Mississippi State University has been selected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to host its new five-year, $100 million environmental research institution.
The Cooperative Institute in the Northern Gulf of America, better known as CINGA, will bring researchers from nine institutions across the Gulf Coast to advance environmental research, sustainable resource management, coastal resilience, and forecasting. Building on a 20-year partnership between Mississippi State and NOAA, their Northern Gulf Institute will become CINGA.
“This collaboration builds on the 20-year partnership between NOAA and Mississippi State University through the Northern Gulf Institute,” Steve Thur, NOAA assistant administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, said. “CINGA will advance and support NOAA’s mission to apply science-based decision-making to the northern Gulf region.”
According to Mississippi State President Mark Keenum, the designation reinforces the school’s position as a national leader in coastal and oceanic research while simultaneously expanding opportunities for Mississippi scientists, Mississippi State students, and communities to address issues on the Gulf Coast.
“Mississippi State University is honored by NOAA’s selection and grateful for the opportunity to continue and expand this important partnership,” Keenum said. “This designation recognizes the world-class expertise of our faculty, researchers and staff, as well as the strength of the partnerships we have built throughout the Gulf region. The work of CINGA will generate discoveries that benefit coastal communities, strengthen economic opportunity and help ensure the long-term sustainability of one of America’s most important natural resources. We are proud to continue serving as NOAA’s trusted partner in this critical mission.”
Through CINGA, Mississippi state researchers and partners will aim to advance work that supports fisheries, coastal economies, maritime industries, hurricane and weather forecasting, ecosystem health, and community resilience across the Gulf Coast, particularly in Mississippi. The institute will also provide strong opportunities for students to gain hands-on research experience as they prepare for careers in science, technology, and natural resource management.
CINGA joins 16 other Cooperative Institutes across the country, comprising 80 universities and research institutions across 33 states and the District of Columbia.
Led by Mississippi State geosciences professor Jamie Dyer, he and the university will work with nine other institutions as well as NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, Fla., with the potential for CINGA to be renewed for an additional five years based on its success.
“This award reflects the extraordinary work of our researchers and partner institutions and the confidence NOAA has in our collective ability to serve the Gulf region,” Dyer said. “CINGA creates tremendous opportunities to deepen scientific collaboration, develop future workforce talent and provide actionable research that helps communities, resource managers and policymakers make informed decisions about the Gulf’s future.”
Other partnerships between NOAA and Mississippi State include a shared building at the Stennis Space Center and multiple supercomputing systems the university manages. Their partnerships include many impactful research projects, including advancing large unmanned drones in storm response to help NOAA officials better understand risk levels during and after floods.