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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science

______

Committee on the Foundation for Assessing the
Health and Vitality of the NASA Science Mission
Directorate’s Research Communities

Space Studies Board

Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences


Consensus Study Report

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This activity was supported by Contract NNH17CB02B with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-68885-7
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-68885-X
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Cover design by Tim Warchocki. Courtesy of NASA/SwRI/MSSS/Sergio Díaz © CC NC SA; from “Cloud Tops at Jupiter North North Temperate Belt,” June 7, 2022, https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam/processing?id=13248.

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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26575.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
×

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
×

Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.

Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.

Rapid Expert Consultations published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are authored by subject-matter experts on narrowly focused topics that can be supported by a body of evidence. The discussions contained in rapid expert consultations are considered those of the authors and do not contain policy recommendations. Rapid expert consultations are reviewed by the institution before release.

For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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COMMITTEE ON THE FOUNDATION FOR ASSESSING THE HEALTH AND VITALITY OF THE NASA SCIENCE MISSION DIRECTORATE’S RESEARCH COMMUNITIES

CHARLES F. BOLDEN, JR. (NAE), The Charles F. Bolden Group, LLC, Co-Chair

WANDA A. SIGUR (NAE), Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired), Co-Chair

GALE J. ALLEN, American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (retired)

ROGER BLANDFORD (NAS), Stanford University

SHERI KLUG BOONSTRA, Lucy Student Pipeline and Competency Enabler (L’SPACE) Program

ANTONIO J. BUSALACCHI (NAE), University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

CHRISTOPHER M. KEANE, American Geosciences Institute

ROSALY M.C. LOPES, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

CORA BAGLEY MARRETT, University of Wisconsin–Madison

MARK B. MOLDWIN, University of Michigan

KENNETH SEMBACH, Space Telescope Science Institute

SUSAN WHITE, American Institute of Physics

Staff

DWAYNE A. DAY, Senior Program Officer, Study Director

GAYBRIELLE HOLBERT, Program Assistant

COLLEEN N. HARTMAN, Director, Space Studies Board

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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SPACE STUDIES BOARD

MARGARET G. KIVELSON (NAS), University of California, Los Angeles, Chair

JAMES H. CROCKER (NAE), Lockheed Martin (retired), Vice Chair

GREGORY P. ASNER (NAS), Carnegie Institution for Science

JEFF M. BINGHAM, Consultant

ADAM BURROWS (NAS), Princeton University

JEFF DOZIER, University of California, Santa Barbara

VICTORIA E. HAMILTON, Southwest Research Institute

CHRYSSA KOUVELIOTOU (NAS), The George Washington University

DENNIS P. LETTENMAIER (NAE), University of California, Los Angeles

ROSALY M. LOPES, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

STEPHEN J. MACKWELL, American Institute of Physics

DAVID J. McCOMAS, Princeton University

LARRY PAXTON, Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University

ELIOT QUATAERT, University of California, Berkeley

MARK SAUNDERS, NASA (retired)

BARBARA SHERWOOD LOLLAR, University of Toronto

HOWARD SINGER, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

HARLAN E. SPENCE, University of New Hampshire

MARK H. THIEMENS (NAS), University of California, San Diego

ERIKA WAGNER, Blue Origin

PAUL WOOSTER, Space Exploration Technologies

EDWARD L. WRIGHT (NAS), University of California, Los Angeles

Staff

COLLEEN N. HARTMAN, Director

TANJA PILZAK, Manager, Program Operations

CELESTE A. NAYLOR, Information Management Associate

MARGARET A. KNEMEYER, Financial Officer

RADAKA LIGHTFOOT, Financial Associate

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Preface

On September 28, 2020, the NASA associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate asked the chair of the Space Studies Board (SSB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, to engage the SSB in undertaking a study on the topic of Building a Foundation for Assessing the Health and Vitality of the Science Mission Directorate’s Research Communities. The Committee on the Foundation for Assessing the Health and Vitality of the NASA Science Mission Directorate’s Research Communities was established by the National Academies. The committee membership includes expertise that covers all the NASA space science fields as well as industry and government. Several members had direct involvement in decadal surveys in the past, as well as knowledge of the issues facing their scientific communities.

