Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Technology Transfer Success

A science center building located near the ocean

Missions accomplished: research partnerships advance NOAA innovation

CRADA Success, Featured Story, Partnerships, Technology Partnerships Office News / By

Public-private collaborations drive NOAA successes in 2022 Public-private partnerships are vital for bringing private sector innovation and agility to NOAA’s research and development efforts. One of the key tools in NOAA’s partnership toolkit is the CRADA, or Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. “A CRADA is a flexible tool that helps NOAA work quickly and easily with the private sector. CRADAs help facilitate a collaborative, two-way exchange of information, technologies, and ideas,” says NOAA Technology Transfer Program Manager, Wayne Mackenzie. A CRADA is a formal agreement that allows federal and non-federal partners to do collaborative research and develop new science into commercially-available technologies. Specifically, CRADAs establish partnerships between NOAA Laboratories or Science Centers and private U.S. companies, universities, and other entities. These valuable tools help create flexible and agile collaboration spaces by allowing partners to more quickly and easily share ideas, expertise, facilities, and other research materials.  This graph shows new CRADAs signed and total active CRADAs over the last two decades. The decrease in total active CRADAs shown during FY21 represents the closing out of a number of agreements due to COVID-19. Courtesy of NOAA TPO. The NOAA Technology Partnerships Office (TPO) is responsible for managing all of NOAA’s CRADAs. TPO initiated 18 new CRADAs in Fiscal Year 2022, which is the highest number of agreements ever to be started in one year at NOAA. NOAA and its research partners benefitted from a total of 52 active CRADAs this year. The number of CRADAs at NOAA is increasing as more federal researchers and potential partners understand the value of existing public-private research and development efforts.  Following are some of the CRADA partnership highlights from this year: Satellite technology to provide faster and more accurate forecasts NOAA and Boston-based company tomorrow.io joined forces to provide more timely access to satellite data and scientific models that decision-makers can use to protect the nation’s security, environment, economy, and quality of life. Tomorrow.io is a weather intelligence and climate security platform that provides information and data visualizations to help countries, businesses, and individuals better manage weather- and climate-related challenges, such as coastal flooding. NOAA is working with tomorrow.io’s new satellite constellation to combine the company’s hyper-local data with NOAA’s global weather models. The goal is to produce accurate and high-resolution precipitation forecasts for very large areas. Tomorrow.io’s climate adaptation web platform, which is powered by its proprietary weather intelligence and weather api. Courtesy of tomorrow.io A collaboration advances oyster probiotic research NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center has teamed up with a number of companies to test a new technology that could improve oyster larvae survival rates in hatcheries around the world. The collaborators are working together to test the effectiveness of a NOAA-developed oyster probiotic called OY15. Through a special CRADA collaboration called a Material Transfer Agreement, NOAA transferred the probiotic to a company called Prospective Research, Inc. so it could be further developed into a commercially-available form. Then, a new powdered version of the probiotic was again transferred to three oyster hatcheries – Pacific Hybreed, Inc., Taylor Shellfish Farms, and Cartron Point Shellfish, Ltd. – so it could be further tested and refined to give oyster hatchery farmers an advantage against disease. Read more about this public-private research collaboration. A lab technician demonstrates a freeze-dried formulation of oyster probiotic OY15. Courtesy of Rose Leeger. Uncrewed ocean vessel technology benefits from tank tests NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center has granted two small companies access to use their Ocean Technology Development Test Tank. The companies will use the tank to test their uncrewed ocean research vehicles before performing more tests in the ocean. California-based Seatrec, Inc. is developing an uncrewed sea profiling float that will help NOAA researchers generate and communicate scientific data that informs marine life management and conservation efforts. San Diego-based SubSeaSail, LLC is developing an autonomous vessel that will also use the tank for testing. These public-private collaborations are made possible using a third type of CRADA called a Facilities Use Agreement. NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center is located in La Jolla, CA. Courtesy of NOAA. Climate prediction capabilities get a boost from the cloud Microsoft and NOAA have teamed up to leverage the Azure Artificial Intelligence platform and high-performance cloud computing capacity to improve NOAA’s environmental prediction capabilities. “We are excited about the potential of partnering NOAA’s environmental intelligence with Microsoft’s cloud computing in hopes of amplifying NOAA’s ability to predict climate, weather, and ocean changes,” said NOAA Administrator Dr. Rick Spinrad. A key goal of this partnership is to create a searchable data catalog that supports public policy, economic growth, environmental protection, and increased climate resiliency. Read more about how this project will support NOAA’s mission to create a Climate-Ready Nation. NOAA and Microsoft have formed a partnership to harness Microsoft’s cloud computing expertise to help advance NOAA’s mission to predict climate, weather and ocean changes. Courtesy of NOAA CRADA impacts on the future The cumulative economic and scientific impact of NOAA’s public-private partnerships is significant. These collaborations increase NOAA’s capacity to do scientific research, stimulate technological innovation, and generate broad economic value for the U.S. economy, the global New Blue Economy, and individual U.S. businesses. As scientific research is called upon to inform solutions for some of society’s most pressing challenges, partnerships are essential and CRADAs unlock enormous potential for collaborative problem-solving and innovation. Visit the NOAA Partnerships Page for additional information about the NOAA Technology Transfer Program, view a list of NOAA’s active CRADAs, and read about other CRADA success stories.  Note: Any reference obtained from this website to a specific company, product, process, or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by NOAA. Story published on December 22, 2022 by Matthew Bryant Media contact: suzi.webster@noaa.gov

world map with locations highlighted across Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean

Eruption highlights how NOAA technological innovation powers public safety, economic development, and scientific discovery

CRADA Success, Featured Story, NOAA Licensed Technology, NOAA Patented Technology, Oceans, Coasts & Great Lakes, Partnerships, Technology Transfer, Technology Transfer Success, UxS / By

When a volcano in the South Pacific Ocean erupted in January 2022, NOAA researchers were well-equipped to study the multi-hazard event by sky and by sea. Key technologies and strategic partnerships made it possible for NOAA to issue warnings that saved lives around the world, while also collecting scientific data that will improve forecasting models and disaster response for future events.

