As of February 1, 2002, NYSG initiated activities under a new biennial omnibus program - our core research program - approved by the National Sea Grant Office.

We are proud of our core research program. The total number of high quality proposals exceeds the resources that we have. Thus, we are picking the best of the best. I'll let the projects speak for themselves, but I want to discuss some aspects of the competitiveness of our research.

NYSG's core research program is primarily competed among researchers from New York State institutions. This helps justify the state allocation and maintains the federal-state partnership required in the enabling legislation. Sea Grant is unique in requiring a $1 non-federal requirement for every $2 of federal monies awarded to New York Sea Grant. This policy also helps ensure the close working relationships between NYSG and its researchers and stakeholders to target important problems or opportunities with particularly useful products without requiring crippling travel costs.

NYSG also manages work that results from regional or national competitions. In parallel with the other state Sea Grant programs, we help our NYS researchers respond to National Strategic Investments competed nationally by the National Sea Grant Office. NYSG is currently managing nine such research projects. Our program also has received non-Sea Grant monies for research programs on brown tide blooms in eastern Long Island, hard clam productivity in the South Shore Estuary Reserve, and lobster mortality in Long Island Sound. In all of these cases, the specificity and breadth of the topic and the widespread expertise needed to be successful required broader solicitation. Researchers from New York as well as several other states have been funded under these initiatives.

Let me not belabor the point - NYSG's research programs are high quality science that ensure solid solutions to problems of the state, region and nation.

- Jack Mattice, Director (1997 - 2007)