Join us for a presentation by Dr. Annarita Mariotti, Senior Advisor to the Climate Program Office (CPO) Director. Dr. Mariotti will frame the climate challenge and illustrate examples of how CPO advances climate science and services together with its partners, highlighting collaborations with other DOC Bureaus. Finally, she will discuss the climate challenges ahead and CPO’s strategic directions.

Back in 1978, the NOAA Climate Program Office received its legislative mandate to advance scientific understanding of climate variability and change and to deliver actionable information to society. As a program office within the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), CPO plays dual roles, driving fundamental science for NOAA’s mission and ensuring science is applied and useful across a broad national and international user base for national and global climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience. CPO’s programs span foundational, cross-disciplinary climate sciences, assessments, capacity building, tool development, and education.

One of CPO’s core functions is to entrain extramural research expertise across these programs through a competitive grant process to support NOAA’s climate priorities. CPO collaborates closely with partners in NOAA, DOC and with the broader academic, Federal, Tribal, international, and private sector communities. CPO partners with NOAA’s laboratories and programs within OAR to complement, extend, and accelerate their studies. CPO also works with other Line Offices to enhance and expand NOAA services across weather, oceans, fisheries, and climate. CPO further builds networks, coalitions, and collaborations, converges around the best ideas, and provides support to accelerate emerging innovation across the climate enterprise of public and private institutions, researchers, practitioners, and consumers. To date, CPO investments in climate research capabilities have accelerated development of models and climate services, and enhanced the workforce in climate adaptation and resilience for NOAA, the US science enterprise, and the Nation.

About Dr. Mariotti: Annarita Mariotti is the NOAA Climate Program Office Senior Advisor and Scientist, informing strategy to advance climate science and services across the portfolio of office activities. Annarita worked at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in prominent leadership roles including as Assistant Director for Climate Science, Modeling and Predictions, Co-chair of the Earth System Predictability Fast Track Action Committee, and lead developer of the Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services (ICAMS). At NOAA, she was the Director of the NOAA Modeling, Analysis, Predictions and Projections (MAPP) program that she developed, and most recently served as Special Advisor for Climate Mitigation to the NOAA Chief Scientist. Annarita co-chairs the Interagency Group for Integrative Modeling (IGIM) of the U.S. Global Research Program (USGCRP) and is vice- Principal for NOAA to the USGCRP. She is the recipient of two DOC medals for Meritorious Federal Service.

Annarita has 20+ years in climate research, with numerous research publications. She holds a BS in Physics from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, and a PhD in Earth sciences from the University Pierre et Marie Curie.

About Around the Bureaus: This series showcases the diverse work of Department of Commerce employees, breaks down silos, and encourages cross-bureau collaboration. If you would like to participate in a future presentation, please reach out to the library for more information.