NOAA Fisheries has a long tradition of involving outside experts in matters such as program design, program reviews, chairing scientific meetings and stock assessment reviews.  These experts are typically internationally recognized experts in the US and elsewhere, as well as leading government scientists from other countries.

There has been a tremendous increase recently in the number of peer reviews of NOAA Fisheries science programs and scientific products, as part of the agency’s effort to strengthen its mission.  NOAA's current Strategic Plan calls for an ever-stronger Science Quality Assurance Program so that the need for external input will be even greater in the near future.  However, the existing, informal pool of qualified outside experts is limited and already overburdened.  It is unreasonable to expect that the availability of qualified volunteers will increase with the new demands.  Presently, the same scientists are often asked to participate in multiple reviews each year, leading to increased time demands and the lack of concrete rewards. 

To address this concern and to provide more objective peer review input, NOAA Fisheries formalized the process of independent peer reviews of NOAA Fisheries science with the development of a Center for Independent Experts (CIE), a project commenced in 1998 at the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Studies, a UM-NOAA Joint Institute.  The CIE consisted of a pool of qualified scientists who aided first in the design and review of NOAA Fisheries stock assessments, and since then, the CIE has expanded the concept beyond a stock assessment focus, recruiting scientists in the fields of endangered species, marine mammals, and other marine and coastal resources under the purview of NOAA Fisheries.