((a)) ** .—** The Secretary of the Navy shall establish a program to be known as the “National Oceanographic Partnership Program”.

((b)) ** .—** The purposes of the program are as follows:

((1)) To promote the national goals of assuring national security, advancing economic development, protecting quality of life, ensuring environmental stewardship, and strengthening science education and communication through improved knowledge of the ocean.

((2)) To coordinate and strengthen oceanographic efforts in support of those goals by—

((A)) creating and carrying out partnerships among Federal agencies, academia, industry, and other members of the oceanographic community in the areas of science, data, technology development, resources, education, and communication; and

((B)) accepting, planning, and executing oceanographic research projects funded by grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other vehicles as appropriate, that contribute to assuring national security, advancing economic development, protecting quality of life, ensuring environmental stewardship, and strengthening science education and communication through improved knowledge of the ocean.