National Science Foundation to break up major US climate research center in Colorado: OMB

White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said Wednesday that the National Science Foundation will be dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

The decision to break up the center, which was created in 1960 for research in atmospheric chemistry and physical meteorology, comes after the Trump administration reduced funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

The White House said it plans to identify and eliminate "green new scam research activities" during an upcoming review of the center in Boulder, according to USA Today, but critical functions will be moved to another location.

"This facility is one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country," Vought said on X. "A comprehensive review is underway & any vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location." 

The National Science Foundation, which is an independent agency, confirmed it was reviewing the center and remains committed to "providing world-class infrastructure for weather modeling, space weather research and forecasting."

"To do so, NSF will be engaging with partner agencies, the research community, and other interested parties to solicit feedback for rescoping the functions of the work currently performed by NCAR,” the foundation said in a statement.

The foundation added that it will also publish a "dear colleague" letter that details the agency’s follow-on actions, including whether it will transfer stewardship of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputer, and whether it will divest or transfer the two NSF aircraft that NCAR manages and operates.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.