Coastal Services Center

Project Selection Process

Each year, the NOAA Coastal Services Center selects projects that support its overall mission to foster and sustain the environmental, social and economic well being of the nation's coast. A balanced portfolio of projects achieves this goal. Some projects focus on needs identified by state and local partners, some projects help other NOAA offices service the coastal management community, and some projects explore new issues and technologies expected to become important over the long term.

Projects are selected through formal and informal mechanisms. Formal mechanisms include consulting Center and NOAA strategic plans, working with peer-review panels, reviewing customer surveys and needs assessments, and using the Federal Register and Commerce Business Daily to allow coastal managers to propose specific projects. Informal mechanisms rely upon networking with leaders from the business, academic, government, and coastal management communities. Project selection is a year-round process, as the Center's senior managers continually assess opportunities to develop products and services. These assessments are compiled and examined during the spring and early summer as the Center develops its annual operating plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

If you want to collaborate with the Center, make all these channels work for you! Get to know Center staff, and explore the Center's home page to see the range of products and services offered and the roles our partners have played. Comment on the Center and NOAA strategic plans and the results of our customer survey. Check out the Federal Register and Commerce Business Daily. Help us get to know you and your needs. E-mail us your thoughts.