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ASSESSMENT OF NASAâS DRAFT 2003 SPACE SCIENCE ENTERPRISE STRATEGY 11 made clearer in order to improve the overall linkage to the EPO objectives on page 9. In addition, several aspects of the content could be improved,32 and discussions of past achievements could be balanced with clearly articulated future goals. The OSS may also wish to consider how the text might be revised to highlight the unique capabilities of NASA to generate the excitement and enthusiasm necessary for a successful EPO program and to attract the audience it is intending to reach. In the broader context of education and public outreach, the Board believes that the OSS should prepare a comprehensive, forward-looking plan that defines the level of human resources required to accomplish the OSS program; how education and training efforts, including the recruitment and training of women and minorities, will meet those demands; and the resources required to retain this skilled labor force. The OSS document properly expresses concern about human resources, namely the need to recruit, train, and retain the scientific and technical talent needed to carry out NASAâs mission in the coming decades. The document discusses these resource issues specifically in the context of staffing at NASA Centers, but NASA would do well to consider this problem beyond its own staffing requirements. The success of NASAâs partnerships with both industry and academia hinges on the ability to train the next generation of space scientists and engineers. NASA should articulate a strategy for leveraging its funding for academic training in a way that encourages universities to develop interdisciplinary programs. The NASA Specialized Center for Research and Training (NSCORT) programs at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, as well as the Astrobiology programs at Arizona State University, the University of Washington, and the University of Colorado, are examples of successful programs to consider for other disciplines. The SSP survey also makes specific recommendations to create research opportunities in solar and space physics for undergraduate and graduate education. For example, the survey recommends that NSF and NASA establish âbridged positionsâ to support faculty positions in solar and space physics and that NASA support undergraduate research in solar and space physics through grant programs.33 Efforts to address the future needs for scientific and technical human resources require a long-term commitment beyond awards associated with individual research and analysis grants or NRC postdoctoral fellows. A follow-up evaluation mechanism would be required to appraise the effectiveness of these human resources processes and their impact on the future of the OSS program and the space science community. This evaluation mechanism should be capable of differentiating on the basis of effectiveness (outcome) rather than on intentions (programs, process). READABILITY AND CLARITY OF PRESENTATION The OSS draft document necessarily covers an enormous range of topics, and to do so in a way that can communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences including scientists and policymakers is a challenge. The Board believes that revisions to emphasize use of the active voice and a parallel structure in the themes will be helpful. Furthermore, short executive summaries at the beginning of each major chapter will improve the document as a communication tool for multiple audiences.
