The Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology, or CIROH, recently held its second annual science meeting at The University of Alabama. The meeting’s purpose was to review the advancement of CIROH’s research agenda, as well as strengthen the translation of research into practice.
Matt Womble, executive director of the Alabama Water Institute, said the institute was honored to host the meeting and is thrilled by the work and attendance.
“Throughout the meeting I was continually impressed by the diversity and talent of the team of water researchers and experts supporting CIROH, the team is truly second to none,” Womble said. “In just two short years, CIROH is clearly delivering on its promise to provide NOAA and other federal partners with unrivaled access to research prowess to advance the U.S. capability for operational water prediction.”
This year’s event allowed attendees to contribute ideas that influence the trajectory of CIROH. The agenda featured a combination of poster and lightning talks, roundtable discussions and presentations given by several speakers. To strengthen ties between its members and encourage professional advancement, a variety of community-building and networking opportunities were available throughout the meeting.
Opening events featured speakers discussing the current state of the consortium and building an overview of where its operations lie. Researchers also assessed the progress of ongoing projects and programs, as well as developed new ideas for research, education and outreach that are responsive to operational needs. The goal was to have participants create and revise a number of strategic ideas, research priorities, project progress reports and more.
“The project progress is incredible as in less than one year, CIROH’s research is advancing the field and achieving impact in operations,” said Dr. Steven Burian, CIROH executive director and AWI’s director of science. “It is exciting to see the CIROH approach to cooperatively strengthen research and operations working.”
CIROH created the yearly science meeting in an effort to build collaborative teams across the research community and progress toward its mission of advancing the field of water science and increasing community resilience to water hazards. By providing a space for its members to come together and contribute to revisions and new initiatives, CIROH hopes to foster increased collaboration among researchers, NOAA scientists, operational personnel and other experts.
This year’s meeting and event details are available on the CIROH website.