• Greater Public Safety. NOAA collaboration with universities over the years has led to greatly improved 

 forecasts of hazardous weather. Academic researchers have worked side by side with NOAA scientists to 

 improve timely prediction of hurricanes, tornadoes, flash floods, and associated sea stale and storm surge. 

 NIST scientists and engineers have worked with the academic community to improve wind and seismic en- 

 gineering of structures. NOAA-university research in areas such as seafood inspection have improved the 

 safety of seafood products. 



» Enhanced National Prosperity. NOAA-university collaboration on improved weather and climate predic- 

 tion has promoted far more effective operational decision making in weather- and climate-dependent 

 economic sectors such as aviation and other transportation, agribusiness, construction, and water resource 

 management. NOAA-university cooperation has been vital to the health of commercial and recreational 

 marine fisheries industries. Collaboration with universities has been important to NIST efforts to speed the 

 transfer of science and technical advances into American industry, and enhance American economic com- 

 petitiveness. 



• More Responsible Stewardship. In its efforts to protect living marine resources, marine mammals, en- 

 dangered marine species, the habitats on which they depend, and other coastal resources, NOAA has been 

 greatly aided by insights gained from joint research investigations with university scientists. 



• Enhanced Educational Opportunities. NOAA and NIST programs with research-intensive universities 

 lead directly and indirectly to improved educational opportunities, at all grade levels, and for all 

 demographic and ethnic groups. 



• Increased Intellectual Capital. The collaboration has resulted in a faster pace of research advance and a 

 stronger pool of scientists and engineers available across the entire gamut of science and engineering. 



DoC's Expectations/Requirements for Relationships with Universities: 



Over the years, the DoC has become increasingly dependent upon the universities for the success of its mission. 

 In particular, the DoC expects: 



• Excellent R&D. The DoC looks to the universities for research and development that improve the scien- 

 tific basis underlying physical standards and the underpinnings of the entire range of national technologies. 

 The DoC also looks to the universities for better fundamental understanding of the Earth system as a whole 

 as well as its individual components. 



• Effective Transfer of Knowledge into National Benefit. The DoC also looks to the universities for help 

 in the rapid transfer of science and technology into operations. In NIST, the bottom line is the incorporation 

 of technological advance into industrial practice. In NOAA the aim is rapid insertion of new knowledge 

 into NOAA observations and predictions, national management of living marine resources, and environ- 

 mental policy formulation and regulation. 



• A Highly-Skilled Professional Work Force. DoC depends upon the RIU's to supply the scientists and en- 

 gineers needed for its staff. For example, during the next few years, as the National Weather Service mod- 

 ernizes and restructures, it will be hiring one-third of the nation's output of bachelor's and master's level 

 meteorologists. 



• External Peer Review. The Department of Commerce is continually working to strengthen the peer review 

 of university proposals, as well as ongoing university institutional programs conducted under DoC 

 auspices. 



• Sound Administrative Procedures. The Department of Commerce expects that the RIU's will maintain 

 high standards of accountability and fairness in all their dealings. 



Issues with Current Relationship/Barriers to an Effective Relationship: 



Problems with the DoC/RIU relationship exist at several levels. 



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