Over the last five years NOAA has undergone profound change. The NOAA of 1999 is vastly different from the NOAA of 1994. The Agency has completed the modernization of the National Weather Service and put in place technologies which have enabled it to greatly improve its ability to warn the people of the U.S. of severe weather, to forecast major climate events such as El Nino and to help mitigate the potential impacts. Vastly improved tornado forecasting is also a result of the modernization program. NOAA has made fundamental strides in managing coastal and marine environments through research and innovative strategies. The Agency must be credited with greatly expanding its outreach efforts and willingness to build partnerships to implement its programs. In fact it is this aspect - working with its partners - that has to a great extent made NOAA's tremendous achievements possible. NASULGC and its Board on Oceans and Atmosphere is honored to be one of NOAA's key partners, playing a constructive and supportive role where our expertise allows. We have worked exceedingly well with NOAA Administrator Baker and many others inside the agency. Today we want to continue in that tradition and provide a few suggestions regarding how NOAA might more ably continue to fulfill its environmental stewardship and prediction mandates in the 21st Century.

I. Strategic Planning

NOAA should be commended for conducting Strategic Planning workshops, which have been highly successful in bringing together NOAA's diverse constituent base for a meaningful and substantive dialogue. We believe that one reason why NOAA has experienced budget increases during years of no-growth government is that NOAA has successfully used the Strategic Planning process to build programs based on input from stakeholders and creating a working constituency to support these activities. The Strategic Planning process has been effective in dealing with short-term, year-to-year, small, specific programs and activities. It has not been as effective in fully engaging NOAA's constituency in long-range, fundamental issues. For example, it may be time to initiate an evaluation on whether or not the Agency's seven strategic elements should continue to guide the agency into the 21st Century. Will these strategic elements continue to give NOAA the tools to address the most serious environmental problems of the next decade? What are the key environmental challenges facing the nation over the next ten to fifteen years? What actions at the national, state, and local level will be necessary and appropriate to solve these problems? What role should science and technology play in characterizing and solving these problems? What kind of capabilities and products and research programs must NOAA develop to effectively respond to these future challenges? What are the critical science and technology information needs for NOAA's stakeholders and what role should NOAA play in helping those stakeholders in meeting them? What are the major advances in science and technology that are likely to occur over the next ten to fifteen years and what new capabilities will NOAA's R&D program need to take advantage of these trends? Engaging NOAA's constituency in these fundamental questions may help provide NOAA the long-term perspective upon which a sound strategic plan continues to guide NOAA. Such questions could also underscore the importance of establishing a clear research portfolio in its strategic document and demonstrating how research will serve as a foundation for its products.

II. Peer Review

NOAA's extramural research and development programs for the most part use peer review in determining research awards. However, not all of NOAA's internal science activity is subject to such scrutiny. We agree with the recent Senate Appropriations report on NOAA's funding bill which stated, "the Committee encourages NOAA to take steps to ensure that all NOAA research, regardless of who performs it, is subject to periodic peer review." Saying that, we want to emphasize that in general the activities of the NOAA labs are of very high quality and contribute immensely to the nation's composite government/university capabilities in atmospheric and oceanic research and service.

III. Computing Capability

In recent testimony before the House Science Committee during a hearing on tornado modeling and forecasting, a witness from the National Center for Atmospheric research noted that modelers outside the U.S. can access computers with ten times the processing speed available to U.S. researchers, and that the U.S. will require improvements of 10 to 100 times to enhance the nationwide modeling ability and improve forecasts. We totally agree with this assessment and believe it should be one of NOAA's highest priorities to dedicate additional resources above the $13 million for high performance computing. Access to the most powerful computing systems is essential to meet NOAA's core mission - improving prediction and forecasting to protect lives and the nation's economic viability.

The problem goes far beyond computing power, however. NOAA does not have the staff to integrate model improvements into operations effectively. More computing power will not solve this problem. The modernization program in the weather service has left NOAA severely understaffed in critical areas (NCEP is the prime example), which should be redressed as increased numerical power is sought. Many in the university community and in the agency are working towards improved assimilation of in situ and remote sensing data. That effort would be greatly enhanced by NOAA's leadership and active support.

IV. Chief Scientists Office

We believe that the Chief Scientists Office (CSO) should be the principal advisor to the NOAA Administrator on core scientific issues. Other major agencies have active CSOs. In the past, NASULGC and the university community have had good input into NOAA's R&D process through the CSO and together have worked to improve NOAA's management of its R&D portfolio. Currently the CSO seems to be in somewhat of a limbo. While the Science Advisory Board can give critical guidance to the Agency and help ensure the credibility of its scientific undertakings, NOAA needs to maintain an active CSO for day-to-day management and oversight of its science enterprise. The CSO was the chief coordinator of the NOAA-University Partnership. The CSO should be given a budget and other resources necessary to be effective in continuing to promote the NOAA-University Partnership.

