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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12964.
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NEW RESEARCH DIRECTIONS FOR THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

WORKSHOP REPORT

Committee on New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Mapping Science Committee

Board on Earth Sciences and Resources

Division on Earth and Life Studies

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12964.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
500 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency under Award No. HM1582-09-C0014. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations contained in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. government.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-15865-7

International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-15865-6

Additional copies of this report are available from the

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12964.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine


The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.


The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.


The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.


The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.


www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12964.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12964.
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COMMITTEE ON NEW RESEARCH DIRECTIONS FOR THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

KEITH C. CLARKE, Chair,

University of California, Santa Barbara

LUC E. ANSELIN,

Arizona State University, Tempe

ANNETTE J. KRYGIEL, Independent Consultant,

Great Falls, Virginia

CAROLYN J. MERRY,

Ohio State University, Columbus

SCOTT A. SANDGATHE,

University of Washington, Seattle

MANI SRIVASTAVA,

University of California, Los Angeles

JAMES J. THOMAS,

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

National Research Council Staff

ANNE M. LINN, Study Director

LEA A. SHANLEY, Postdoctoral Fellow

JASON R. ORTEGO, Research Associate

ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12964.
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MAPPING SCIENCE COMMITTEE

KEITH C. CLARKE, Chair,

University of California, Santa Barbara

LUC E. ANSELIN,

Arizona State University, Tempe

CECILIA R. ARAGON,

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California

BUDHENDRA L. BHADURI,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

SUSAN CARSON LAMBERT,

Renewable Energy Strategies, LLC, Frankfort, Kentucky

LEWIS A. LAPINE,

South Carolina Geodetic Survey, Columbia

CAROLYN J. MERRY,

Ohio State University, Columbus

JAYANT SHARMA,

Oracle Spatial, Nashua, New Hampshire

DANIEL Z. SUI,

Ohio State University, Columbus

MICHAEL F. WORBOYS,

University of Maine, Orono

MAY YUAN,

University of Oklahoma, Norman

National Research Council Staff

ANNE M. LINN, Study Director

LEA A. SHANLEY, Postdoctoral Fellow

ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12964.
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BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES

CORALE BRIERLEY, Chair,

Brierley Consultancy, LLC, Denver, Colorado

KEITH C. CLARKE,

University of California, Santa Barbara

DAVID J. COWEN,

University of South Carolina, Columbia

WILLIAM E. DIETRICH,

University of California, Berkeley

ROGER M. DOWNS,

Pennsylvania State University, University Park

JEFF DOZIER,

University of California, Santa Barbara

KATHERINE H. FREEMAN,

Pennsylvania State University, University Park

WILLIAM L. GRAF,

University of South Carolina, Calcott

RUSSELL J. HEMLEY,

Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C.

MURRAY W. HITZMAN,

Colorado School of Mines, Golden

EDWARD KAVAZANJIAN, JR.,

Arizona State University, Tempe

LOUISE H. KELLOGG,

University of California, Davis

ROBERT McMASTER,

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

CLAUDIA INÉS MORA,

Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico

BRIJ M. MOUDGIL,

University of Florida, Gainesville

CLAYTON R. NICHOLS,

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (retired), Sandpoint

JOAQUIN RUIZ,

University of Arizona, Tucson

PETER M. SHEARER,

University of California, San Diego

REGINAL SPILLER,

Allied Energy, Houston, Texas

RUSSELL STANDS-OVER-BULL,

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Billings, Montana

TERRY C. WALLACE, JR.,

Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico

HERMAN B. ZIMMERMAN,

National Science Foundation (retired), Portland, Oregon

National Research Council Staff

ANTHONY R. de SOUZA, Director

ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Senior Program Officer

DAVID A. FEARY, Senior Program Officer

ANNE M. LINN, Senior Program Officer

SAMMANTHA L. MAGSINO, Program Officer

MARK D. LANGE, Associate Program Officer

LEA A. SHANLEY, Postdoctoral Fellow

JENNIFER T. ESTEP, Administrative and Financial Associate

NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate

JASON R. ORTEGO, Research Associate

COURTNEY R. GIBBS, Program Associate

ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant

TONYA E. FONG YEE, Senior Program Assistant

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12964.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

In response to a request from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the National Research Council (NRC) organized a workshop to discuss new research directions for NGA. The workshop was held on May 17–19, 2010, in Washington, D.C., and engaged a group of approximately 30 researchers. Most of these individuals wrote white papers for the workshop, gave presentations, and/or served as rapporteurs for the working group sessions, and the committee is grateful for their contributions. In particular, the committee would like to thank the individuals who wrote white papers on five core areas traditionally supported by NGA: Dean Merchant, Russell Congalton, Robert McMaster, Lewis Lapine, and Luc Anselin. Their papers explained how the core areas have evolved to the present.


The committee also thanks the individuals who presented the state-of-the-art in 10 topics discussed in the workshop: Kathleen Carley, Melba Crawford, Dave Ebert, Clive Fraser, Robert McMaster, Haesun Park, Antonio Sanfillipo, Cyrus Shahabi, Dru Smith, and May Yuan. Finally, the workshop would not have been successful without the important contributions of those who attended the event. Discussions of future research directions were informative, professional, and conducted in a cooperative spirit among, in large part, individuals who do not often have the opportunity to collaborate.


This workshop report was prepared by an ad hoc committee and NRC staff following the workshop. It represents the discussions of workshop participants as interpreted by an ad hoc committee.


This workshop report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12964.
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Peggy Agouris, George Mason University

Kate Beard-Tisdale, University of Maine, Orono

Andrew Campbell, Dartmouth College

Huan Liu, Arizona State University

Chris Rizos, University of New South Wales, Australia

Amitabh Varshney, University of Maryland

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse nor did they see the final draft of the workshop report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Robert B. Herrmann, private consultant. Appointed by the National Research Council he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12964.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. New Research Directions for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12964.
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The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) within the Department of Defense has the primary mission of providing timely, relevant, and accurate imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial information--collectively known as geospatial intelligence (GEOINT)--in support of national security. In support of its mission, NGA sponsors research that builds the scientific foundation for geospatial intelligence and that reinforces the academic base, thus training the next generation of NGA analysts while developing new approaches to analytical problems. Historically, NGA has supported research in five core areas: (1) photogrammetry and geomatics, (2) remote sensing and imagery science, (3) geodesy and geophysics, (4) cartographic science, and (5) geographic information systems (GIS) and geospatial analysis.

Positioning NGA for the future is the responsibility of the InnoVision Directorate, which analyzes intelligence trends, technological advances, and emerging customer and partner concepts to provide cutting-edge technology and process solutions. At the request of InnoVision, the National Research Council (NRC) held a 3-day workshop to explore the evolution of the five core research areas and to identify emerging disciplines that may improve the quality of geospatial intelligence over the next 15 years. This workshop report offers a potential research agenda that would expand NGA's capabilities and improve its effectiveness in providing geospatial intelligence.

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