National Academies Press: OpenBook

Federal Funding of Astronomical Research (2000)

Chapter: Front Matter

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
×

FEDERAL FUNDING OF ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH

Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics

Board on Physics and Astronomy and Space Studies Board

Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
×

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.

Support for this project was provided by Contract NASW 96013 and Contract Grant No. AST-9632185 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation, respectively. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.

International Standard Book Number 0-309-07139-9

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Copyright 2000 by the National Academy of Sciences . All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
×

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. William 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. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
×

COMMITTEE ON ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

JOHN P. HUCHRA,

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,

Co-chair

THOMAS A. PRINCE,

California Institute of Technology,

Co-chair

ERIC E. BECKLIN,

University of California at Los Angeles

TODD A. BOROSON,

National Optical Astronomy Observatories

ROGER CHEVALIER,

University of Virginia

ARTHUR F. DAVIDSEN, *

Johns Hopkins University

MARC DAVIS, *

University of California at Berkeley

NEAL J. EVANS,

University of Texas at Austin

WENDY L. FREEDMAN, *

Carnegie Observatories

JONATHAN E. GRINDLAY, *

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

JACQUELINE N. HEWITT,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

ROBERT C. KENNICUTT, JR.,

University of Arizona

RICHARD F. MUSHOTZKY,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

STANTON J. PEALE,

University of California at Santa Barbara

DEANE PETERSON,

State University of New York at Stony Brook

ROBERT ROSNER, *

University of Chicago

BLAIR D. SAVAGE,

University of Wisconsin at Madison

DAVID N. SPERGEL,

Princeton University Observatory

MICHAEL TURNER, *

University of Chicago

ELLEN GOULD ZWEIBEL,

University of Colorado at Boulder

ROBERT L. RIEMER, Study Director

JOEL R. PARRIOTT, Program Officer

ANNE K. SIMMONS, Senior Program Assistant

RONALD M. KONKEL, Consultant

KIRSTEN L. ARMSTRONG, Research Assistant

*  

Former member.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
×

BOARD ON PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

ROBERT C. DYNES,

University of California at San Diego,

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

RICHARD D. HAZELTINE,

University of Texas at Austin

JOHN P. HUCHRA,

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

JOHN C. MATHER,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

CHERRY ANN MURRAY,

Lucent Technologies

ANNEILA I. SARGENT,

California Institute of Technology

JOSEPH H. TAYLOR,

Princeton University

KATHLEEN C. TAYLOR,

GM Research & Development Center

J. ANTHONY TYSON,

Lucent Technologies

CARL E. WIEMAN,

University of Colorado

PETER G. WOLYNES,

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

DONALD C. SHAPERO, Director

ROBERT L. RIEMER, Associate Director

KEVIN AYLESWORTH, Program Officer

JOEL R. PARRIOTT, Program Officer

GRACE WANG, Senior Project Associate

MICHAEL LU, Staff Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
×

SPACE STUDIES BOARD

CLAUDE R. CANIZARES,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

Chair

MARK R. ABBOTT,

Oregon State University

FRAN BAGENAL,

University of Colorado

DANIEL N. BAKER,

University of Colorado

ROBERT E. CLELAND,

University of Washington

GERARD W. ELVERUM, JR., *

TRW Space and Technology Group

MARILYN L. FOGEL,

Carnegie Institution of Washington

RONALD GREELEY, *

Arizona State University

BILL GREEN,

Former Member, U.S. House of Representatives

JOHN H. HOPPS, JR.,

Rozewell, Georgia

CHRIS J. JOHANNSEN,

Purdue University

ANDREW H. KNOLL, *

Harvard University

RICHARD G. KRON,

University of Chicago

JONATHAN I. LUNINE,

University of Arizona

ROBERTA BALSTAD MILLER,

Columbia University

GARY J. OLSEN,

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

MARY JANE OSBORN,

University of Connecticut Health Center

GEORGE A. PAULIKAS,

The Aerospace Corporation (retired)

JOYCE E. PENNER,

University of Michigan

THOMAS A. PRINCE,

California Institute of Technology

PEDRO L. RUSTAN, JR.,

U.S. Air Force (retired)

GEORGE L. SISCOE,

Boston University

EUGENE B. SKOLNIKOFF,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MITCHELL SOGIN,

Marine Biological Laboratory

NORMAN E. THAGARD,

Florida State University

ALAN M. TITLE,

Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center

RAYMOND VISKANTA,

Purdue University

PETER W. VOORHEES,

Northwestern University

JOHN A. WOOD,

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

JOSEPH K. ALEXANDER, Director

*  

Former member.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
×

COMMISSION ON PHYSICAL SCIENCES, MATHEMATICS, AND APPLICATIONS

PETER M. BANKS,

Veridian ERIM International, Inc.,

Co-chair

W. CARL LINEBERGER,

University of Colorado,

Co-chair

WILLIAM F. BALLHAUS, JR.,

Lockheed Martin Corporation

SHIRLEY CHIANG,

University of California at Davis

MARSHALL H. COHEN,

California Institute of Technology

RONALD G. DOUGLAS,

Texas A&M University

SAMUEL H. FULLER,

Analog Devices, Inc.

JERRY P. GOLLUB,

Haverford College

MICHAEL F. GOODCHILD,

University of California at Santa Barbara

MARTHA P. HAYNES,

Cornell University

WESLEY T. HUNTRESS, JR.,

Carnegie Institution of Washington

CAROL M. JANTZEN,

Westinghouse Savannah River Company

PAUL G. KAMINSKI,

Technovation, Inc.

