WASHINGTON — The University of Maine, the Maine Maritime Academy and two partner organizations are sharing a federal grant to develop a system that could help capture renewable energy from the motion of ocean waves and offshore winds.

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced the nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

The senators said the funding would help create a multidirectional Wind-Wave generating system. Researchers hope the system, known as W2, will simulate wave and wind conditions found in ocean environments like the Gulf of Maine.

Sandia National Laboratories and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will work with the University of Maine and the Maine Maritime Academy to develop the system that could help guide construction of future offshore renewable energy devices.