The Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences (CIRES), a partnership between CU Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), received approval Thursday from the Department of Commerce to continue its work.
CIRES is one of 16 NOAA cooperative institutes, all of which were targeted for elimination in President Trump’s 2026 proposed budget. These institutes conduct long-term scientific research in partnership with universities, supporting NOAA’s mission on topics like climate, weather, oceans and ecosystems.
The Department of Commerce, which oversees NOAA, recently stated that all contracts worth more than $100,000 must be personally reviewed by Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to NPR. This raised concerns among CIRES scientists that their contract might not be approved. But Lutnick signed it Thursday morning, a source within NOAA told Boulder Reporting Lab.
CIRES employs more than 900 scientists, staff and students in Boulder, working across CU Boulder departments and NOAA labs.
Funding cuts to NOAA, the National Science Foundation and NASA continue to threaten many projects within CIRES.
“But the main structural CIRES agreement is still being funded, at least for now,” said a source at CIRES, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation. “It was a huge sigh of relief for everyone in the room.”
