## NSF and NOAA Agree to Joint Management of U.S. GLOBEC

### by William Peterson

One year ago, the U.S. GLOBEC program became an interagency endeavor through signing of a formal agreement between NSF assistant director for Geosciences, Robert Corell, and NOAA assistant administrator for Fisheries, William Fox. Terms of that agreement are summarized in this article.

U.S. GLOBEC is organized around two major foci, the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) and the Interagency Program Coordination Office (IPCO). The SSC, responsible for developing the scientific rationale for the program, is comprised of members from both the NSF and NOAA communities. IPCO manages day-to-day matters and direction of the program by coordinating field activities, arranging logistical support and ensuring adherence to U.S. GLOBEC data management policies. IPCO is headed by a program manager (Bill Peterson). Overall direction of U.S. GLOBEC via the IPCO is provided by two co-directors: Mike Sissenwine, senior scientist for Fisheries of NOAA, and Phil Taylor, program manager of biological oceanography of NSF. The co-directors will receive recommendations from an advisory council which will consist of members of each NOAA Line Office and the NOAA Chief Scientist Office, and representatives from the NSF Advisory Committees for Ocean Sciences and Polar Programs. The council will be established later this spring.

Research support for U.S. GLOBEC is provided by the National Science Foundation, NOAA/Office of Global Programs and NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service.

### The Interagency Program Coordination Office and the Program Manager

Presently, the IPCO and program manager are located at Fisheries Headquarters: NOAA/NMFS, F/RE3, 1335 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The location may be changed if NOAA and NSF agree that a change is beneficial to U.S. GLOBEC. The host organization provides facilities support. The manager is responsible for:

1. Management of U.S. GLOBEC planning and research activities.

2. Interagency coordination, including that with non-sponsoring agencies.

3. Coordination with the Scientific Steering Committee.

4. Coordination with other relevant and appropriate scientific programs.

5. Preparation of joint NOAA/NSF solicitations for proposals for U.S. GLOBEC activities; organization and supervision of the relevancy, priority and merit review of research proposals; coordination and direction of award funding; and adherence to all agency procurement and review regulations.

6. Coordination of implementation teams for large multi-disciplinary, multi-investigation projects.

7. Intergovernmental coordination in International GLOBEC activities.

### Status

An RFP for research on Georges Bank/Northwest Atlantic was issued last summer with a proposal deadline of September 15, 1992. An implementation plan review panel convened on December 17, and the proposal review panel convened on December 18-19. Decisions on Georges Bank/Northwest Atlantic funding were delayed due to budgetary uncertainties caused in part by the change in administration. The precise amount of the FY 1993 budget for U.S. GLOBEC was dependent upon a number variables and even at this writing, is still not completely known! Money from the NOAA side was released in early April 1993, but the NSF appropriation is tied to President Clinton's Economic Stimulus Package which, at the time of this writing, is held up by a filibuster in the Senate.

Decisions have been made on all awards; however, not all PI's know the size of their awards because we do not have a final budget yet. The next newsletter will contain a summary of projects which we have initiated.

Bill Peterson
(301) 713-2367 (Phone)
(301) 588-4967 (FAX)
Omnet: W.PETERSON
CCMAIL through NMFS: W.PETERSON