V. Improved Relations With Universities

NOAA and the nation's universities have both benefited for many years from a diverse array of working relationships. These vary substantially in scope and structure, including formal joint institute agreements and co-location of facilities; personnel exchanges and student internships; and major joint programs. Over several years in the past, NASULGC and other universities met semi-annually with NOAA Administrator Baker, the Line Office heads and other important NOAA players to engage in a dialogue and facilitate a cooperative relationship on issues important to both communities. Universities benefited enormously from these discussions and we believe that we were able to help support the Agency in critical budget battles in Congress. The Science Advisory Board was a product of this partnership, as was a recent symposium on reducing America's vulnerability to coastal disasters. However, these discussions have been discontinued because of what we believe to be erroneous charges that such meetings were in violation of FACA. We are very disappointed that an effective communicative channel between NOAA and its university partners has been abandoned. We truly and sincerely hope NOAA will brave the FACA clatter and once again extend the hand of partnership to its university constituency.

The co-location of facilities has been particularly advantageous to both the universities and the agency. Weather service offices located on campuses have direct access to ongoing meteorological research and teaching programs that ensures that operational forecasters maintain or improve their skills. Students can gain work experience, which leads to graduate studies in NOAA related research programs, ensuring a pool of highly motivated students for employment in the environmental sciences. These types of arrangements should be expanded.

In general NOAA underutilizes its university partners in developing a more focused delivery system for the dissemination of information. Land-Grant schools and Sea Grant institutions have outreach systems which represent opportunities for NOAA to connect not only with local and regional non-government entities, but also with State and local governments.

VI. Research Budget

NASULGC believes that the FY 2000 budget request for NOAA insufficiently funds the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and many of the Agency's most important extramural research programs. OAR is the main research arm of NOAA and contributes to all other Line Offices and Strategic Plan goals and provides the scientific basis for national policy decisions in key areas. It supports a world-class network of scientists and environmental research laboratories and partnerships with academia and the private sector. An overarching issue for research is to ensure that cost increases due to inflation do not erode the long-term research capabilities. While the proposed budget increases funding for the Ocean Service by about 30%, and the Fisheries Service by 15% from the FY 1999 appropriated level, OAR's budget suffers a cut. In fact, FY 2000 continues a disturbing pattern for OAR where research is under funded to make way for operational programs, and Congress is left to restore the balance among research and other activities. The Senate Appropriations Committee has done just that, by increasing OAR's budget to $319,910,000 for FY 2000, instead of $282,570,000 as requested.

The under funding of OAR seems to be symptomatic of the trend in federal support for R&D. The President's budget is proposing to reduce total R&D spending by $1 billion in FY2000, or 1 percent, to $78.24 billion. Moreover, Federal support for basic research has decreased from an annual growth rate of 22.9 percent in the 1950s to 2 percent in the current decade. Competitive, peer-reviewed extramural research is fundamental to developing the technologies which ensure safe food and water supplies, a healthy environment, sufficient energy sources, better medical care, improved communications and transportation systems, a stronger national defense and strategies and tools to mitigate natural hazards. Information from such research leads to improved management of natural resources and maintenance of conditions that contribute to a desired quality of life. Some of the advantages of university research include:

n the high degree of quality control, through peer review and other review processes;
n the state and private investment in university infrastructure;
n the contribution of university research to education of future scientists and engineers through the involvement of students in the research enterprise;
n the flexibility of the university investment, since funds can be reallocated to new needs and new talent once goals are met, rather than to subsidizing federal facilities and personnel dedicated to prior needs;
n the decentralized nature of universities which can lead to new directions in research long before the federal administrative structure recognized potential opportunities

There continues to be a strong relationship between universities and OAR laboratories, which ensures that university research can be rapidly assimilated into NOAA operational activities. The success of this enterprise depends on a healthy level of support for both extramural research and for NOAA internal applied research.

