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Private company

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

US nonprofit higher education consortium

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is a US nonprofit consortium of more than 100 colleges and universities providing research and training in the atmospheric and related sciences. UCAR manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and provides additional services to strengthen and support research and education through its community programs. Its headquarters, in Boulder, Colorado, include NCAR's Mesa Laboratory, designed by I.M. Pei.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

  • HeadquartersBoulder, United States1
  • Websitewww.ucar.edu
  • Legal formNon-Profit Corporation3
  • LEI549300S2W114Y8XHNO983
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusLapsed (not renewed)3
  • Registered addressC/O Registered Agent Solutions, Inc., 80112 Centennial, United States3
  • Registered withBusiness Division of the Secretary of State’s office, 198711574253

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The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is a US nonprofit consortium of more than 100 colleges and universities providing research and training in the atmospheric and related sciences. UCAR manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and provides additional services to strengthen and support research and education through its community programs. Its headquarters, in Boulder, Colorado, include NCAR's Mesa Laboratory, designed by I.M. Pei.2

Corporate structure

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research sits at the top of its group. 5 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Boulder, Colorado, United States
    • Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory Subsidiary · Boulder, United States
    • High Altitude Observatory Subsidiary · South Kona, United States
    • National Center for Atmospheric Research Subsidiary · Boulder, United States
    • NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center Subsidiary · Cheyenne, United States

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

UCAR was established in 1959 by faculty from 14 universities to support the atmospheric sciences.

In 1960, the group's first major action, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, was to establish NCAR. Since then, UCAR has managed NCAR on behalf of NSF to address pressing scientific and societal needs involving the atmosphere and its interactions with the oceans, land, and Sun—what is now called Earth system science.

From Wikipedia’s article on University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Leadership

Who has led University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Chair

  1. Robert M. White1980–1983
1990200020102020

Subsidiaries and ownership

Subsidiaries

  • Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory
  • High Altitude Observatory
  • NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center
  • National Center for Atmospheric Research

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. Apr 12, 1946Founded University Corporation for Atmospheric Research is founded3

Funding

Where the company's money came from, by calendar year: private offerings filed with the SEC, federal grants, loans, contracts and other assistance from USAspending.gov, and PPP loans from the SBA. Each bar links to the records below.

Money received by year$4.0B 2008–2026
Money received by yearMoney received by year, 2008–2026: $4.0B in all. Federal grants $3.8B; Other federal assistance $22.9K; Federal contracts $263.7M.$0$100M$200M$300M2008 · Federal grants: $154.1M2008 · Federal contracts: $6.1M20082009 · Federal grants: $224.3M2009 · Federal contracts: $4.4M2010 · Federal grants: $231.5M2010 · Federal contracts: $5.6M20102011 · Federal grants: $240.0M2011 · Federal contracts: $4.7M2012 · Federal grants: $123.7M2012 · Federal contracts: $7.6M20122013 · Federal grants: $249.3M2013 · Federal contracts: $8.6M2014 · Federal grants: $153.8M2014 · Federal contracts: $5.6M20142015 · Federal grants: $171.1M2015 · Federal contracts: $10.0M2016 · Federal grants: $205.3M2016 · Federal contracts: $13.2M20162017 · Federal grants: $188.7M2017 · Federal contracts: $19.4M2018 · Federal grants: $231.2M2018 · Federal contracts: $16.7M20182019 · Federal grants: $221.3M2019 · Federal contracts: $19.9M2020 · Federal grants: $198.7M2020 · Federal contracts: $18.0M20202021 · Federal grants: $195.0M2021 · Federal contracts: $15.3M2022 · Federal grants: $197.3M2022 · Federal contracts: $21.0M20222023 · Federal grants: $219.0M2023 · Federal contracts: $21.4M2024 · Federal grants: $220.5M2024 · Other federal assistance: $22.9K2024 · Federal contracts: $19.9M20242025 · Federal grants: $229.8M2025 · Federal contracts: $22.5M2026 · Federal grants: $114.8M2026 · Federal contracts: $23.9M2026
Figures by year
YearFederal grantsOther federal assistanceFederal contractsTotal
2026$114.8M–$23.9M$138.7M
2025$229.8M–$22.5M$252.4M
2024$220.5M$22.9K$19.9M$240.3M
2023$219.0M–$21.4M$240.4M
2022$197.3M–$21.0M$218.3M
2021$195.0M–$15.3M$210.3M
2020$198.7M–$18.0M$216.7M
2019$221.3M–$19.9M$241.2M
2018$231.2M–$16.7M$247.9M
2017$188.7M–$19.4M$208.1M
2016$205.3M–$13.2M$218.5M
2015$171.1M–$10.0M$181.1M
2014$153.8M–$5.6M$159.4M
2013$249.3M–$8.6M$257.9M
2012$123.7M–$7.6M$131.3M
2011$240.0M–$4.7M$244.7M
2010$231.5M–$5.6M$237.1M
2009$224.3M–$4.4M$228.7M
2008$154.1M–$6.1M$160.2M

Federal awards

Obligated amounts from USAspending.gov5, by calendar year, 2008–2026, for 2 registered units, including subsidiaries under the same parent. Obligations are what agencies committed, not always what was paid out. Contracts pay for goods and services; grants, loans and direct payments are assistance. Loans are charted at the face value of the loans listed here. An award’s amount below is its lifetime total, and some began before the years charted.

Largest grants

  1. Oct 1, 2008$1.1B from National Science Foundation: Geosciences; Polar Programs6 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award 0856145
  2. Oct 1, 2018$1.0B from National Science Foundation: Geosciences; Computer And Information Science And Engineering; Biological Sciences; Polar Programs7 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award 1755088
  3. Oct 1, 2003$167.6M from National Science Foundation: Geosciences; Polar Programs8 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award 0404790
  4. May 1, 2006$61.8M from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Climate And Atmospheric Research9 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award NA06OAR4310119
  5. Oct 1, 2011$48.4M from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Hydrologic Research10 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award NA11NWS4620014
  6. Jun 1, 2010$48.1M from National Science Foundation: Geosciences11 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award 1034857
  7. Oct 1, 2009$41.5M from National Science Foundation: Geosciences12 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award 0963686
  8. Sep 1, 2011$41.0M from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Climate And Atmospheric Research13 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award NA11OAR4310213

Largest contracts

  1. Jun 3, 2016$15.3M from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Igf::ot::igf cosmic-2 data processing center14 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award DOCAB133E16CN0070
  2. Sep 25, 2013$10.4M from National Science Foundation: Igf::ot::igf other functions - usgcrp administrative support services15 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award NSFDACS13C1421
  3. Oct 15, 2020$9.5M from Department of the Air Force: Commercial weather data program: commercial and classified data assessment16 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award FA873021C0008
  4. Jun 1, 2008$8.8M from Washington Headquarters Services: Operation, maintenance and additional refinements of external modeling system. tas::97 0100::tas17 To SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE (STAR INSTITUTE) Award HQ003408C1026
  5. Jun 1, 2004$8.5M from National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Nra award to provide support for the measurement of pollution in troposphere(mopitt) team leader.18 To UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Award NNG04HZ26C

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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