The Social Science Woven into Meteorology (SSWIM) initiative at the National Weather Center weaves social science concepts and methodologies into the fabric of weather and climate applications.

 

SSWIM considers complex problems at the intersection of weather, climate, and society. We address challenges and opportunities including, but not limited to, improving forecasts and warnings, reducing social vulnerability to natural hazards, and understanding community and cultural adaptations to weather extremes, climate variations, and climate change.

 

SSWIM’s objectives are innovative research and capacity building through

 

· Increasing the appreciation of the value of qualitative as well as quantitative approaches including archival, ethnographic, statistical, and participatory methods

· Partnering with public, private, and academic sectors, including students, practitioners, and policymakers across the spectrum of stakeholders

VISION We lead efforts to creatively and sustainably weave social science concepts and methodologies into the fabric of weather and climate research and practice through academic and professional activities locally, nationally, and globally.

MISSION We promote collaborative research and partnerships between the social sciences and meteorology, climatology, and hydrology that enhance societal relevance and reduce risks from atmospheric and related hazards.

 

SSWIM facilitates a paradigm shift from conventional disciplinary perspectives to new integrated ways of knowing and communicating about weather and climate that

 

· Integrates seamless end-to-end relationships in weather and climate applications

· Serves as a sustainable social science program for the National Weather Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

· Cultivates a cadre of PhD students and graduates from diverse disciplines

· Provides grassroots social science education to weather and climate professionals

· Brings together researchers and practitioners working along the continuum from weather to climate

Based at the National Weather Center on the University of Oklahoma in Norman,SSWIM is supported by a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its National Severe Storms Laboratory, the OU-NOAA Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, the OU College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, the OU Center for Spatial Analysis, the OU Vice President for Research, and the Oklahoma Climatological Survey.