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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics

MANAGING AN INTEGRATED PROGRAM

Committee on the Organization and Management of Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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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 project was supported jointly by the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. NASW-96013. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.

International Standard Book Number 0-309-07626-9

Additional copies of this report are available from:
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2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624–6242 or (202) 334–3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet <http://www.nap.edu>; and

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Board on Physics and Astronomy, National Research Council, HA 562, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20418; Internet <http://www.national-academies.org/bpa>.

Copyright 2001 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Engineering

Institute of Medicine

National Research Council

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. Bruce M.Alberts 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. Wm.A. Wulf 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. Kenneth I.Shine 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. Bruce M.Alberts and Dr. Wm.A.Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
×

COMMITTEE ON THE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

NORMAN R.AUGUSTINE,

Lockheed Martin (retired),

Chair

LEWIS M.BRANSCOMB,

Harvard University

CLAUDE R.CANIZARES,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

SANDRA M.FABER,

University of California, Santa Cruz

ROBERT D.GEHRZ,

University of Minnesota

PHILIP R.GOODE,

New Jersey Institute of Technology

BURTON RICHTER,

Stanford University

ANNEILA I.SARGENT,

California Institute of Technology

FRANK H.SHU,

University of California, Berkeley

MAXINE F.SINGER,

Carnegie Institution of Washington

ROBERT E.WILLIAMS,

Space Telescope Science Institute

JOSEPH K.ALEXANDER, Director,

Space Studies Board

DONALD C.SHAPERO, Director,

Board on Physics and Astronomy

JOEL R.PARRIOTT, Study Director

SUSAN GARBINI, Staff Officer

BRIAN D.DEWHURST, Research Assistant

SÄRAH A.CHOUDHURY, Project Associate

NELSON QUIÑONES, Project Assistant

ELIZABETH YALE, Intern

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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SPACE STUDIES BOARD

JOHN H.McELROY,

University of Texas at Arlington (retired),

Chair

ROGER P.ANGEL, JR.,

University of Arizona

JAMES P.BAGIAN,

National Center for Patient Safety

JAMES L.BURCH,

Southwest Research Institute

RADFORD BYERLY, JR.,

Boulder, Colorado

ROBERT E.CLELAND,

University of Washington

HOWARD M.EINSPAHR,

Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute

STEVEN H.FLAJSER,

Loral Space and Communications, Ltd.

MICHAEL FREILICH,

Oregon State University

DON P.GIDDENS,

Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University

RALPH H.JACOBSON,

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (retired)

CONWAY LEOVY,

University of Washington

JONATHAN I.LUNINE,

University of Arizona

BRUCE D.MARCUS, TRW (retired)

RICHARD A.McCRAY,

University of Colorado

HARRY Y.McSWEEN, JR.,

University of Tennessee

GARY J.OLSEN,

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

GEORGE A.PAULIKAS,

The Aerospace Corporation (retired)

ROBERT ROSNER,

University of Chicago

ROBERT J.SERAFIN,

National Center for Atmospheric Research

EUGENE B.SKOLNIKOFF,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MITCHELL SOGIN,

Marine Biological Laboratory

C.MEGAN URRY,

Yale University

PETER W.VOORHEES,

Northwestern University

JOHN A.WOOD,

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

JOSEPH K.ALEXANDER, Director

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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BOARD ON PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

JOHN HUCHRA,

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,

Chair

ROBERT C.RICHARDSON,

Cornell University,

Vice Chair

GORDON A.BAYM,

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

WILLIAM BIALEK,

NEC Research Institute

VAL FITCH,

Princeton University

WENDY L.FREEDMAN,

Carnegie Observatories

RICHARD D.HAZELTINE,

University of Texas at Austin

KATHY LEVIN,

University of Chicago

CHUAN LIU,

University of Maryland

JOHN C.MATHER,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

CHERRY ANN MURRAY,

Lucent Technologies

JULIA PHILLIPS,

Sandia National Laboratories

ANNEILA I.SARGENT,

California Institute of Technology

JOSEPH H.TAYLOR, JR.,

Princeton University

KATHLEEN C.TAYLOR,

General Motors Corporation

CARL E.WIEMAN,

University of Colorado/JILA

PETER G.WOLYNES,

University of California, San Diego

DONALD C.SHAPERO, Director

JOEL R.PARRIOTT, Senior Program Officer

ROBERT L.RIEMER, Senior Program Officer

MICHAEL H.MOLONEY, Program Officer

ACHILLES SPELIOTOPOULOS, Program Officer

SÄRAH A.CHOUDHURY, Project Associate

NELSON QUIÑONES, Project Assistant

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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Preface

In its fiscal year 2002 budget summary document1 the Bush administration proposed funding initiatives and redirections for each department and agency, and it also discussed potential reforms. For the National Science Foundation (NSF), the potential reforms included a directive to “reorganize research in astronomy and astrophysics.” The document (p. 161) added:

Several changes have evolved which suggest that now is the time to assess the federal Government’s management and organization of astronomical research. NSF and NASA will establish a Blue Ribbon Panel to assess the organizational effectiveness of Federal support of astronomical sciences and, specifically, the pros and cons of transferring NSF’s astronomy responsibilities to NASA. The panel may also develop alternative options.

