in seven 

key research areas. Between 2011 and 2015, 

NOAA scientists authored or co-authored 10,663 

articles spanning 144 research areas. 

Scientific Workforce

A creative and vibrant workforce is the foundation of NOAA’s research enterprise. Today, NOAA houses over 11,300 

federal employees, 1000’s of contractors, and collaborates with over 10,000 researchers in academia and nongovernmental organizations; between 2015 and 2016 the agency had over 400 individual awardees and over a dozen 

team accolades.

In short, this report provides a singular cross-section of the research investments that impact our lives and our planet 

and give the reader a representation of how taxpayer investments are resulting in both immediate and long-term 

benefits. You can access the entire report at http://tinyurl.com/NOAACSAR2016 or download it using the following

QR code.

Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., CMarSci

NOAA Chief Scientist

Oceanography Related Publications

NOAA Chief Scientist’s Annual Report - 2016 Highlights