US research community sues to stop NCAR dismantling

UCAR (the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) has sued the US government and asked a court to freeze plans to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

• Main action:UCAR (a coalition of around 130 universities) sued the government in March and on 3 April asked a US district court judge to freeze plans to transfer stewardship of NCAR’s supercomputing center in Cheyenne, Wyoming; a court hearing took place on 7 May and Judge R. Brooke Jackson said he would issue a decision “as promptly as possible”.
• Background and timeline: Documents show the White House budget office instructed the NSF in November to begin restructuring NCAR to align with Administration priorities; the NSF requested proposals and public comments (deadline 13 March) but told NCAR officials on 12 February that it had decided to transfer the supercomputing center; UCAR argues the process is a “sham process” while the NSF says “a final decision has not been made to transfer stewardship.”