The National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) was initiated in the 1990s when decades of work in ocean sciences by dedicated scientists converged with numerous ocean challenges that cut across scientific disciplines, government agencies, and congressional jurisdictions. A timely push for increased partnerships in ocean science led to the inclusion of the National Oceanographic Partnership Act in the FY 1997 Defense Authorization Act, formally establishing the NOPP. Since its inception, the NOPP has spurred strong, long-term collaborations across federal agencies and among various sectors, including academia, local and tribal governments, industry, and nongovernmental organizations. The NOPP has allowed the partnering agencies to leverage their funds, facilities, and infrastructures, increasing the impact of their investments and expanding their abilities to meet high-priority goals. Through the NOPP, the number of multiagency partnerships has increased, resulting in large-scale multidisciplinary research projects and the development of new and sophisticated tools for ocean research. Furthermore, and most importantly, the NOPP provides a forum for dialogue, debate, and decision making regarding the most pressing ocean research and technology challenges and provides a strong voice for the oceanography community on a national scale. |
