Program Update: September 2010
The Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) held a town hall meeting at the MTS/IEEE Oceans ’10 conference in Seattle, WA on September 22, to receive information from the ocean community on the process to develop contract certification standards for IOOS. The requirement to develop these standards is provision, Sec. 12304 (b)(2)(E), of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation Act of 2009 (ICOOS Act). The town hall meeting was well attended and participants provided valuable input enabling the planning committee to take critical next steps. NOAA will soon publish a Federal Register notice on the certification process providing 30 days for public comment. Please check the IOOC website for updates.
The IOOC is continuing to address other requirements of the ICOOS Act.
- Staff from the NOAA IOOS office met with the IOOC to strategize on developing cost models for the Sec. 12309 Independent Cost Estimate requirement.
- Additionally, in accordance with Section 12308 of the ICOOS Act, the National Science Foundation, on behalf of the National Ocean Research Leadership Council, published the proposed process to develop a Public-Private Use Policy in the Federal Register. The commenting period ends October 8, 2010. To receive more information, view a diagram of the proposed process, and submit comments, please visit the Public-Private Use Policy webpage.
- And finally, the IOOC approved the draft charter for the System Advisory Committee developed by the lead federal agency (NOAA) as required under Sec 12304 (d)(1).
The National Federation of Regional Association for Coastal and Ocean Observing (NFRA) is holding their annual coordination meeting on November 16th and 17th at the Four Points at 1201 K Street N.W., Washington D.C. The workshop includes three complementary sessions focusing on 1.) Building federal and regional partnerships, 2) Ocean leaders special session, and 3) Designing the path forward: A coordinated planning session. To register and for more information please visit the NRFA Events Calendar. Registration closes on October 15th.
Upcoming events: The next IOOC full membership meeting will be held on October 21, 2010. Planning is underway for the next IOOC industry workshops tentatively scheduled for May 9, 2011 and will focus on the Great Lakes region. Additional information and updates can be found on the committee’s website at www.iooc.us.
