Smart Oceans is a product of the Convergence Accelerator (C-Accel), within the Office of Integrative Activities at the National Science Foundation, a brand-new initiative designed to accelerate use-inspired convergence research through partnerships between academia, industry, non-profits, government, and other sectors.

The NSF Convergence Accelerator’s mission is to address national-scale societal challenges through use-inspired convergence research. Using a convergence approach, the Accelerator integrates multidisciplinary research and innovation processes to transition basic research and discovery toward impactful solutions. More information about the Convergence Accelerator can be found on the NSF Convergence Accelerator website.