The UMass/NOAA Cooperative Marine Education and Research (CMER) Program is now in its seventh year. Established in early 1989 under a Cooperative Agreement between the University of Massachusetts (UMass) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the CMER Program combines university and agency expertise to address marine issues affecting the Commonwealth, region, and nation.

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) provides base support for the Program. NOAA also supports an on-campus NOAA employee who serves as CMER Program Director and member of the UMass graduate faculty. In return, UMass provides office space, administrative, and clerical support for the CMER Program Director, and a reduced overhead rate on CMER projects. Additional monetary support for the CMER Program is provided by other NOAA organizational units. All studies performed under the CMER Program must be consistent with the objectives and conditions of the Cooperative Agreement.

In a truly cooperative program, all parties contribute towards the objectives of the program beyond simple monetary reimbursement. The CMER Program is no exception. The Cooperative Agreement is intended "to provide for active university/agency cooperation in the advancement, organization, and operation of marine research, education, in-service training, and demonstration programs." The Cooperative Agreement requires NOAA "to cooperate with UMass in the planning, outlining, developing" of these activities. The CMER Program provides administrative oversight and control over activities funded through the Cooperative Agreement. While ad hoc collaboration existed between UMass and NOAA prior to the Cooperative Agreement that established the CMER Program, a basis now exists to foster cooperative efforts and direct them towards more specific goals.

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CMER
Blaisdell House
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003-0820