NARRAGANSETT — August 18, 2003 — The Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program recently received “outstanding” reviews from a national panel, putting the program in the running for merit funding that could bring the program a bonus to extend its work in Rhode Island.
A stringent review process found Rhode Island Sea Grant to be “an outstanding program that … obtained the highest performance rating in all major evaluation categories.” In the “partnerships” category, the program ranked higher than the “highest performance” benchmark—”a truly remarkable accomplishment,” wrote the reviewers in their final report.
Every four years, each Sea Grant program in the nation is reviewed by an external panel, composed of national experts in Sea Grant focus areas, and overseen by the National Sea Grant Review Panel.
From 1999 to 2002—the time period for which the program was reviewed—Rhode Island Sea Grant brought in $17.7 million to the Ocean State; $16.9 million of that to the äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ (äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾).
“The Sea Grant model started at äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾. Im very proud of our team,” said Barry Costa-Pierce, Rhode Island Sea Grant director. “Indeed, the assessment team wholeheartedly agreed that the Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program at äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ is a model program for the entire Sea Grant Network.”