<div dir="ltr"><div><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-f87056e1-7fff-c952-1a04-16215af62714"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">The </span><a href="https://edec.ucar.edu/university-partnerships/innovators" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Faculty Innovator Program</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> is inviting applications for its fourth cohort. The Innovator Program will award two-year grants up to $125K per year, starting in the Fall 2026.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">The program supports interdisciplinary faculty to participate in the Innovator Ideas Lab as a first step in being considered for the 2026-2028 cohort. The Ideas Lab is an interactive </span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">two-day</span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> event that promotes proposal co-development with NSF NCAR researchers starting from the ideation phase. The primary anticipated outcomes of the Ideas Lab include formation of initial interdisciplinary research teams and drafting letters of intent. A subset of LOIs will be invited to submit research proposals, and the cohort will be announced February 2026. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">The program will support actionable, translational or convergence science research in support of national resilience from Earth system hazards. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: </span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt" role="presentation"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Useful artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt" role="presentation"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">research to reduce damage and disruption to livelihoods, and critical infrastructure from weather and space weather hazards,</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt" role="presentation"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">assessing and predicting societally relevant Earth system variability across time scales, and, </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt" role="presentation"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">demonstrating convergent approaches to integrating field observations and simulations.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-bHwBOV0qdP8_AOG2jNVwAAqjvxmkScn_d7Q_Ek9SOHkmDw/viewform?usp=header" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Apply</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> to attend the workshop by </span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">September 15, 2025.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:6pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(32,33,36);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Please share this information and </span><a href="https://indd.adobe.com/view/21991744-6362-42c2-8677-697502ad30d7" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">flyer</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(32,33,36);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> with your networks.</span></p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(32,33,36);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><div><span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(32,33,36);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><br></span></span></div>Review our </span><a href="https://edec.ucar.edu/university-partnerships/innovators/eligibility-and-application" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Eligibility and Application Instructions</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(32,33,36);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> page, our </span><a href="https://edec.ucar.edu/university-partnerships/innovators/innovator-faqs" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">FAQ page</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(32,33,36);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> or email us at <a href="mailto:ecinnovators@ucar.edu">ecinnovators@ucar.edu</a> with any questions.</span></span></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" face="arial, sans-serif">Alexandra N. Ramos-Valle, PhD</font><div><font color="#000000" face="arial, sans-serif">Project Scientist II - NSF NCAR Mesoscale & Microscale Meteorology Lab</font><div><div><font color="#000000" face="arial, sans-serif">Principal Investigator - NSF NCAR EdEC <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/what-we-offer/education-outreach/early-career-opportunities" target="_blank">Faculty Innovator Program</a></font></div></div></div></div></div></div>