Met Office Academic Partnership Science Delivery Framework which includes Joint Chair Services for up to 8 Universities, Co-Sponsorship Agreements and Science Delivery Services Contracts for those Universities covering 11 research and innovation themes

Tender description

13 Lots in total covering Met Office Academic Partnership Services and Agreements, for up to 8 Universities covering: Lot 1 - Joint Chair Services - estimated annual spend up to £400,000 These are the Research and Innovation theme Lots - exact spend per Lot is an unknown, however spend per annum on contracts for services covering Lots 2 to 12 based on previous spend trends is approximately £1m in total. Lot 2 - Hazard to Decision Making Lot 3 - Research to Production Lot 4 - Producing, Refining and Delivering data Lot 5 - Seamless Environmental Prediction Lot 6 - Next Generation Modelling Systems Lot 7 - Fusing Simulation with Data Sciences Lot 8 - The Path to High Resolution Lot 9 - Producing and Exploiting Ensembles Lot 10 - Capturing Environmental Complexity Lot 11 - Technology Architecture and Innovation Lot 12 - Advancing Observations Lot 13 - Co-Sponsorship Agreements approximate spend per annum is £500,000 All Lots will be covered by up to 8 Universities. Each of the Lots numbered 2 to 12 may be represented by 1 or any number up to the maximum of up to 8 Universities. Lots 1 and 13 will be awarded to up to the same 8 potential Universities A strategic overview, operational overview and Commercial overview can be found https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/approach/collaboration/partnership The Bid documents will be available mid April 2022 when the contract notice goes live. Please register your interest on the ProContract Portal against the Project. A copy of the Met Office Research and Innovation Strategy can be found: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/r-i_strategy_full_version_sml.pdf Lot 1: Joint Chair Services The Met Office Academic Partnership (MOAP) is a cluster of research excellence bringing together the Met Office and leading UK Universities through a formal collaboration to advance the science and skill of weather and climate prediction. To foster the Partnership the Met Office invests in jointly funded chairs (‘MOAP Joint Chair Services’) with partner Universities. Up to 8 Universities will be awarded a place on Lot 1 to deliver Joint Chair Services. Lot 2: Hazard to Decision Making Hazard to Decision Making Research and Innovation Theme Expand and improve our services for stakeholders’ risk-based decision-making by working with users, social scientists, behavioural scientists, financial impact experts and engineers to gain an increased understanding of the impacts of hazards and to develop better impact-based services. **see the Strategy for further details https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/r-i_strategy_full_version_sml.pdf Lot 3: Research to Production Research to Production Theme Pull through developments in weather and climate research to improve our forecast systems, tailored to services in the forecasting timescales of primary interest to the Met Office and its customers. **see the Strategy for further details https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/r-i_strategy_full_version_sml.pdf Lot 4: Producing, Refining and Delivering data Producing, Refining and Delivering data Theme Develop the Met Office supercomputing estate for operations and research, establish the technology and science needed to move, store and process our data, and design a flexible post-processing framework to turn predictions and observations into customer products. **see the Strategy for further details https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/r-i_strategy_full_version_sml.pdf Lot 5: Seamless Environmental Prediction Seamless Environmental Prediction Theme Further develop our world-leading seamless environmental prediction capability, whereby a single model family is used in conjunction with observations and theory, to quantify weather hazards in the past, in present day climate and into the future across weather and climate timescales. **see the Strategy for further details https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/r-i_strategy_full_version_sml.pdf Lot 6: Next Generation Modelling Systems Next Generation Modelling Systems Theme Revolutionise the Met Office’s complete weather and climate research and operational simulation systems so that the Met Office and its partners are ready to fully exploit future generations of supercomputer. **see the Strategy for further details https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/r-i_strategy_full_version_sml.pdf Lot 7: Fusing Simulation with Data Sciences Fusing Simulation with Data Sciences Theme Use new and evolving data science methods such as artificial intelligence and machine learning and advanced data assimilation in order to remain at the cutting edge of weather and climate prediction and impact-based services. **see the Strategy for further details https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/r-i_strategy_full_version_sml.pdf Lot 8: The Path to High Resolution The Path to High Resolution Theme In order to better predict hazards and extremes, develop the next generation of very high resolution global and regional environmental prediction systems, based on global convection-permitting atmosphere models coupled to eddy-resolving ocean models and eddy-permitting regional atmosphere models coupled to estuary-resolving shelf-seas models. **see the Strategy for further details https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/r-i_strategy_full_version_sml.pdf Lot 9: Producing and Exploiting Ensembles Producing and Exploiting Ensembles Theme In order to include forecasts of uncertainty at the heart of our endeavour, develop ensemble-based systems and exploit them for prediction across timescales, while developing new and novel uses of ensemble information for improved understanding of weather and climate. **see the Strategy for further details https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/r-i_strategy_full_version_sml.pdf Lot 10: Capturing Environmental Complexity Capturing Environmental Complexity Theme In order to pioneer new and improved impact-based forecast services and advice on global climate change mitigation, extend our environmental prediction capability with a focus on cities, air quality, the water cycle, and carbon and nitrogen cycles. **see the Strategy for further details https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/r-i_strategy_full_version_sml.pdf Lot 11: Technology Architecture and Innovation Technology Architecture and Innovation - Further Information to follow in the contract notice Lot 12: Advancing Observations Advancing Observations - Further Information to follow in the Contract Notice Lot 13: Co-Sponsorship Agreements for up to 8 Universities Co-Sponsorship Agreements may be available for up to 8 Universities (The same Universities who achieve a Joint Chair Services place on Lot 1)