THE EARTH SCIENCES DIVISION OF THE NASA/GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER AND THE COLLEGE OF COMPUTER MATHEMATICAL AND NATURAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AT COLLEGE PARK SHARE COMMON RESEARCH GOALS IN THE AREAS OF METEOROLOGY OCEANOGRAPHY TERRESTRIAL PHYSICS CLIMATERESEARCH CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE AND SATELLITE RESEARCH. A COMPREHENSIVE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT ESTABLISHED THE EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE INTERDISCIPLINARY CENTER (ESSIC) IN 1999. ESSIC IS INTENDED TO SERVE AS A MEANS TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RESEARCH ANDTEACHING THROUGH CLOSE COLLABORATION BY BOTH PARTIES AND SERVE AS A MEANS TO TRAIN PERSONNEL FOR RESEARCH IN EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE. ALL APPOINTEES TO ESSIC SHALL PARTICIPATE IN THE EDUCATIONAL MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY BY ADVISING GRADUATE STUDENTS IN ADDITION TO CONDUCTING COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO REQUEST A CONTINUATION OF THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT ENABLING THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND TO CARRY OUT A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM WITH GODDARD EARTH SCIENCES WITH THE GOAL OF FURTHERING ITS MISSION: THE EARTH SCIENCES DIVISION ATNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER PLANS ORGANIZES EVALUATES AND IMPLEMENTS A BROAD PROGRAM OF RESEARCH ON OUR PLANET'S NATURAL SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES. MAJOR FOCUS AREAS INCLUDE CLIMATE CHANGE SEVERE WEATHER THE ATMOSPHERE THE OCEANS SEA ICE AND GLACIERS AND THE LANDSURFACE. GSFC HAS FOR OVER 50 YEARS BEEN A LEADER IN EARTH SCIENCE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT. ESSIC SEEKS TO BUILD EVEN STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS WITH GODDARD IN THE AREAS OF METEOROLOGY OCEANOGRAPHY TERRESTRIAL PHYSICS CLIMATE RESEARCH CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH'SATMOSPHERE AND SATELLITE RESEARCH. WE ENVISION THIS LATEST COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AS A MEANS TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RESEARCH AND TEACHING THROUGH CLOSE COLLABORATION BY BOTH PARTIES AND SERVE AS A MEANS TO TRAIN PERSONNEL FOR RESEARCH CAREERS IN EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE. THIS PROPOSAL SUMMARIZES CURRENT RESEARCH THEMES THAT CAN BE CARRIED OUT JOINTLY BY NASA/GSFC AND ESSIC RESEARCHERS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AS WELL AS PROSPECTIVE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES LAYING A VISION INTO WHAT CAN ACCOMPLISHED IN SCIENCE THROUGH THIS COOPERATIVEAGREEMENT. AT THE DISCRETION OF NASA/GSFC RESEARCHERS AT ESSIC CAN ENGAGE IN A LARGER PORTFOLIO OF AREAS OF INTEREST TO GODDARD E.G. BIOSPHERIC SCIENCES OCEAN ECOLOGY TERRESTRIAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS. UMD IS OFFICIALLY CLASSIFIED BY NASA AS A AANAPISI (ASIAN AMERICAN NATIVE AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER SERVING INSTITUTION); THE UNIVERSITY ALSO HOUSES>12% OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND>10 %HISPANIC STUDENTS PROVIDING A VERY RICH POOL OF UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IN STEM TO THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT. WE PROPOSE TO BOOST THE PARTICIPATION OF THESE STUDENTS IN RESEARCH THROUGH INTEGRATED RESEARCH EDUCATION AND INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES THAT CAN BE OF BENEFIT TO NASA/GSFC AND TO THEIR FUTURE CAREERS IN STEM FIELDS.