MONROE – The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) for a total of $4,211,997.00. The cooperative agreement is titled “Assisting with Weather and Water Nowcasting and Forecasting Needs within the Lower Mississippi River Basin.” This award marks the largest federal contract in the university’s history.
“This record-breaking award is indicative of the level of quality and expertise in the ULM Atmospheric Science program,” said ULM President Dr. Carrie L. Castille. “We are grateful to the U.S. Army ERDC for recognizing the value that our university can bring to not only this region, but the entire nation. The data that will be collected through this project for years to come has the capability to influence decision makers and protect lives and property. Congratulations to our outstanding faculty and staff who have earned the right to see the realization of this project.”
The project is led by Dr. Todd Murphy, Professor of Atmospheric Science, and Dr. Ken Leppert, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science. The project seeks to improve nowcasting and forecasting of weather-related hazards across the broader Southeastern United States, including within and near the Lower Mississippi River Basin, by increasing observations and using those observations to improve regional numerical weather prediction.
The main objective of the project is the installation of 50 new environmental monitoring stations located not only in Louisiana, but also extending into parts of Arkansas and Mississippi. These stations will be similar to existing stations that are part of the Louisiana State Mesonet, a project run by the ULM Atmospheric Science program that has been operational since 2024 and is in the process of installing 50 stations statewide. The ERDC project will fund the deployment of one “supersite” that will include lower atmospheric profiling observations and will also add new capabilities to 13 existing Louisiana State Mesonet stations.
“We are specifically excited about the improvement in flood and drought monitoring capabilities and forecasting this project will enable,” said Murphy. “We know these are critical things important not only to our partners in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but also our regional partners in agriculture and forestry, the National Weather Service, emergency management, and other city and state officials.”
The $4.2 million award from the U.S. Army ERDC shows confidence in the technical capability and reliability of the ULM Atmospheric Science program. “Flood and drought nowcasting and forecasting requires dense, high-quality data collected across dozens of stations, and then the expertise to turn that data into a product that people rely on. The decision to not only fund an expansion of the current mesonet but the development of value-added products on top of that data shows the government sees ULM as a serious partner in solving real problems for the military and the people of the region,” added Murphy.
“The impact of this project on ULM, the state, and the region is immeasurable,” said Dr. John Pratte, Dean of the ULM College of Arts, Education, and Sciences. “For our students, it creates hands-on learning opportunities about weather and climate forecasting that will aid them in their future careers. For our faculty, it allows them to continue developing instrumentation, data, and models that will produce the next generation of tools for surviving extreme weather events. For the citizens of Louisiana and the Southeastern U.S., it will provide an extra layer of security for them and their businesses. The Atmospheric Science faculty has done a tremendous job in bringing this project to fruition.”
Murphy says work on the project will begin immediately, as he and the current mesonet team have been making preparations in anticipation of this funding. The new project will facilitate the creation of up to four full-time positions, including research associates, a web developer, and a second mesonet technician. Additionally, there will be up to four part-time roles for current ULM students dedicated to data analysis and deployment, and maintenance of the weather stations. More students may have the opportunity to work on the project in a volunteer capacity. “We are excited to be able to offer competitive, real-world, hands-on experience,” said Murphy. “These types of opportunities are so important for ensuring our students remain competitive in the job market, and to be able to offer that in-house is an incredible opportunity.”
While the current funding has been granted for the first year of the project, the contract contains an option for an additional $4.2 million in year two. The decision for year two funding will be made in the first half of 2027 by ERDC based on the progress and outcomes of year one.
Leppert says that the Atmospheric Science program has been running a daily regional weather model for some time, and this project allows that data to be expanded and turned into useful decision support tools. “The thing that really excites me about this project is the opportunity to work with a research associate to upgrade our modeling system, incorporate all the data we’re collecting to create the best forecast possible, and then produce useful flood, drought, and other products that substantially benefit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other decision makers in the region and state,” he added.
Murphy and Leppert agree that the awarding of this contract is a strong validation of the important work being done by the program. “The level of trust and confidence that the government is bestowing on the Atmospheric Sciences program and ULM by awarding such a large and complex award means a lot,” said Leppert.
The Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN) of the cooperative agreement between the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center and the University of Louisiana Monroe is W912HZ-26-2-A020.
Learn more about the ULM Atmospheric Science program at https://www.ulm.edu/atmos/
Learn more about the U.S. Army ERDC at https://www.erdc.usace.army.
Read more about the Louisiana State Mesonet: