Just a few minutes ago Nightline has a bit on these people. Evidently a good part of the financing comes from The Discovery Channel which buys the guy driving the armored vehicle's film. Film shot on an I-Max camera. With which he hopes to get the 'money shot' of a tornado overtaking him.

The rest of the team, the guy in the armor is just one of a whole crew, and possibly the only non-scientist, driving what looked like four vehicles. One of which was a large flat-bed truck with a doppler radar unit mounted on it. These science folks sound like they are finances by a university and are doing real research.