West Coast Ocean Science Action Agenda Survey

The California and Oregon Ocean Science Trusts, Washington Department of Ecology, West Coast Ocean Alliance, and others, are collaborating to foster new public-private partnerships to advance ocean and coastal science, research, education, and workforce development along the U.S. West Coast.

Basic and applied scientific research is critical to sound ocean and coastal management and essential for developing solutions to mitigate impacts and adapt to a changing climate. Federal budget reductions threaten to disrupt not only current research but also the long-term sustainability and growth of critical scientific knowledge, workforce development, and infrastructure, all integral to sound stewardship and sustainability of our ocean and coastal resources.

We seek to document immediate programmatic impacts of federal funding reductions for ocean research to universities and other science institutions on the U.S. West Coast, and to illuminate changes to future trajectories of research labs, ocean science education and training programs, and institutional capacity. Understanding the long-term implications of these reductions, from the perspective of those within the scientific research and education sector, is a key starting point for rebuilding equitable and durable future funding strategies. To that end, we are deliberately asking for narrative responses in this questionnaire; we want to hear your perspectives and stories as you navigate a changed future.

Survey responses will be compiled and analyzed by the California and Oregon Ocean Science Trusts. All information received through this analysis will be shared in an aggregated format; no information shared publicly will be traceable to any individual respondent or institution.

Thank you in advance for taking the time and making the effort to complete this survey. We estimate that it will take 30 minutes to complete. If you have questions about this survey or the associated ocean science Action Agenda please reach out to us at: https://www.oceanscienceagenda.org/contact.

Section A: This information is optional and is collected only for internal use, accurate survey data analysis, and, as appropriate, follow-up. Please provide your email if you would like to be included in any further communications including sharing the aggregated results of this survey and/or would be willing to engage in further conversation with the Ocean Science Trusts.

Name

First NameLast Name

Email

example@example.com

Title & Affiliation

Section B: The following questions are designed to document immediate programmatic impacts from federal funding reductions and illuminate future challenges and opportunities. Please answer the questions with a single ocean science research/education/training program in mind; we welcome multiple survey responses to encompass multiple ocean science programs.

1. Please describe the ocean science research/education/training program or project that will be the focus of your answers in this survey. We are interested in details, such as the primary goals, range of participants, disciplines or issues encompassed, scope, size, funding portfolio (e.g., state, federal, private), and intended program duration.

2. Has your program or project experienced any reductions in federal funding during the past 6 months?

YesNoI don't know

3. How would you quantify these reductions?

	<25% estimated budget reduction	25-50% estimated budget reduction	51-75% estimated budget reduction	>75% budget reduction	No budget reduction	N/A
Reductions in staff
Reductions in student support
Reductions in strategies, policies, and programs that enhance the skills, knowledge, and abilities of individuals to meet the demands of the labor market and improve their career prospects (e.g., training, apprenticeships, counseling)
Reductions in infrastructure and other assets
Reductions in support for external partnerships
Reductions that affect your ability to operate/maintain an institution, laboratory, office, or program (e.g., funding for a laboratory or other facility)

4. What, if any, other immediate impacts have you experienced from the funding reductions, e.g., loss of financial aid for students due to changed eligibility, loss of partners, loss of fundraising capacity, etc.?

5. How would you characterize the severity of the federal budget reductions to your program or project?

6. How would you describe the broader societal or policy impacts of any federal funding reduction?

7. As you envision the next 5 years (or towards the end of the program if sooner), how are the funding reductions changing that vision? We are interested in details, such as whether you are, or anticipate, changing goals, scope, participants, duration, funding portfolio (i.e., changes to the details provided in answer to Question 1).

8. Looking beyond immediate impacts and challenges, are there any new opportunities that have emerged for your own research/education/training program?

9. As the Ocean Science Trusts move forward in collaboratively scoping new science funding structures to support people, research, institutions and workforce development necessary to deliver on the ocean and coastal science priorities for the next decade, what perspectives would you offer about how to rebuild equitable, inclusive, and durable strategies?

10. Is there anything else you would like the U.S. West Coast Ocean Science Action Agenda partners to consider as part of this analysis?

Please verify that you are human*

Ocean Science Funding Survey