shall not be taken from the existing NOAA cooperative institutes. (c) Program elements The program described in subsection (b) shall focus on the following activities: (1) Improving the fundamental understanding of weather, including the boundary layer and other processes affecting high impact weather events. (2) Improving the understanding of how the public receives, interprets, and responds to warnings and forecasts of high impact weather events that endanger life and property. (3) Research and development, and transfer of knowledge, technologies, and applications to the National Weather Service and other appropriate agencies and entities, including the United States weather industry and academic partners. (d) Extramural research (1) In general In carrying out the program under this section, the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research shall collaborate with and support the non-Federal weather research community, which includes institutions of higher education, private entities, and nongovernmental organizations, by making funds available through competitive grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. Preference shall be given to applicants with significant expertise in severe weather research that are co-located with existing NOAA intramural weather related laboratories. (2) Extramural academic partners Of the funds authorized in subsection (e), not less than 80 percent shall be dedicated to research of extramural academic partners. (e) Authorization of appropriations For each of fiscal years 2021 and 2022, there are authorized out of funds appropriated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, $10,000,000 to carry out the activities of this section. 405. Next generation digital radar (a) Findings Congress finds that— (1) the national weather radar network is aging, and procurement and replacement must begin by early in the decade commencing with the year 2030