VII. Role of the Science Advisory Board

We believe one of the most important functions of the Science Advisory Board is to keep the communication lines open to the research community, both within and outside the agency. We would urge that a Subcommittee, or some other mechanism, be established so there could be a continual process of dialogue. It is important for the SAB to receive input throughout the year, not just at the designated meeting times. Such input will help the SAB establish a clear agenda and priorities, and help them serve as a vehicle to bring together external and internal expertise. The SAB should ask the type of questions discussed in item I and help the agency develop a long-term plan.
VIII. Major Research Initiatives

A. The Natural Disaster Reduction Initiative (NDRI) - NDRI offers many opportunities for NOAA to exhibit leadership and greatly strengthen both its internal research base and the agency's connections to universities. NOAA needs a well-grounded research plan to ensure its proper role in this multi-agency initiative.
1. US Weather Research Program (USWRP) USWRP is in a critical start-up stage. This initiative offers NOAA a unique opportunity for quick return on modest research investments as the USWRP will exploit the infrastructure put in place by the modernization of the National Weather Service (NWS). This applied research program will lead directly to new observational, analysis, and prediction tools for all forms of severe weather, ranging from hurricane landfall to severe thunderstorms to wintertime heavy snow and blizzard events. Preliminary experiments and careful planning of the USWRP by both NOAA and university researchers over the last three years almost certainly guarantee a rapid return on the investment. However, the NOAA investment has been much too low. Although NOAA has pledged a contribution of $1.5 million for FY 2000, we feel NOAA should commit to at least $10 million. The USWRP is a major opportunity to take advantage of the meteorological capabilities of our universities, and the NOAA labs to provide rapid operational improvements in forecasting and also to provide opportunities for the value-added private sector
2. Coastal Hazards - Parallel with the USWRP, Coastal Hazards should be a major
undertaking for NOAA. Such a focused initiative is fully warranted by the risks resulting from the migration of a significant fraction of the population to coastal areas in the last three decades. A coastal hazards initiative would also make extensive use of university-based facilities and further exploit the observing systems deployed under the NWS modernization program. A coastal hazards initiative will benefit greatly from an integrated ocean observing system (see below).

B. Marine Biotechnology. Biotechnology research is important to understanding such crucial NOAA concerns as fisheries stock structure; aquaculture and stock restoration; the understanding and amelioration of shellfish diseases; and bio-remediation of contaminated sediments, both in ocean and estuarine waters and in shoreline areas. It can also provide the underpinning for future industrial development, including the development of biosensors, bio-processors, food products, and pharmaceuticals. Industry will ultimately be responsible for product development, but NOAA and its university partners can provide the knowledge base that is necessary for development to begin. Advances in marine biotechnology will enhance NOAA's broad marine resource management agenda and the interests of NOAA and the Department of Commerce in sustainable economic development.

C. Marine Bio-diversity. The scientific community is beginning to learn that in order to manage fisheries one must in turn manage ecosystems. Unfortunately, in many cases we do yet not understand what is in the ecosystem, much less how its components are interrelated. We know very little about mid-level sea life and have only begun to gain insights into deep ocean and sub-seafloor life. The total biomass in both instances is enormous, and may well exceed the entire terrestrial biomass. NOAA is uniquely positioned to begin to understand what is there so that we can begin to responsibly assume stewardship for this vast domain. A better understanding of oceanic bio-diversity, as in the rainforest, will undoubtedly yield substantial economic benefits in the future. But bio-diversity is important in its own right, and it needs to be part of both the research and management agendas of NOAA.

D. Integrated Ocean Observing System -- The recently-issued report "Toward a U.S. Plan for an Integrated, Sustained Ocean Observing System" lays out a compelling case for a vastly improved ocean observing system. This system will provide the observational basis for many NOAA operational and research activities. The sustained ocean observing system should support better coastal weather forecasting, improve navigation to avoid environmental disasters, and help mitigate health hazards. Monitoring of both open ocean and inshore coastal waters is essential for long-term prediction supporting oceanic and coastal resource management practices. It may also stimulate economic growth by providing the necessary environmental information to sustain aquaculture, increase the efficiency of marine transportation systems and boater safety, for example. NOAA leadership is essential to make this a success. Here NOAA could make great use of its university partners to foster stronger ties with coastal states and communities.

E. Aquaculture -- In 1998, U.S. imports of edible seafood products totaled $7.4 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $5.3.billion. As wild fish stocks decline, aquaculture has become one of the world's fastest growing food-producing sectors. By 1997, aquaculture supplied 23 percent of the world demand for finfish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. Despite this growing dependence on aquaculture, the U.S. produces about 2 percent of the value of global aquaculture production. Expansion of the U.S. marine aquaculture industry is constrained by its complex technology, diversity of species, multiple conflicts among production practices, environmental concerns, demand by coastal residents for high aesthetic quality in coastal regions, and fragmented institutional and regulatory system. Given adequate government incentives and improved research, the U.S. aquaculture has the potential to supply up to 25 percent of all seafood consumed in the U.S. during the next 20 years. NOAA through Sea Grant and other activities, can supply the full range of services to advance marine aquaculture from the research to delivery (extension).

We appreciate the opportunity to make this presentation and offer our continued assistance and good offices in helping NOAA fulfill its vital mission.