The Interagency Council on Advancing Meteorological Services (ICAMS) is co-chaired by the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, the latter of whom is also the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology. The Interagency Meteorological Coordination Office (IMCO) provides administrative and logistical support to, and operates under guidance from ICAMS. The work of the ICAMS is organized under four primary committees:
Each of these committees oversees subcommittees and working groups focused on different aspects of meteorological services and work to coordinate the Council’s priorities across the Federal Government.
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ICAMS is co-chaired by the director of OSTP, and the NOAA Administrator. The NOAA Administrator is also the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology. The IMCO is led by an Executive Director and Deputy Director.
All four ICAMS committees are responsible for engaging in the effective transition of research to operations and operations to research (R2O/O2R), as well as applications and demonstrations (R2X), and for the broad advancement of meteorological services. Mechanisms include: test beds, both within and external to the U.S. Government, that naturally and continuously undertake R2O and O2R, engaging other stakeholder sectors (universities, for-profits, non-profits) and other platforms that facilitate R2O and O2R; and other mechanisms that enable the transition of research into meteorological R2X.
All committees are responsible for ensuring effective communication among ICAMS committees and with other relevant Federal coordination organizations (e.g., National Science and Technology Council [NSTC] groups).
The Committee on Services coordinates meteorological services encompassing weather, climate, hydrological, ocean, and related environmental services. Services include all relevant activities that provide value to society whether over land, at sea or in the air.
The Committee on Research and Innovation coordinates an Earth system approach to advance meteorological services including definition of research topics, community engagement, coordination among research organizations, engagement of multi-sector enterprise to maximize technological innovation, creation of new modalities/processes/efficiencies, building collaborations, and pursuing frontier capabilities.
The Committee on Observational Systems coordinates all relevant land/air/ocean/space-based observation systems and associated data capabilities for meteorological research and services.
The Committee on Cyber Facilites & Infrastructure coordinates all relevant computing, data, networking, and security elements for operations and research.