any revision thereof, to the Congress, a summary of the 
proposed strategy shall be published in the Federal Reg-
ister for a public comment period of not less than 60 days. 
SEC. 803. NATIONAL OCEAN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM. 
(a) PURPOSES.—Building on the program established 
under section 7901 of title 10, United States Code, the 
Committee shall strengthen and maintain the National 
Ocean Partnership Program for the purposes of—
(1) coordinating and strengthening ocean and 
coastal science efforts to promote interagency goals 
and priorities established in the National Strategy 
for Ocean and Coastal Science; 
(2) identifying and providing support for part-
nerships among Federal agencies, academia, indus-
tries, and other members of the ocean and coastal 
science community in the areas of research and tech-
nology, education, data systems, observations, and 
communication; 
(3) monitoring trends in the Federal investment 
in ocean sciences research and development and in 
education for marine-oriented professions, focusing 
in particular on Federal workforce needs; and 
(4) reporting to Congress on the progress of 
partnership activities under the program.
(b) SELECTION CRITERIA.—Partnership projects for 
implementation under the program shall be reviewed, se-
lected, identified, and allocated funding based on the fol-
lowing criteria: 
(1) The project addresses critical scientific re-
search or education objectives or operational goals 
which add value through interagency cooperation. 
(2) The project has broad participation within 
the marine community. 
(3) The partners have a long-term commitment 
to the objectives of the project. 
(4) Resources supporting the project are shared 
among the partners. 
(5) The project includes a plan for education 
and outreach. 
(6) The project has been subjected to peer re-
view. 
(c) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than March 1 of 
each year, the Committee shall submit to Congress a re-
port on the National Ocean Partnership Program. The re-
port shall contain the following: 
(1) A description of activities of the program 
carried out during the fiscal year before the fiscal 
year in which the report is prepared, together with 
a list of the members of the Ocean Research and
Education Advisory Panel and any working groups 
in existence during the fiscal year covered. 
(2) A general outline of the activities planned 
for the program during the fiscal year in which the 
report is prepared. 
(3) A summary of projects continued from the 
fiscal year before the fiscal year in which the report 
is prepared and projects expected to be started dur-
ing the fiscal year in which the report is prepared 
and during the following fiscal year. 
(4) An analysis of trends in ocean-related 
human resource development, focusing in particular 
on Federal workforce needs, and in the Federal in-
vestment in ocean sciences research and develop-
ment. 
(5) A description of the involvement of the pro-
gram with Federal interagency coordinating entities. 
(6) The amounts requested, in the budget sub-
mitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105(a) of 
title 31, United States Code, for the fiscal year fol-
lowing the fiscal year in which the report is pre-
pared, for the programs, projects, and activities of 
the program and the estimated expenditures under 
such programs, projects, and activities during such 
following fiscal year.
(d) PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM OFFICE.—The Com-
mittee shall establish a partnership program office for the 
National Ocean Partnership Program. The Committee 
shall use competitive procedures in selecting an operator 
for the partnership program office and supervise perform-
ance of duties by such office. Responsibilities of the part-
nership program office shall include—
(1) establishment and oversight of working 
groups to identify potential themes suitable for part-
nership projects to the Committee and recommenda-
tions to the Committee on such projects; 
(2) management of the process for proposing 
partnership projects to the Committee, including the 
peer review process for such projects; 
(3) preparation and submission to the Com-
mittee of the annual status of all partnership 
projects and activities of the office; 
(4) development and maintenance of a database 
on investments by Federal agencies in ocean and 
coastal research and education and on the status of 
the national ocean and coastal workforce; and 
(5) any additional duties for the administration 
of the National Ocean Partnership Program or to 
support Committee activities that the Committee 
considers appropriate.
(e) CONTRACT AND GRANT AUTHORITY.—The Com-
mittee may authorize 1 or more of the departments or 
agencies represented on the Committee to enter into con-
tracts and make grants, using funds appropriated pursu-
ant to an authorization for the National Ocean Partner-
ship Program, for the purpose of implementing the pro-
gram and carrying out the responsibilities of the National 
Oceans Council. 
(f) INTERAGENCY
FINANCING.—The departments 
and agencies represented on the Committee are authorized 
to participate in interagency financing and share, transfer, 
receive, and spend funds appropriated to any member of 
the Committee for the purposes of carrying out any ad-
ministrative or programmatic project or activity under the 
National Ocean Partnership Program, including support 
for a common infrastructure and system integration for 
an ocean observing system. Funds may be transferred 
among such departments and agencies through an appro-
priate instrument that specifies the goods, services, or 
space being acquired from another Committee member 
and the costs of the same. 
(g) FORMS OF PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS AND ACTIVI-
TIES.—(1) A partnership project or activity under the Na-
tional Ocean Partnership Program may be established by 
any instrument that the Committee considers appropriate,
including grants, memoranda of understanding, coopera-
tive research and development agreements, and similar in-
struments. 
(2) The Committee shall establish uniform proposal 
request and application procedures and reporting require-
ments for use by each department and agency represented 
on the Committee that are applicable to all projects and 
activities under the National Ocean Partnership Program. 
(3) Projects under the program may include dem-
onstration projects. 
SEC. 804. OCEAN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ADVISORY 
PANEL. 
(a) MEMBERSHIP.—The Committee shall maintain 
an Ocean Research and Education Advisory Panel con-
sisting of not less than 10 and not more than 18 members 
appointed by the chair, including the following: 
(1) One member representing the National 
Academy of Sciences. 
(2) One member representing the National 
Academy of Engineering. 
(3) One member representing the Institute of 
Medicine. 
(4) Members selected from among individuals 
representing ocean industries, State governments, 
academia, nongovernmental organizations, and such