72 



to support the Coastal Zone Laboratories. It could be the means of support of 

 the recommended University-National Laboratories. The full role of the Sea Grant 

 Program will have to be evaluated by the new agency. 



The transfer of the Sea Grant Program to NOAA would not impair the National 

 Science Foundation's (NSF) capabilities to perform its normal functions of re- 

 search and science education support. However, it would enable NOAA in con- 

 junction with its other functions to sponsor a wide range of highly useful applied 

 marine science and training activities in cooperation with universities and 

 industry. 



INSTITUTIONAL FUNDING FOR UNIVERSITY-NATIONAL LABORATORIES 



At the present time, no system exists to assure the continuity of institutional 

 support for the Nation's major marine science laboratories. Informally, NSF 

 and the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) have assumed a commitment to 

 assist in providing the funds necessary for their operation. In Chapter 2 the Com- 

 mission has recommended adoption of a more systematic way to support uni- 

 versity laboratories at levels appropriate to the needs of big science and to ac- 

 celerate research on the problems of the coastal zone. Proposals for University- 

 National Laboratories and Coastal Zone Laboratories call upon NOAA to support 

 the acquisition and maintenance of major facilities and a core staff. Such insti- 

 tutional funding would be augmented by supplemental grants and contracts for 

 specific projects from any Federal agency or private source. 



The National Science Foundation bears principal responsibility for university 

 support and should continue to do so through s'trengthened programs and increased 

 funding. NSF now also provides block funding for oceanographic vessels but, 

 except under the Sea Grant Program, has not otherwise given institutional sup- 

 port for broad marine programs. The Commission would place responsibility for 

 institutional support of University-National Laboratories in NOAA. This should 

 free NSF to use its limited funds to support project research activities. 



The Office of Naval Research has also been a major source of support for 

 marine science, and particularly for the large ocean laboratories. Like NSF, 

 ONR has supported ships and operations (though not with block funding) and 

 has assisted universities to acquire research suhmersibles and special research 

 platforms. With institutional support of the University-National Laboratories 

 provided hy NOAA, ONR could achieve an even greater diversity in its marine 

 sciences program. NSF and ONR support of individual investigators and specific 

 projects would, of course, continue, and the Commission urges that there be in- 

 creased funding for such support. 



The Commission is of the view that NOAA also should be assigned Federal 

 responsibility to plan and coordinate large-scale oceanic scientific investigations, 

 such as past international programs involving U.S. participation in the Tropical 

 Atlantic and Indian Ocean expeditions and UjS. participation in the proposed In- 

 ternational Decade of Ocean Exploration. 



NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH 



The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is a major laboratory 

 operated under a contract with the NSF by a nonprofit corporation representing 

 member universities. The 'Center has interdisciplinary programs in the atmos- 

 pheric sciences and provides extensive facilities to support scientific investigators. 

 NCAR is an atmospheric science analogy to the University -National Laboratories 

 proposed 'by the Commission, and transfer of funding responsibility for NCAR 

 from NSF to NOAA would be a logical step once NOAA is firmly established. 



Polar activities 



Programs supported by NSF, Navy, BSSA, and the Coast Guard range literally 

 from pole to pole. Most of the polar scientific programs are directed to marine 

 and atmospheric investigations. At present, only the Antarctic program is formally 

 coordinated within the Federal structure, but steps are underway to establish a 

 somewhat comparable national effort in the Arctic region. 



NSF now has responsibility for the support and coordination of Antarctic re- 

 search. It supports two oceanographic research vessels in Antractic waters as 

 part of this program. The Navy handles logistics for Antarctic operations, with 

 some assistance from the 'Coast Guard. Federal scientific personnel for Antarctic 

 programs are drawn principally from BSSA, Navy, and the Geological Survey, 

 although many other agencies are also involved. 



