Blue Economy and Innovation Act

This bill establishes a competitive grant program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund ocean science and coastal research. It directly supports researchers, universities, coastal communities, and partners like tribes, nonprofits, and tech hubs through four key mechanisms: funding cross-disciplinary research, developing innovative solutions for ocean challenges (with community or partner involvement), training the scientific workforce, and upgrading research infrastructure like labs and equipment. Grants for infrastructure must create a balanced portfolio across different facilities. The program requires NSF to coordinate with other federal agencies when projects involve them.