In response to a request from the director of NSF and the administrator of NASA, the National Research Council (NRC) agreed to undertake preparation of the assessment. The NRC chair appointed the Committee on the Organization and Management of Research in Astronomy and

1  

Executive Office of the President, A Blueprint for New Beginnings: A Responsible Budget for America’s Priorities, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 2001. Available online at <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/usbudget/blueprint/budtoc.html>.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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Astrophysics (COMRAA) to carry out the task. Biographies of the members of the committee are given in Appendix A.

The committee was formally charged with the following task, based closely on the language in the 2002 budget summary.

  1. Assess the organizational effectiveness of federal support of astronomical sciences.

  2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of transferring NSF’s astronomy responsibilities to NASA.

  3. Consider other options for addressing the management and organizational issues identified by the committee and by recent NRC reports.

COMRAA met in person three times for a total of six days and held one telephone discussion. At its first meeting, held in Washington, D.C., on June 13–14, 2001, it heard from representatives of the White House, the sponsoring agencies, and the House Science Committee. It also heard presentations from one of the co-chairs of the recently published survey of astronomy and astrophysics (Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 2001), from professional societies, and from other interested organizations and knowledgeable individuals.

At its second meeting, held in Menlo Park, Calif., on July 12–13, 2001, it discussed national observatories and joint advisory committees and heard further testimony from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. The report was outlined and the committee divided up the task of preparing various sections of its report.

During these first two meetings, the committee heard testimony from about 30 key individuals. Committee members also benefited from many individual discussions with senior researchers, congressional staff members, and former and current agency managers. The NRC created a Web site that invited public comment through an e-mail address created for that purpose. The American Astronomical Society assisted the committee by transmitting a general invitation to its membership to submit statements to the committee by e-mail. The committee received hundreds of thoughtful statements and comments that were carefully reviewed during the first two meetings.

At its final meeting, held in Washington, D.C., on July 31–August 1, 2001, the committee, after much discussion, finalized its findings and recommendations. Detailed agendas of the meetings are listed in Appendix B.

The committee wishes to thank NASA Administrator Daniel S.Goldin and NSF Director Rita Colwell and their staffs for providing data and information to the committee, always under tight schedule constraints.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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The committee would also like to express its appreciation for the support and assistance of the NRC staff, including the deadline-paced editorial work of Susan Maurizi. The committee particularly thanks Joel Parriott, who served as study director, and without whose help and guidance the committee could not have completed its task on the fast-paced schedule dictated by the budget cycle.

The recommendations presented in this report have the unanimous endorsement of the members of the committee.

Norman R.Augustine, Chair

Committee on the Organization and Management of Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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Acknowledgment of Reviewers

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s (NRC) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for 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:

Robert A.Frosch, Harvard University,

John P.Huchra, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,

John C.Mather, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Infrared Astrophysics Branch,

Marcia K.McNutt, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute,

Norine E.Noonan, National Space Science and Technology Center,

Jeremiah P.Ostriker, Princeton University,

John Peoples, Jr., Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory,

Marcia J.Rieke, University of Arizona,

Philip M.Smith, McGeary and Smith, and

Joseph H.Taylor, Jr., Princeton University.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Marshall Cohen, California Institute of Technology, and Louis J.Lanzerotti, Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies. Appointed by the NRC, they were 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. 2001. U.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics: Managing an Integrated Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10190.
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In its fiscal year 2002 budget summary document the Bush administration expressed concern—based in part on the findings and conclusions of two National Research Council studies—about recent trends in the federal funding of astronomy and astrophysics research. The President's budget blueprint suggested that now is the time to address these concerns and directed the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to establish a blue ribbon panel to (1) assess the organizational effectiveness of the federal research enterprise in astronomy and astrophysics, (2) consider the pros and cons of transferring NSF's astronomy responsibilities to NASA, and (3) suggest alternative options for addressing issues in the management and organization of astronomical and astrophysical research. NASA and NSF asked the National Research Council to carry out the rapid assessment requested by the President. This report, focusing on the roles of NSF and NASA, provides the results of that assessment.

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