Published: 2007
Total Pages: 35
Get eBook
Established in Fiscal Year (FY) 1997, the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) promotes the goals of assuring national security, advancing economic development, protecting quality of life, and strengthening science education and communication through improved knowledge of the ocean. The National Ocean Research Leadership Council (NORLC), comprising leaders of fifteen Federal agencies, guides NOPP in identifying and carrying out partnerships among Federal agencies, industry, and other members of the ocean sciences community in support of those goals. In FY 2004, NOPP developed a new Ten-Year Strategic Plan with four goals: (1) Achieve and Sustain an Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS); (2) Promote Lifelong Ocean Education; (3) Modernize Ocean Infrastructure and Enhance Technology Development; and (4) Foster Interagency Partnerships to Increase and Apply Scientific Knowledge. The overall fiscal investment in NOPP generally consists of two types of efforts. NOPP-Funded Activities are those that are either solicited or managed by NOPP and involve support from two or more agencies. Overall investment in NOPP-Funded Activities, which totaled $31 million in FY 2006, has increased significantly since the program's inception. By issuing proposal solicitations from FY 1997 to FY 2006, NOPP has funded 110 projects, including 21 renewal projects. Of the total funds awarded during this period, approximately 59 percent, 25 percent and 16 percent were awarded to academia, government and industry (including non-governmental organizations/others), respectively. Three new projects were funded in FY 2006 focusing on models for coastal sediment transport, understanding and predicting climate using the Argo float system, and analyzing the ocean sciences, technology and operations workforce.