2014-2017 Strategic Plan (in support of 2014-2016 RFP submissions)
View our 2014-17 strategic plan in its entirety by downloading the pdf version (~1.8mb).
In a region with abundant coastal resources, diverse environmental challenges, and a complex institutional landscape, strategic planning is essential for Maryland Sea Grant to serve effectively. Maryland Sea Grant engaged stakeholders representing a wide spectrum of Maryland's coastal communities and interests to develop the foundation for our 2014-2017 strategic plan. The result is a synthesis incorporating their input and identifying clear priorities for the next four years. These priorities are cast in the context of the overarching themes articulated by NOAA and the National Sea Grant College Program, as well as regional and national issues brought to the forefront by broader policy analyses.
The strategic planning process has been instrumental in our effort to refine our unique role within Maryland's university and research community and in defining where we can achieve tangible impacts. Our plan is both a catalyst to foster achievement and a guide for program evolution. In short, it represents our commitment to excellence in all aspects of our program.
Excerpts from our Strategic Plan:
Our Vision for 2014-2017
Our work will focus on the environmental and economic health of the Chesapeake Bay, its watershed, and Maryland's coastal waters. We will engage the talent and resources of the academic and research communities in Maryland, creating a strong program that addresses current issues and anticipates future directions. By integrating their research findings with outreach and education projects, we will support the conservation and restoration of coastal resources, advance sustainable economic opportunities and serve as a highly credible source of information for multiple audiences. In our roles as "honest brokers," we will provide a neutral forum for the lively discussion of problems, solutions and creative ideas. By connecting the research and policy communities, we help to integrate policy needs into research projects and to insert research findings into policy, advancing science-based decision-making.
Our Values
Maryland Sea Grant is committed to serving the needs of diverse constituencies. We strive to:
- Engage those groups dedicated to restoring and sustaining Chesapeake Bay, its watershed and Maryland's coastal waters
- Catalyze translational science to address human - nature interactions
- Transfer scientific knowledge through outreach to inform decision-making, to develop new products and to foster new economic opportunities
- Deliver innovative education for Maryland's citizens of all ages to foster scientific understanding of coastal, marine and scientific processes and build a knowledgeable workforce
- Expand our efforts to engage at regional and national scales
- Develop the professionalism of our colleagues, maintain the responsible management of our program and achieve organizational excellence for serving our stakeholders.
Focus Areas
Our plan defines four focus areas and 11 state goals that align with National Sea Grant Program, but it also includes outcomes and strategies that are more specific and more narrowly focused, an approach that will enable us to more accurately measure progress and outcomes over the next four years.
Focus Area 1. Resilient Ecosystem Processes and Responses
Focus Area 2. Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture
Focus Area 3. Resilient Communities and Economies
Focus Area 4. Effective Environmental Science Education
2010-2013 Strategic Plan (operational guidelines through 2013)
View our 2010-13 strategic plan in its entirety by downloading the pdf version (~460kb).
A Vision for 2010-2013 — Meeting Coastal Challenges
Maryland has many diverse stakeholders, all passionate about coastal resources and the watershed, and it hosts many federal, state, and local programs directed towards Bay conservation and restoration. Within this context, Maryland Sea Grant’s university-based position provides a singular niche. It enables us to maintain a neutral platform and allows for entrepreneurship and the opportunity to work across boundaries to achieve results quickly. Recognizing both the scope and resources of our program, this strategic plan charts a course that will shape our program’s research, education, and outreach efforts and will guide us as we develop integrated portfolios. These portfolios include resilient ecosystem processes and responses; sustainable natural resources of coastal Maryland; and viable coastal communities and economies. All our efforts -- from research awards to outreach programs to synthesis and communications products -- link the quest for basic understanding with a consideration of the ultimate use of new knowledge. Maryland Sea Grant will engage the scientific and university community to address these important coastal issues. We will provide a tangible bridge to decision-makers and will realize important opportunities for effective stewardship of Maryland’s coastal resources.
