%0 Book %A National Research Council %T Review of USAF-Supported Astronomical Research: Letter Report %D 2004 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11052/review-of-usaf-supported-astronomical-research-letter-report %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11052/review-of-usaf-supported-astronomical-research-letter-report %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Space and Aeronautics %P 12 %R doi:10.17226/11052 %X The USAF operates a 3.67-meter optical/near-infrared telescope in Hawaii for observational purposes. It has many features that make it a desirable scientific instrument including being the largest optical telescope in the world equipped with adaptive optics. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) has made available a portion of the telescope’s viewing time for scientific observations funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). To evaluate the effectiveness of the AFOSR/NSF program to date, the AFOSR asked the NRC to assess the quality of that scientific research, the scientific productivity of the program, and how well the research is taking advantage of the unique features of the facility. This letter report presents the results of that evaluation. The study concluded that the program should be continued, and the report presents a number of recommendations to improve the quality of that research.