Engaging with ASR

Those new to Atmospheric System Research (ASR) and other U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) atmospheric science activities will find helpful resources below. 

ASR advances process-level understanding of key interactions among aerosols, clouds, precipitation, radiation, dynamics, and thermodynamics. ASR researchers use observations and process models to increase the accuracy of regional and global atmospheric models.

ASR and the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility sit within the Earth and Environmental Systems Sciences Division (EESSD) of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) in DOE’s Office of Science.

ASR’s four priority research areas correspond to regimes with large uncertainties in climate prediction—aerosol processes, warm boundary layer processes, convective processes, and high-latitude processes. ASR funds research projects at DOE national laboratories and universities from coast to coast.

Late in 2023, ASR recorded an “open house” webinar that details goals for expanding the breadth and inclusion of those interested in ASR research opportunities.

The video (below) informs potential and existing researchers about opportunities and provides a broad overview of ASR and its research portfolio. Presenters also offer advice for those interested in engaging with ASR.

For more than 30 years, ARM has provided the scientific community with atmospheric data using ground-based observatories deployed in various climate regimes around the world. ARM also operates crewed and uncrewed aerial capabilities periodically over its observatories. ARM data are used to improve scientists’ understanding of how the atmosphere works and increase the accuracy of how clouds and aerosols—and their interactions with Earth’s radiant energy—are represented in weather and earth system models.

ASR and ARM are vital components of DOE’s Office of Science and its contributions to national and international atmospheric and climate research efforts. Scientists use DOE funding, resources, capabilities, and data from both programs to advance atmospheric science and foster a better understanding of atmospheric processes on Earth.

Each year, both research communities participate in the ARM/ASR Joint Meeting. This multi-day meeting brings together ASR-funded researchers, ARM users, ARM infrastructure members, and DOE officials to review progress and plan future directions for ASR research and ARM observations. It includes plenaries, tutorials, and breakout and poster sessions.

The sections below outline several ways to take advantage of the opportunities and resources available through ASR, ARM, and DOE.

Create an Account

Any member of the research community can create a limited-use or full ARM account.

• A limited-use account allows you to keep up to date with the latest science and news—including subscriptions to the ASR, ARM, and working group newsletters. It provides ready access to information about events, research highlights, posters, publications, working groups, and funding and employment opportunities.
• A full account provides access to data gathered during normal operations or field campaigns, make an in-person or virtual visit to a site, or propose and conduct a field campaign.

Engage with ASR

• Explore ASR’s web pages to find ASR news, feature stories, notes about funding opportunities, and calls for proposals. ASR webinars, career opportunities, upcoming meetings and workshops, and activities at major scientific conferences can also be found here.
• Find ASR research results in the ASR publications database and highlights pages.
• Volunteer to review ASR proposals by contacting the ASR program managers and sending your CV and a few keywords describing your expertise.

Engage with ARM

• Discover ARM data, news, feature stories, and campaign information at ARM.gov, such as funding opportunities and calls for proposals: ARM webinars, career opportunities, meetings, workshops, and activities at major scientific conferences.
• Find ARM research results in the ARM publications database.
• Look for ARM and ARM users at major meetings and conferences.
• Participate in ARM webinars and training.
• Follow ARM on social media—Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter).
• View ARM videos on YouTube and browse photos on Flickr.

Learn About DOE Opportunities

Stay informed of future DOE funding opportunities. The DOE Office of Science sends notifications about new funding opportunities through the GovDelivery service. Sign up at GovDelivery to receive future announcements; check your subscriber preferences to make sure you have elected to receive funding opportunity announcements.

Other Important Information and Resource Links

• DOE’s Earth and Environmental Systems Sciences Division Strategic Plan (PDF)
• Grand Challenges (PDF) for BER
• DOE Earth & Environmental Systems Modeling (ESESM)
• DOE Environmental System Science (ESS)
• DOE’s Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) user facility
• DOE BER (including ASR) workshop reports
• Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) (access published research)