17th Conference on Transition of Research to Operations [17R2O]

Abstract Information

Abstracts are closed! The deadline was 11 August 2026 at 11:59 PM ET

Abstract Fee and Author Instructions
All presenters must also register for the meeting.

The 17th Conference on Transition of Research to Operations is sponsored by the American Meteorological Society and organized by the Board on Environmental Information Processing Technologies. 

The rate of meaningful research results in the Weather, Water and Climate disciplines and enterprises has been steadily increasing, especially in this era of “big data”, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and disruptive, innovative technologies. One of the grand challenges for these enterprises is to find which of these meaningful research results can, and the ways and means to, transition these results to operations and applications [R2O], using efficient and cost-effective techniques and technologies. R2O and O2R can provide those critical links in the transition chain of vast information to usable knowledge.

This 17R2O Conference will demonstrate how traditional and non-traditional observations, modeling and instrumentation, covering both complementary and often disparate, temporal and spatial scales, are identified and validated for past, present,
and future advances in research, technology and applications. These advances will drive transitions to meaningful operations in order to achieve and sustain a more thriving world. The 17R2O Conference will also support the national and international
imperatives for the effective and efficient transition of research into sustained operations and the feedback process of operations back to research.

17R2O is seeking papers describing recent advances in research, technology and applications including any that incorporate aspects of the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence/machine learning that will support the Nation’s ability to provide more responsive and accurate weather, water, and climate information to decision makers and end users around the world.

Call for Papers

The 17R2O Conference is inviting oral and poster presentations for the following Session Topics:

  • Advances in CubeSats, SmallSats, and UAS for Observations and Measurements of Earth’s Atmosphere Thermodynamic Structure and Processes, Winds, and Water Cycle Processes, and improvements in Climate Monitoring, Weather Forecasting, or Space Weather Prediction
  • Emerging Technologies for Earth or Space Sciences to Address Unmet, Targeted Needs/Requirements in the Research or Operational Communities
  • Advances in Satellite Observations, Earth Science, and Observing Technologies That Can Complement the Heritage Observation Systems and Potentially Lead to Advances in Next Generation Observation Systems
  • Special Session: NOAA’s Modeling Grand Challenge Initiative: Revolutionizing Weather Prediction Through Technology and Collaboration
  • Considerations for and Utilizations of the Unified Forecast System [UFS] and the Earth Prediction Innovation Center [EPIC]
  • Atmospheric River Reconnaissance: Observations, Science Advances, and Impact on Forecasts and Downstream Decision-Making
  • Advancing Hazards Forecasting and Decision Support through NOAA Testbeds and Proving Grounds
  • Advancing R2O of Short-Range Meso-analysis, Forecast Systems and Post- Processed Probabilistic Guidance: Technologies, Methods, and Applications that Inform Watches, Warnings, and Impact-Based Decision Support
  • NOAA Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program (HFIP): Advancing Hurricane Modeling, Analysis, Forecasting, and Risk Communication Through Implementation of Advanced Research and Technology
  • NOAA’s Subseasonal and Seasonal Applications: Stakeholder Needs, Modeling Systems, and Analysis
  • Leadership Panel Discussion: From Observations to Decisions: User-Centered Environmental Intelligence Across the Weather Enterprise Panel Discussion [Invited Papers Only]
  • User Engagement, From Insight to Decision: How Do We Know We Are Serving the Nation Well — and How Can We Improve?Advancing Essential Mission Services Through User Intelligence
  • Public-Private Partnerships for Advancing Water Resources R2O: NOAA Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH) Panel Discussion [Invited Presentations Only]
  • Flood Inundation Mapping [FIM]
  • Calibration/Validation for Environmental Remote Sensing and Weather Prediction
  • Applied Research and Operational Tools for Improved Snow and Water Supply Monitoring, Forecasting, and Situational Awareness
  • AI-R2O: Transitioning AI/ML Weather Forecast and Decision Support Systems from Research to Trusted Operations
  • Toward Research-to-Operations for Continental Field-Scale Evapotranspiration Mapping
  • Understanding and Evaluating Process Representation in Weather and Climate Models

Joint Sessions

Advances in CubeSats and SmallSats for Observations and Measurements of Earth’s Atmosphere Thermodynamic Structure and Processes, Winds, and Water Cycle Processes, and to Improve Climate Monitoring, Weather Forecasting, or Space Weather Prediction (Joint between the 17th Conference on Transition of Research to Operations [17R2O] and the 23rd Annual Symposium on Operational Environmental Satellite Systems [23OESS])


Considerations for and Utilizations of the Unified Forecast System [UFS] and the Earth Prediction Innovation Center [EPIC] (Joint between the 17th Conference on Transition of Research to Operations [17R2O] and the Sixth Symposium on Community Modeling and Innovation [6CMI])


AI-R2O: Transitioning AI/ML Weather Forecast and Decision Support Systems from Research to Trusted Operations (Joint between the 17th Conference on Transition of Research to Operations [17R2O] and the 26th Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Science [26AIES])


Advanced Products and Technologies That Can Be Used Now and Their Path to Quasi-Operational or Sustained Operations: The View from the Dry and the Wet Side (Joint between the 43rd Conference Environmental Information Processing Technologies [43EIPT] and the 17th Conference on Transition of Research to Operations [17R2O])


National and International Program Overviews for Environmental Satellites (Invited) (Joint between the 23rd Symposium on Operational Environmental Satellite Systems, the 28th Conference on Satellite Meteorology, Oceanography, and Climatology [28SATMOC], the 17th Conference on Transition of Research to Operations, and the 15th AMS Symposium on the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation)

Student Award Opportunities

The 17th Conference on Transition of Research to Operations, the 23rd Annual Symposium on Operational Environmental Satellite Systems, and the 28th Conference on Satellite Meteorology, Oceanography, and Climatology, are pleased to co-host Joint Student Presentation Awards at the 107th Annual Meeting. Award certificates and cash prizes of up to $200 will be given for the best Student oral and poster presentations.
Students who wish to be considered for these awards should indicate so when submitting their abstract. Please indicate your level of education at the time of submission, (examples: graduate student, undergraduate student, high school student). In order to be considered for an award, the Student must be the lead and presenting author.


The basis for an award will be:

  • Originality of the work
  • Quality of the presentation (oral and poster/slides)
  • The Student’s delivery.

Award recipients will be informed of the committee's decision by mid-February 2025.

Conference Contacts

For additional information, please contact the program chairs: Martin Yapur ([email protected]), Stephen Mango ([email protected])