Building on its previous success with NOAA’s SBIR program, Salient continues to expand its innovative approaches for enhanced climate forecasting

BOSTON — Nov. 12, 2024 — Salient Predictions, the leader in subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) weather forecasting and insights, has been awarded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). These grants will drive research and development aimed at improving forecast accuracy for both water availability and extreme temperature events, addressing critical challenges posed by climate change.

The NOAA SBIR Phase II grant will support the continuation of Salient’s hydrological research and development that uses machine learning and ocean variables to improve S2S predictions of water availability in the U.S. With improved water predictability, decision makers in industries such as agriculture, energy, and water management will be able to make more informed decisions.

“NOAA continues to recognize the critical need for advancing predictive capabilities related to water availability. The technology that Salient has proposed in this Phase II effort aligns well with NOAA's mission to improve our knowledge and management of water resources in a changing climate,” said SBIR Program Manager Michele Pollard.

The NSF SBIR Phase I grant aims to improve extreme temperature forecasts, empowering businesses and local governments to better prepare for temperature anomalies. The project will leverage a combination of physical modeling and machine learning techniques to create a model that can more accurately forecast extreme temperature events on a subseasonal time horizon. 

“NSF accelerates the translation of emerging technologies into transformative new products and services,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. “We take great pride in funding deep-technology startups and small businesses that will shape science and engineering results into meaningful solutions for today and tomorrow.”

‍Matt Stein, CEO of Salient, added, "The NOAA and NSF grants enable us to deliver better water availability and extreme temperature forecasts, which are crucial for our customers in planning and mitigating the effects of climate volatility. With these enhanced predictions, our customers can make more informed decisions that lead to stronger adaptation and resiliency strategies."

For more information on Salient’s revolutionary S2S forecasting solution, visit: www.salientpredictions.com/forecasts

About the NSF’s Small Business Programs
America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $9 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. For more information, visit seedfund.nsf.gov.

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