KENNETH H. KELLER,

University of Minnesota

JOHN R. KREICK,

Sanders, a Lockheed Martin Company (retired)

MARSHA I. LESTER,

University of Pennsylvania

DUSA M. MCDUFF,

State University of New York at Stony Brook

JANET L. NORWOOD, Former Commissioner,

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

M. ELISABETH PATÉ-CORNELL,

Stanford University

NICHOLAS P. SAMIOS,

Brookhaven National Laboratory

ROBERT J. SPINRAD,

Xerox PARC (retired)

MYRON F. UMAN, Acting Executive Director

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
×

Preface

The Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA), at its meeting on September 8, 1997, was briefed on the legislative report accompanying the bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1998 and 1999 for the National Science Foundation (NSF). The report raised a number of questions about trends in support for research in astronomy and the overall robustness of the programs providing that support. At its meeting, the CAA heard the views of NSF and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on these issues. In consultation with the Board on Physics and Astronomy, the Space Studies Board, and representatives of NASA and NSF, the committee accepted the task of studying three of the questions raised by the House Science Committee (HSC). The three questions were framed by the CAA as follows:

  1. What have been the trends in support for basic research in astronomy, as indicated, for example, by grant funding, growth in the number of astronomers, proposal success rate, average grant size and duration, acknowledgment of federal support in publications, and other measures of research vitality?

  2. What are the current trends in federally funded support for basic research in astronomy, including support for theoretical astrophysics, and how is this support aligned with the availability of major observational facilities (including both ground- and space-based observatories)?

  3. How vulnerable is the astronomical research community to unexpected setbacks, such as a catastrophic failure of the Hubble Space Telescope?

It was intended that the results of the study would help guide federal support of basic research for the next decade and serve as analytical input to the new 2000 decadal survey of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee (AASC). The study would not offer specific funding recommendations, but rather would provide a background analysis of the alignment between available resources, agency priorities, and the vitality of the basic research program.

The HSC raised two additional sets of questions. The National Research Council (NRC) charged the Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee (AASC) with addressing these questions:

  1. Have NASA and NSF mission objectives resulted in a balanced, broad-based, robust science program for astronomy? Have the NASA and NSF missions been adequately coordinated, and has this resulted in an optimum science program from a productivity standpoint? What special strategies are needed for strategic cooperation between NASA and NSF? Should these be included in agency strategic plans?

  2. How do NASA and NSF determine the relative priority of new technological opportunities (including new facilities) compared to providing long-term support for associated research grants and facility operation?

The task of responding to the HSC was divided in this fashion in order to avoid preempting the AASC's charge to set priorities for astronomy and astrophysics, to identify the main issues facing the field, and to make recommendations to address these issues. (Its recently released report, Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium, will be published in the fall of 2000.)

The CAA was careful to frame its own study as a data-gathering exercise intended to provide the objective basis for describing trends in the field, the primary value of which would be to support the

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
×

work of the Panel on Astronomy Education and Policy of the AASC. For this reason, the CAA study articulates findings but does not recommend any actions to address the corresponding issues.

Notwithstanding the circumscribed nature of this CAA study on federal funding of astronomy, some striking facts came to light. These facts are outlined in the Executive Summary, and the data that support them are presented in the main body of the report.

The committee thanks Ron Konkel, who served as a consultant to the CAA and was very helpful in making clear what data were available and what questions might be addressed objectively. He was tireless in ferreting out the information needed by the committee in its study. The CAA would also like to thank Robert L. Riemer, Joel Parriott, and Kirsten Armstrong, who provided staff support and invaluable assistance in the review of the report and its publication.

John P. Huchra and Thomas A. Prince, Co-chairs

Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
×

Acknowledgment of Reviewers

This report has been reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council's (NRC's) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the authors and the NRC in making the 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 contents of the review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. The committee wishes to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report:

Arthur D. Code, University of Wisconsin at Madison,

Frank D. Drake, University of California at Santa Cruz and the SETI Institute,

Richard S. Ellis, University of Cambridge, England,

Sandra M. Faber, University of California at Santa Cruz,

Richard M. Goody, Harvard University (retired),

Richard G. Kron, University of Chicago,

Marcia J. Rieke, University of Arizona,

Vera C. Rubin, Carnegie Institution of Washington, and

J. Anthony Tyson, Lucent Technologies.

Although the individuals listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, responsibility for the final content of this report rests solely with the authoring committee and the NRC.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Federal Funding of Astronomical Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9954.
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The Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA), at its meeting on September 8, 1997, was briefed on the legislative report accompanying the bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1998 and 1999 for the National Science Foundation (NSF). The report raised a number of questions about trends in support for research in astronomy and the overall robustness of the programs providing that support. At its meeting, the CAA heard the views of NSF and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on these issues. In consultation with the Board on Physics and Astronomy, the Space Studies Board, and representatives of NASA and NSF, the committee accepted the task of studying three of the questions raised by the House Science Committee (HSC). It was intended that the results of the study would help guide federal support of basic research for the next decade and serve as analytical input to the new 2000 decadal survey of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee (AASC). The study would not offer specific funding recommendations, but rather would provide a background analysis of the alignment between available resources, agency priorities, and the vitality of the basic research program.

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