In addition, ERL sponsorship involves base and contract funding while CU sponsorship involves organization and funding for faculty positions and operations. Federal guidelines for using a cooperative agreement are basically the same as those for a contract or grant except that the funding agency expects to be substantially involved with the recipient in carrying out the funded activities. In establishing an institute in the University of Colorado, certain criteria must be met, including the ability to be a fiscally free-standing unit and the demonstration that the uniqueness of the research is such that it cannot be done within the normal confines of the academic departments. That latter criterion means in practice that research institutes at CU perform multi-disciplinary research that spans several fields. Because the institutes are not currently degree granting units, institute faculty also have academic departmental affiliations.
Teaching is done at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Interaction with the educational mission of the University is encouraged in the new Career Track guidelines. Each of these individuals also has an academic department affiliation, which serves as the home for teaching activities and is where tenure resides. During the past seven years, five new faculty members have been hired in this way. In addition, the desirability of hiring two other faculty over the next five years has been discussed. Areas of importance include the hydrological sciences, non-linear systems, mass spectrometry, atmospheric instrumentation development, ecosystems and boundary layer meteorology.