35 



11 



for inflation). Since 1992, the federal agencies that fund ocean science (apart from NSF) 

 have experienced a downward trend in funding. Many mission agencies that support external 

 scientific research have been targeted for elimination. A stable fiscal climate is an important 

 component of productive and efficient partnerships. This is particularly significant, because 

 as the physical resources needed to conduct large-scale, interdisciplinary research become 

 more sophisticated, their costs rise faster than the rate of inflation. 



Overall 



A competitive, peer review approach to selecting and funding research projects is the 

 foundation of this nation's leadership in science and technology. As stated in Allocating 

 Federal Funds for Science and Technology, "The challenge in the current penod is to retain 

 diversity and balance while cutting back is some areas to free resources for better or more 

 important activities." In short, we must maintain our commitment to ensuring that resources 

 are available to the best scientists and applied toward the most critical problems. A truly 

 efficient and effective ocean science effort within the United States must however, 

 encourage partnerships not only among federal agencies and academia. but with the private 

 sector as well. 



Private sector involvement is important to achieving the maximum benefit from the 

 resources available. As discussed in the recent NRC report Expanding the Uses of Naval 

 Ocean Science and Technology, the private and academic sectors could benefit from the 

 marine research and development conducted routinely at government facilities and institutions 



