System for Public Access to Research Knowledge (SPARK)

The System for Public Access to Research Knowledge is a web-based open-science tool developed by NOAA’s Weather Program Office (WPO) to provide public access to project-level information on WPO-funded research. SPARK serves as the entry point to WPO’s research portfolio, offering a transparent view of active and completed projects and providing a historical look at WPO’s R&D investments. The tool helps users understand what research WPO funds, where it occurs, and how it contributes to advancing NOAA’s mission. Initially launched in 2023 (Hoekstra, Williamsberg, and Eosco, 2024), with projects from WPO’s Science, Technology, and Society Division, SPARK was expanded in late 2025 to include projects across all WPO divisions. This update also introduced an enhanced user experience with improved filtering and search capabilities, making it easier for users to navigate the 500+ projects in WPO’s research portfolio.