Applications Invited for the 6th Cycle Solicitation UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science

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About the Organization

UAEREP is at the forefront of advancing rainfall enhancement research and driving innovations that strengthen global water security. With a focus on pioneering new technologies and fostering international partnerships, UAEREP promotes the translation of science into deployable solutions for rain enhancement, in line with the UAE’s global leadership in water security.

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), managed by the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) in the UAE, is an international research initiative designed to advance the science and technology of rain enhancement by offering managed grant assistance to selected teams of researchers who present innovative ideas and project proposals relevant to the targeted research areas of each program cycle.

About the Grant

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement (UAEREP) requests innovative research and technology proposals that advance the field of rain enhancement, particularly in arid regions. To date, the program has funded 14 awards (across 5 award cycles), which have advanced, and continue to advance, the science and technologies that underpin cloud seeding operations in the UAE and have contributed to the global knowledge base on rain enhancement.

This 6th Cycle proposal solicitation is based on the newly articulated vision and strategic elements of the program. The National Center of Meteorology’s (NCM) vision is for UAEREP to become the globally recognized standard for rain enhancement research, development, demonstration, and deployment of technologies and operations that enhance rainfall and water security in the UAE and globally.

To achieve this vision, the UAEREP strives to:

• Establish scientifically validated technology platforms and verification techniques that contribute to enhancing rainfall and water security in the UAE and globally
• Position the UAE as the global leader in the science, technology, and implementation of rain enhancement

The program is built on the following pillars:

• Managed Grant Assistance: Technical oversight and evaluation
• International Collaboration: Industry-government-academia
• Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer
• Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation

Priority Research Areas:

Over the past year, NCM has undertaken a carefully coordinated strategic planning activity involving external experts in rain enhancement and related fields.

For the UAEREP’s 6th Cycle, the program will focus on five Strategic Elements / Thrust Areas:

• Optimized Seeding Materials
• Novel Cloud Formation and/or Rain Enhancement Systems
• Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft Systems
• Limited-Area Climate Interventions
• Advanced Models, Software, and Data

Progress toward operational readiness in the five Thrust Areas proceeds through a series of steps identified as:

• Fundamental Research (including simulations)
• Applied Research (including simulations and software/code development)
• Technology Development and Demonstration (including engineering-scale prototypes and software development)
• System Demonstrations and Validations
• Products and Services

In the current funding cycle, projects will be selected based on their potential contribution to advancing the program toward targeted outcomes for 2030. Proposed projects should endeavor to advance the program by generating new knowledge and technologies that will either move technologies forward toward deployment readiness or offer new and innovative insights and approaches to achieving the goals of one or more thrust areas. All proposed projects should describe a clear direction toward operational readiness (e.g. from Fundamental Research to Technology Development, or from Prototype to System Demonstration and Validation). Therefore, articulation of progress toward technology readiness according to the steps shown above is essential. Redundancy or overlap with previously funded awards should be avoided. Proposers are encouraged to review the results from prior awards to ensure new investigations advance the program rather than repeat previous efforts. Furthermore, involvement of the UAE research community in proposed activities is strongly encouraged.

Characteristics of a Successful Proposal:

Projects should carefully describe the observational, modeling, and data analysis strategies that will be used. The creation and use of comprehensive databases, historical and new data, and the analysis and reanalysis of previous experiments are strongly encouraged, as is the planning and implementation of field experiments and campaigns.

Proposers should carefully review projects funded in the four cycles of the program (links are provided for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021 and 2023 awarded projects). Emphasis should be given to the development of high-impact, large team projects involving academic, industry, and government collaborators; i.e. multi-institutional, multi-national collaborations, and linkages between universities/colleges, national laboratories, private sector research laboratories, and/or state and local government organizations, as appropriate to the project. Projects that address multiple Thrust Areas in a coordinated manner and effectively leverage resources among partner organizations will be prioritized. Proposals should provide sufficient detail about these resources such that their benefits to the program can be adequately assessed.

As noted above, proposals should aim to achieve an advanced level of technology readiness by the completion of the research program. Prototype and/or model validation in a research environment is the minimum expectation and the most competitive proposals will include technology and/or model validation in a relevant demonstration or production environment. Field testing of a developed technology and/ or integration of developed software tools with weather research and forecasting systems is desired. Proposals should specify the initial and targeted technology readiness. The progression from its starting point to a higher level of operational readiness should be described and will be considered in the evaluation of proposals.

Successful proposals in this competition will have the following general characteristics:

• A clear description of how the proposed research will build on or enhance previous work in the rain enhancement field, particularly research previously supported by the UAEREP.
• A clear hypothesis on which the work plan is based.
• Clear milestones and deliverables toward focused outcomes and not necessarily solutions to all problems.
• A scope and scale to fully justify the proposed funding request.
• Sufficient expertise and experience of the project team to effectively carry out a multi-institutional, complex project.
• A demonstrated institutional commitment by the lead organization and any partnering institutions

Additionally, all successful proposals will include the following specific components:

• A project plan that integrates research, capacity building/education, and knowledge transfer activities, with inclusion of all partners and affiliates as appropriate. The knowledge transfer plan should include significant intellectual exchange among various types of institutions and organizations; in particular, collaboration with NCM personnel throughout all stages of the project will ensure seamless transition of research outcomes to cloud seeding operations.
• A plan for social and environmental stewardship through community outreach and environmental impact assessment and mitigation, as appropriate to the project.
• A detailed management plan that describes sound mechanisms for project oversight, team communications, risk mitigation, and financial monitoring.

The program will support up to three awards. It is anticipated that the awards will be valued up to $1.5 million each and dispersed over a three-year period. All awards will be selected by a rigorous, two-stage merit review process, and awardees will be announced in January 2026.

Eligibility

Domestic (UAE) or foreign, public or private, non-profit or for-profit organizations are eligible to receive this cooperative agreement award. All eligible entities must clearly demonstrate that they have access to the facilities and infrastructure necessary to carry out the proposed project. Eligible entities must also agree to the fiscal arrangements that the Program Secretariat requires to ensure that awardees are able to responsibly manage the funds.

Principal Investigator (PI): The PI must have substantial research and management experience in the associated field of science and/or engineering to lead the Project. Co-PIs may share in the responsibility of the scientific or technical direction of the project. The first name listed on the application will serve as the primary liaison to the Program Secretariat and have responsibility for the project management and the submission of reports.

How to Apply

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Tags Environment and Sustainability Innovations and Technology Research Others