278 



NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 



OmCE OF THE DIRECTOR 



Washinoton. D.C 20550 



June 8, 1967 



IMPORTANT NOTICE 



to 

 PRESIDENTS OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES 



Subject: THE NATIONAL SEA GRANT PROGRAM 



On October 15, 1966, the President signed Public Law 89-688, the NATIONAL SEA GRANT 

 COLLEGE AND PROGRAM ACT, for the purpose of accelerating national development of marine 

 resources through support and encouragement to academic institutions, research institutes, and labo- 

 ratories. In order to accomplish the purposes of the Act, the National Science Foundation has estab- 

 lished two related programs under a new Office of Sea Grant Progrtuns: a program of Sea Grant 

 College support, and a program for support of specific Sea Grant Projects. 



Sea Grant College support will be focused in institutions engaged in broad-based marine re- 

 sources programs that include research, education, and advisory services. Such institutions should 

 provide leadership and scientific and technological resources for marine activities within their 

 regions. 



A Sea Grant Project will be a single, well-defined research, study, design, education, advisory, 

 or training activity expected to produce information, techniques, methods, or systems applicable to 

 marine resources in any field, or to train manpower required for marine resource exploitation. 



More detailed descriptions of Sea Grant College and Sea Grant Project support are given starting 

 on page 2. 



GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 



The National Sea Grant College and Program Act was passed to augment other important leg- 

 islation designed ^o accelerate effective utilization of marine resources. The intent is to supplement 

 and expand other Federal activities through three major categories of effort: 



— Research directed toward accumulation of knowledge necessary for development and 



beneficial exploitation of marine resources. 



— Training, at all levels, of manpower required for marine resource development and 



exploitation. 



— Advisory services for communicating to natural and social scientists, technologists, 



industrialists, businessmen, and the general public, information related to marine resource 



development and utiHzation. 



These major categories provide a broad framework through which support may be granted 

 for nearly any important aspect of marine resource development, including aspects not ordinarily 

 funded through other sources, such as considerations of law, economics, sociology, and business 

 and public administration. However, the primary purpose of the National Sea Grant Program is to 

 advance the state of ocean technology through the application of science and engineering to prob- 

 lems of resource development, through dissemination of useful information, and through the train- 

 ing of professional and technical specialists. 



Through existing academic institutions and research institutes, as many elements of the nation 

 and of society as may be possible and appropriate will be involved to ensure that the Sea Grant Pro- 



