(2) National ocean partnerships, building part-
nerships among Federal agencies, academia, indus-
tries, and other members of the ocean and coastal 
science community in the areas of research, edu-
cation, data systems, and communication. 
(3) Marine science facility support, ensuring the 
procurement, maintenance, and operation of the na-
tional oceanographic research fleet and related infra-
structure to provide for sustained ocean and coastal 
observations from in situ, remote, aircraft, and ves-
sel platforms. 
(4) Focused research initiatives, using a com-
petitive process to select and fund grants to advance 
understanding of, the nature of, and interaction 
among physical, chemical, geological, and biological 
processes of the oceans, including the effects of 
human activities on such processes and assessment 
and development of methods for restoration of these 
processes, including approaches to reduce the impact 
of human activities on these processes. 
(5) Technology development, supporting devel-
opment of new technologies and sensors to achieve 
strategic and program goals, and development of al-
gorithms, analysis methods, and long-term data 
records for emerging operational sensors.
(6) Workforce development, building and main-
taining a diverse national ocean science professional 
workforce through traineeships, scholarships, fellow-
ships, and internships. 
(7) Ocean science education, providing national 
coordination of formal and informal ocean science 
education programs at all education levels and estab-
lishing mechanisms to improve ocean literacy, con-
tribute to public awareness of the importance of 
healthy marine ecosystems, and create an oceans 
stewardship ethic among citizens. 
(8) Information management, establishing and 
maintaining information systems that promote effi-
cient stewardship, transfer, and use of data, create 
globally accessible data standards and formats, and 
allow analysis of data from varied sources to 
produce information readily usable by policymakers 
and stakeholders. 
(d) PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION.—In developing the 
strategy, the Committee on Ocean Science, Education, and 
Operations shall consult with Regional Ocean Partner-
ships and academic, State, industry, and environmental 
groups and representatives. Not later than 90 days before 
the Chair of the Committee on Ocean Policy submits the 
strategy, or any revision thereof, to the Congress, a sum-
mary of the proposed strategy shall be published in the 
Federal Register for a public comment period of not less 
than 60 days. 
SEC. 503. NATIONAL OCEAN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM. 
(a) PURPOSES.—Building on the program established 
under section 7901 of title 10, United States Code, the 
Committee on Ocean Science, Education, and Operations 
shall strengthen and maintain the National Ocean Part-
nership 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 the 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 on Ocean Science, Education, 
and Operations shall submit to the Congress a report on 
the National Ocean Partnership Program. The report 
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 the Congress pursuant to section 1105(a) 
of title 31, United States Code, for the fiscal year 
following 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 on Ocean Science, Education, and Operations shall 
establish a partnership program office for the National 
Ocean Partnership Program. The Committee on Ocean 
Science, Education, and Operations shall use competitive 
procedures in selecting an operator for the partnership 
program office and supervise performance of duties by 
such office. Responsibilities of the partnership program of-
fice shall include— 
(1) establishment and oversight of working 
groups to identify potential themes suitable for part-
nership projects to the Committee on Ocean Science, 
Education, and Operations and recommendations to 
the Committee on Ocean Science, Education, and 
Operations on such projects; 
(2) management of the process for proposing 
partnership projects to the Committee on Ocean 
Science, Education, and Operations, including the 
peer review process for such projects; 
(3) preparation and submission to the Com-
mittee on Ocean Science, Education, and Operations 
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 on Ocean Science, Education, 
and Operations activities that the Committee on 
Ocean Science, Education, and Operations considers 
appropriate. 
(e) CONTRACT AND GRANT AUTHORITY.—The Com-
mittee on Ocean Science, Education, and Operations may 
authorize 1 or more of the departments or agencies rep-
resented on the Committee on Ocean Science, Education, 
and Operations to enter into contracts and make grants, 
using funds appropriated pursuant to an authorization for 
the National Ocean Partnership Program, for the purpose 
of implementing the program and carrying out the respon-
sibilities of the Committee on Ocean Policy. 
(f) INTERAGENCY
FINANCING.—The departments 
and agencies represented on the Committee on Ocean 
Science, Education, and Operations are authorized to par-
ticipate in interagency financing and share, transfer, re-
ceive, and spend funds appropriated to any member of the 
Committee on Ocean Science, Education, and Operations
for the purposes of carrying out any administrative or pro-
grammatic project or activity under the National Ocean 
Partnership Program, including support for a common in-
frastructure and system integration for an ocean observing 
system. Funds may be transferred among such depart-
ments and agencies through an appropriate instrument 
that specifies the goods, services, or space being acquired 
from another Committee on Ocean Science, Education, 
and Operations 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 on Ocean Science, 
Education, and Operations considers appropriate, includ-
ing grants, memoranda of understanding, cooperative re-
search and development agreements, and similar instru-
ments. 
(2) The Committee on Ocean Science, Education, and 
Operations shall establish uniform proposal request and 
application procedures and reporting requirements for use 
by each department and agency represented on the Com-
mittee on Ocean Science, Education, and Operations that 
are applicable to all projects and activities under the Na-
tional Ocean Partnership Program.
(3) Projects under the program may include dem-
onstration projects. 
SEC. 504. OCEAN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ADVISORY 
PANEL. 
(a) 
MEMBERSHIP.—The 
Committee 
on 
Ocean 
Science, Education, and Operations shall maintain an 
Ocean Research and Education Advisory Panel consisting 
of not less than 10 and not more than 18 members ap-
pointed 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) One director of a State Sea Grant program. 
(5) Members selected from among individuals 
representing ocean industries, State governments, 
academia, nongovernmental organizations, and such 
other participants in ocean and coastal activities as 
the chair considers appropriate. 
(6) Members selected from among individuals 
eminent in the fields of marine science, marine pol-
icy, ocean engineering, or related fields.
(7) Members selected from among individuals 
eminent in the field of education. 
(b) TERM LIMITS.—Members shall be appointed for 
3 years. 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Advisory Panel shall 
advise the Committee on the following: 
(1) Development and implementation of the Na-
tional Strategy for Ocean and Coastal Science. 
(2) Policies and procedures to implement the 
National Ocean Partnership Program and on selec-
tion of partnership projects and allocation of funds 
to implement partnership projects under the pro-
gram. 
(3) Matters relating to national oceanographic 
data requirements, ocean and coastal observing sys-
tems, ocean science education and training, and 
oceanographic facilities including renewal of the na-
tional academic research fleet. 
(4) Any additional matters that the Committee 
on Ocean Science, Education, and Operations con-
siders appropriate. 
(d) PROCEDURAL MATTERS.— 
(1) All meetings of the Advisory Panel shall be 
open to the public, except that a meeting or any por-
tion of it may be closed to the public if it concerns