Public-private research partnerships are fueling NOAA innovation

CRADA Success, Featured Story, Partnerships, Technology Transfer Success / By

A record number of NOAA Cooperative Research and Development Agreements in 2021 has generated scientific and economic benefits Research partnerships are increasingly important as scientists work to address complex global problems like coastal resilience, food security, and climate change. Public-private partnerships, in particular, are vital for bringing private sector innovation and agility into NOAA’s research and development efforts. One of the key tools in NOAA’s partnership toolkit is the CRADA, or Cooperative Research and Development Agreement.  A CRADA is a formal agreement that allows federal and non-federal partners to do collaborative research and further develop new science into commercially-available products. CRADAs connect NOAA Laboratories or Science Centers with private U.S. companies, universities, and other entities, creating scientific partnerships across NOAA’s mission areas. CRADAs are valuable because they allow NOAA and non-federal partners to share ideas, technical expertise, facilities, and other research materials. The NOAA Technology Partnerships Office (TPO) is responsible for managing all of NOAA’s CRADAs. During Fiscal Year 2021, TPO initiated 18 new CRADAs, which is the highest number of these agreements ever to be started in one year at NOAA. This represents a 28% increase in the total number of new CRADAs from the previous fiscal year. Furthermore, NOAA and its research partners benefitted from a total of 57 active CRADAs this year, representing an increase of 24% from 2020. The number of CRADAs at NOAA is increasing as more federal researchers and non-federal partners see the value of existing public-private research and development efforts. Collaborations between NOAA and private-sector innovators accelerate research and development that supports both NOAA’s operations and commercialization within the private sector. This is important because more people can benefit from cutting-edge scientific discoveries and inventions when they are available on the commercial market. One example of an ongoing CRADA collaboration is NOAA’s partnership with U.S. biotechnology company, Prospective Research, Inc. NOAA researchers developed a probiotic to prevent disease in oysters and then began a public-private partnership with Prospective Research to further develop and test a freeze-dried version of the formula. The new shelf-stable probiotic has been shown to increase the survival rate of oyster larvae by 20-30% and is expected to be commercially available in 2022. The probiotic has the potential to increase sustainable aquaculture production worldwide. Another partnership between NOAA and the U.S. business, Saildrone, has simultaneously increased NOAA’s capacity to conduct innovative research and provide high-quality climate services, while also directly benefiting Saildrone and the U.S economy, more broadly. NOAA and Saildrone entered into a CRADA to explore how the company’s ocean drone technology could be further developed and strategically used to collect environmental data. Saildrone’s products have since been modified to support diverse NOAA research projects in the Arctic, across fisheries, around Antarctica, and even in the eye of a hurricane. The hurricane-equipped Saildrone Explorer was recently named one of the 100 Greatest Innovations of 2021. Video footage from on board Saildrone 1045 and animation showing location in Hurricane Sam on Sept. 30, 2021. As a result of this fruitful research partnership, NOAA scientists have been able to use the newly-collected data to improve storm forecasts, fisheries management, and climate services, while Saildrone has enjoyed a significant boom in business. According to a 2019 economic valuation study, during the three years after the 2014 CRADA with NOAA was established, Saildrone expanded their workforce from eight to over 100 employees and secured over $95 million in third-party investments into their technology. This influx of interest and sales can be partially attributed to the perceived scientific rigor associated with NOAA’s involvement in Saildrone’s product development. The economic benefits of Saildrone’s technology continue to increase– in October 2021, Saildrone announced the close of its $100 million Series C funding round. The company’s continued growth and success is creating jobs in several industries and is a significant asset for U.S. economies, especially in areas where Saildrones are created and deployed. While the NOAA-Saildrone partnership has been particularly successful, the cumulative impact of more than 50 active NOAA CRADAs underway cannot be overstated from either a scientific or an economic perspective. The collaborations increase NOAA’s capacity to do scientific research, while also stimulating technological innovation and generating broad economic value for the U.S. economy, the global New Blue Economy, and individual U.S. businesses. This economic impact was particularly important during the global COVID pandemic, so it is especially notable that NOAA reached its highest-ever annual number of new CRADAs during Fiscal Year 2021. Over the next year, TPO hopes to continue to expand NOAA’s use of CRADAs as a way to create partnerships. TPO is working with NOAA scientists and engineers to help them evaluate how a CRADA or other type of research partnership can most effectively support their research objectives. TPO also serves as the lead of the Partnerships Working Group under the Science and Technology Synergy Committee of the NOAA Science Council. TPO will continue to highlight the many ways that public-private partnerships support NOAA’s mission and stimulate innovation of new products bound for the commercial market. As scientific research is called upon to inform solutions for some of society’s most pressing challenges, partnerships are essential and CRADAs unlock enormous potential for collaborative problem-solving and innovation.