[2] The CIMMS/CIWRO, a research organization created in 1978 by a cooperative agreement between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), promotes collaborative research between NOAA and OU scientists on problems of mutual interest to improve basic understanding of mesoscale meteorological phenomena, weather radar, and regional climate to help produce better forecasts and warnings that save lives and property.

CIMMS/CIWRO research contributes to the NOAA mission through improvement of the observation, analysis, understanding, and prediction of weather elements and systems and climate anomalies ranging in size from cloud nuclei to multi-state areas.

[3] CIMMS/CIWRO is part of the National Weather Center, a unique[citation needed] confederation of federal, state, and OU organizations that work together in partnership to improve understanding of the Earth's atmosphere.

National Weather Center organizations employ 650 individuals and provide more than $45 million annually to the Oklahoma economy.

[citation needed] CIMMS/CIWRO promotes cooperation and collaboration on problems of mutual interest among OU research scientists and students and the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) National Severe Storms Laboratory, NOAA Air Resources Laboratory, National Weather Service Radar Operations Center for the WSR-88D (NEXRAD) Program, NWS National Centers for Environmental Prediction Storm Prediction Center, NWS Warning Decision Training Division, the NWS Forecast Office in Norman, Oklahoma, and the NWS Training Center located in Kansas City, Missouri.