The committee began this study at a time of significant change in the nation. It held its first meeting in May 2021. This was followed by a series of open and closed-session meetings on a bi-weekly or weekly basis through December. All meetings were held virtually due to ongoing COVID protocols/restrictions at the National Academies and schedules were dynamic due to many events beyond the committee’s control. This hindered the normal deliberative process of National Academies’ panels. In addition, the subject matter under assessment was constantly in flux. For example, NASA implemented new policies and the Executive Office of the President issued executive orders that were applicable to the committee’s task. Three decadal surveys with purviews that overlapped this study’s task were also under way, as was another SSB study. All of these events highlighted that while the work of this committee represents a snapshot in time, it is a snapshot taken while many aspects of this subject are undergoing rapid change. This very change emphasizes the relevance of the subject and the opportunities to influence outcomes. By the fall of 2021 the committee had begun drafting its report which was then submitted to the National Academies’ review process.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Acknowledgment of Reviewers

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, 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 thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

MARC S. ALLEN, NASA (ret.),

ANA P. BARROS (NAE), Duke University,

LENNARD A. FISK (NAS), University of Michigan,

NORMAN J. FORTENBERRY, American Society for Engineering Education,

EFI FOUFOULA-GEORGIOU (NAE), University of California, Irvine,

LISA FREHILL, Department of Energy,

SARAH T. GILLE, Scripps Institution of Oceanography,

RALPH LORENZ, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory,

DARA J. NORMAN, National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory,

EDGARD G. RIVERA-VALENTÍN, Lunar and Planetary Institute,

JANET VERTESI, Princeton University, and

ERIKA WAGNER, Blue Origin.

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by coordinator Susan Helms (NAE), Orbital Visions, LLC, and monitor David Spergel (NAS), Simons Foundation. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Space, Earth, and Biological and Physical Sciences Education and Outreach

Engaging Social and Behavioral Scientists in Strategically Shaping the People Enterprise

Decadal State of the Profession Assessments

5ADDRESSING PROGRAMMATIC ISSUES

Establishing Supportive Funding

Improving the Process for Solicitation and Review of High-Quality Proposals

The Space and Earth Sciences Research Community Hard Funding

Maintaining Continued Support, Advocacy, and Focus Through Change

Resilience to Emerging Challenges

Developing Synergies with International Agencies, Other U.S. Government Agencies, and Domestic Partners

Providing Administrative Oversight of a Healthy and Vital Research Community

Community Standards of Conduct

6IMPLEMENTABLE MEASURES FOR ASSESSING THE HEALTH AND VITALITY OF NASA SMD’S RESEARCH COMMUNITY

Metrics and Indicators

Demographics Data on the Space, Earth, and Biological and Physical Sciences Community

Data Analysis

Alternative Data Parameters and How They Are Useful

Data Collection Beyond NASA

Data Collection Limitations

Challenges in Data Collection

Summary of Metrics and Indicators

Next Steps

7RECOMMENDING AND PRIORITIZING PROMISING PRACTICES

Promising Practices: Clarity of Science for Efficient Research and Public Support

Promising Practices: Representative Workforce

Promising Practices: Sustaining a Diverse Science Enterprise Through Outreach, Acceptance, and Development

Promising Practices: Establishing Supportive Funding

Promising Practices: Developing Resilience to Emerging Challenges

Promising Practices: Community Standards of Conduct

The Bright Future NASA SMD Can Enable

REFERENCES

APPENDIXES

AStatement of Task

BAcronyms and Abbreviations

CCommittee Biographies

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26575.
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The U.S. space science community includes thousands of scientists across multiple disciplines that influence and are influenced by the many engineers, technicians, and support personnel that are part of the space research enterprise. Over one-third of NASA's budget is devoted to space science, and the agency currently operates over 50 space missions in the fields of astrophysics, Earth science, solar and space physics, planetary science, and the biological and physical sciences. The strength of NASA science lies with its people, both those who work directly for the agency and the thousands of researchers and professionals who are funded by NASA grants and contracts.

At the request of NASA, this report examines the foundation for healthy and vital research communities. Foundations of a Healthy and Vital Research Community for NASA Science identifies the characteristics of a healthy and vital research community, defines implementable measures for assessing the health and vitality of a research community, describes the types of data that NASA should be collecting to enable future assessments of the health and vitality of the scientific work force, and recommends best practices to improve the health and vitality of NASA’s research communities.

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