Physical and Dynamic Meteorology (PDM)

The Physical and Dynamic Meteorology (PDM) program funds basic research on atmospheric physics and dynamics at sub-synoptic scales, including processes relevant to, and impacted by, climate change.  Areas of supported research include, but are not limited to:

• Severe and hazardous weather, including tornadoes, tropical cyclones, organized convection, winter weather, and climate-driven extreme events.
• Aerosol, cloud, and precipitation physics, including cloud microphysics, aerosol-cloud-precipitation interaction, radiative transfer, and orographic processes.
• Atmospheric dynamics and exchange processes, including boundary layer meteorology, turbulence and atmospheric waves, land-atmosphere interaction, urban meteorology, and wildfire-atmosphere interactions.
• Atmospheric electricity, including lightning physics and cloud/atmosphere electrification processes.

PDM encourages a variety of study types, including theoretical, numerical, laboratory, and field observation-based research. PDM sponsors the development of new techniques and devices for atmospheric measurements through individual proposals and the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program.  If you have an instrument acquisition or development idea, please contact the program to determine the best mechanism for submission.

PDM jointly reviews proposals with the Climate and Large-scale Dynamics, Atmospheric Chemistry, Aeronomy, and Hydrologic Sciences programs, as well as with programs in other NSF divisions and directorates.  If you have any questions about where to submit your proposal, please feel free to contact any of the listed PDM program managers.  PDM does not fund proposals that are heavily weighted towards applied research and would be better suited at mission agencies. 

PDM funds observational research campaigns for studies of atmospheric processes.  If the proposed project will make use of the NSF-supported Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE), please contact the PDM and FARE program managers to discuss the project at an early stage.  Proposals using FARE assets will be submitted through the Facility and Instrumentation Request Process solicitation.      

PDM recommends that proposers integrate education, outreach, and dissemination activities into their research plans in compliance with NSF’s Broader Impacts criteria. 

PDM strongly encourages proposals from:

• PIs at all career stages, including through the AGS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship program.
• PIs at all institution types, including MSIs, non-R1 institutions, and institutions in EPSCoR jurisdictions.
• PIs from traditionally underrepresented groups in Atmospheric Sciences.

Proposals may be submitted at any time during the year.  Exceptions include cross-agency programs such as CAREER and MRI, and projects that make use of AGS-supported observational facilities which should follow the Facilities and Instrument Request Process solicitation.