Funding is provided to the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct an independent review of the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology's (JSOST) "Ocean Science and Technology Plan," an interagency planning document describing the vision and priorities for U.S. ocean science and technology (S&T) for the next 5-10 years. The study is to both inform and advise the interagency planning process being used to develop the S&T plan and a complementary implementation strategy. The study will be conducted in three phases. During phase 1, NRC staff will prepare summaries of recommendations from published NRC reports that are relevant to the 8 research themes, 4 pillars, and 2 cross-cuts identified by JSOST. The NRC will appoint an expert committee to carry out phases 2 and 3. In phase 2, the expert committee will conduct an independent review of the draft S&T plan. In phase 3, the same committee will provide an overall assessment of the final plan after it has been revised.
Broader impacts
The plan will include a vision of how ocean S&T can meet the goals of the federal government's Ocean Action Plan and describe how the proposed S&T will lead to benefits to the nation in areas such as improving the quality of life, enhancing human health, mitigating effects of natural hazards, sustaining living resources, improving ecosystem health, predicting climate variability and change, promoting marine operations, enhancing the stewardship of ocean resources, advancing economic growth, improving national security, promoting homeland security, and improving education.
