[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 209 (Friday, October 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 75171]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26118]



[[Page 75171]]

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OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY


Plan for Ocean Research in the Coming Decade

ACTION: Notice of request for information.

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SUMMARY: The Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST) is 
requesting input on the overall framing and content of a plan for Ocean 
Research in the Coming Decade (``the Plan''). The SOST is chartered 
under the National Science and Technology Council to advise and assist 
on national issues related to ocean science and technology. The SOST 
contributes to the goals for Federal ocean science and technology, 
including identifying priorities and developing coordinated interagency 
strategies. The Plan will describe the most pressing research questions 
and most promising areas of opportunity within the ocean science and 
technology enterprise for the coming decade. It will set the stage for 
agency-specific and interagency coordinated actions across Federal 
agencies and with non-Federal sectors to address societal needs and 
issues of national importance. This notice solicits relevant public 
input, particularly suggestions directed toward how the Plan should be 
structured and specific topic areas that should be considered for 
inclusion.

DATES: Public comments must be received by January 1, 2017 to be 
considered.

ADDRESSES: Public input for the Plan can be submitted electronically at 
https://contribute.globalchange.gov/plan-ocean-research-coming-decade.
    Instructions: Additional instructions for submitting are found on 
the Web site provided above. To comment on the Plan, please select 
``Ocean Research in the Coming Decade'' from the list of available 
documents. Response to this Request for Information (RFI) is voluntary. 
All submissions must be in English. Please clearly label submissions as 
``Ocean Research in the Coming Decade Input.'' When the final Plan is 
issued, relevant comments and the commenters' names, along with the 
authors' responses, will become part of the public record and be made 
available to view online. Further information about the Plan, including 
the Plan prospectus, is provided at https://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/orp/.
    Responses to this RFI may be used by the government for program 
planning on a non-attribution basis. The Office of Science and 
Technology Policy (OSTP) therefore requests that no business 
proprietary information, copyrighted information, or personally 
identifiable information be submitted in response to this RFI. Please 
note that the U.S. Government will not pay for response preparation, or 
for the use of any information contained in the response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roxanne Nikolaus, Division of Ocean 
Sciences, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, 
Arlington, VA 22230, (703) 292-8580, or [email protected], or visit 
https://contribute.globalchange.gov/plan-ocean-research-coming-decade 
or https://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/orp/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Plan prospectus intended to stimulate 
feedback from the public on the overall framing and content of the Plan 
is available for public viewing at https://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/orp/prospectus.jsp. The prospectus outlines the purpose and intended uses 
of the Plan, the proposed structure and content of the Plan, how the 
Plan will be developed and reviewed, and opportunities for community 
and stakeholder engagement. Additional information, including any 
updates to this Federal Register notice, is available at https://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/orp/. A draft Plan will also be available for 
public comment upon its completion and prior to production of the final 
Plan.
    The Plan will describe:
     Societal Themes that highlight the benefits-based 
rationale for conducting ocean research;
     Research Goals that reflect and address the Societal 
Themes; and
     Research Activities that support the Research Goals and 
represent current and growing opportunities to provide the Nation with 
the scientific and technical means to address the Societal Themes.

Ted Wackler,
Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-26118 Filed 10-27-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3270-F7-P