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Met Office Academic Partnership

A view of the earth in space, with rays of light from the sun appearing on the horizon.

Working together to advance weather and climate science

The Met Office provides weather forecasts, warnings and climate information to customers across the UK, helping government, the public, businesses and emergency responders to make informed decisions.  

We are a founding member of the Met Office Academic Partnership (MOAP), a strategic collaboration between the Met Office and eight leading UK universities that advances weather and climate science, prediction and services.  

Together, the partnership combines world-class academic research with operational expertise to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in weather, climate and environmental science. 

Our partnership strengthens collaboration in research, innovation, knowledge exchange and skills development. 

Why the partnership matters

MOAP helps translate cutting-edge research into operational weather and climate services. It enables researchers to work across organisational boundaries, supports staff exchanges and joint appointments, and strengthens the UK’s capability in weather forecasting and climate prediction.  

Through MOAP we will: 

• Promote collaborative research across weather and climate science. 
• Invest in the next generation of scientists and research leaders. 
• Support new funding opportunities and strategic research priorities. 
• Provide trusted scientific expertise that informs national capability and services. 

The MOAP is managed through a Research Advisory Panel comprising members of the University of Leeds and the Met Office.  

Our expertise

At Leeds, MOAP coordinates multidisciplinary expertise across observations, predictions and projections, post-processing and analysis, and products and services. Researchers from environmental sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, computer science, engineering, and other disciplines help address major weather and climate challenges.  

MOAP Leeds spans four main capability areas:

  • observations
  • prediction and projection
  • post-processing and analysis
  • products and services.

Research and impact

MOAP Leeds has:  

  • Published more than 700 peer-reviewed co-authored research papers with Met Office staff. 
  • Generated research with more than 26,000 citations. 
  • Contributed to several Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 impact case studies. 
  • Produced research on tropical weather systems and climate challenges that contributed to the award of the Queen's Anniversary Prize. 
  • Collaborated on major programmes including the Global Challenges Research Fund African SWIFT programme, the Centre for Greening Finance and Investment, and the UK Climate Resilience Programme. 

The partnership supports PhD studentships, doctoral training programmes, undergraduate and postgraduate student projects and placements, staff exchanges and secondments. We jointly help train the next generation of researchers, data scientists and climate experts. 

Jointly funded Chairs and academic staff provide leadership across the partnership, helping shape research programmes, support knowledge exchange, and create closer links between the University and the Met Office. 

Funding opportunities

The Met Office subcontract research through the MOAP Framework. Opportunities to tender are published and shared with colleagues by our Research and Innovation Service throughout the year. 

The Met Office are partners in multiple doctoral training centres and supports collaborative PhD projects (CASE PhD projects) involving a Met Office co-supervisor. The annual deadline for project submissions is early summer.  

MOAP has a Collaboration Fund which provides travel support for visits between the Met Office and the University of Leeds. Visits can range from a few days to months. 

The Met Office leads the Weather and Climate Science for Service Partnership (WCSSP) Programme and defrays funds to subcontract work to universities. These projects are established with specific partner countries identified by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Current programmes include the Climate Science for Service Partnership (CSSP) China and WCSSP programmes in South-East Asia, Brazil, South Africa and India. 

The Met Office is a project partner on many proposals funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the European Union's Horizon research and innovation programme (EU Horizon), and other funders.  

Find out more

For information about our participation in MOAP, or to become a MOAP Leeds member, email the MOAP team: moap@leeds.ac.uk.