The primary institution responsible for the planning and execution of IMPROVE is the University of Washington (UW), with major funding provided by the Mesoscale Dynamic Meteorology Program and Physical Meteorology Program, Division of Atmospheric Sciences, National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Weather Research Program^*.

Within the UW Department of Atmospheric Sciences, the Cloud and Aerosol Research Group (CARG), comprising Prof.  Peter Hobbs,  Prof. Mark Stoelinga, John Locatelli, Art Rangno and graduate students, brings to IMPROVE extensive experience in cloud physics research, mesoscale research, and field project planning and execution.  The CARG's Convair-580 research aircraft was the major airborne platform for obtaining cloud and precipitation measurements in both of the IMPROVE field campaigns.

Professor Clifford Mass' group has developed a Real-time MM5 Mesoscale System that runs daily forecasts on a high-powered multi-processor workstation, and brings to IMPROVE considerable experience in mesoscale model development and applications, mesoscale research, and field project planning and execution.

Other key participants from the UW Department of Atmospheric Sciences include Prof. Robert Houze, Nick Bond, and Brad Smull.

IMPROVE also includes participation from researchers and operational meteorologists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Seattle Office of the National Weather Service, the U.S. Navy (Whidbey Island NAS), the State University of New York--Stonybrook, NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

* Note: Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed on this web site are those of the scientists participating in IMPROVE, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the U. S. Weather Research Program.