The NOSB was first conducted in the winter and spring of 1998 in honor of the International Year of the Ocean. The grand prize was a trip to EXPO '98 in Lisbon, Portugal aboard the USNS Pathfinder. The 1999 national winning team received full scholarships to participate in the Secretary of the Navy's Engineering and Science Residential Program. Venues The regional competitions of the NOSB are conducted at CORE institution facilities in February. The finalist teams compete in the NOSB finals in Miami, FL, in April.
Finalists receive recognition and prizes for participating in the finals.
Details on Competitions CORE and NMEA, with the assistance of the Technical Advisory Panel, prepare the competition rules and regulations and the specific questions used in both the regional and national competitions. The winning teams from each of the regional competitions are offered transportation to, and room and board in, Miami for the national finals. Regional Coordinators and Volunteers Regional sites are selected from among the CORE institutional membership for the regional bowl competitions. Each site has a staff member as the primary coordinator for the region. The regional coordinators are trained by CORE staff on how to organize and administer the regional competition.