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8. Research Priorities
Pages 83-90

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From page 83...
... In order to assess and compare research across the microgravity disciplines, the committee critically examined the potential impact of the given research on the scientific field of which it is part, on NASA's technology needs, and on industry or other terrestrial applications. The committee's evaluation of the research in each of these categories is expected to assist NASA program planners by providing insight into the likely risks and potential rewards of the research that would be needed to create a vibrant microgravity research program that impacts all of these areas.
From page 84...
... For these reasons, the committee concluded that the fraction of the physical sciences program devoted to the recommended research in emerging areas should remain relatively modest, perhaps 15 percent of the ground-based program, until such time as a clear justification arises for increasing its size based on the criteria above as well as the ability of research in emerging areas to compete with existing programs. This fraction, which would bring the emerging research program into parity with the other major areas of research funded by the PSD, will allow NASA to have an impact on a limited number of highly focused topics within the broad purview of emerging areas while leveraging the research of other agencies.
From page 85...
... 74-76~. MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH PRIORITIES In assessing the promise of a microgravity research area, it was first necessary to look at the impact of the research on the field of which it is a part and the quality of the investigators in the program, since the impact of the past research provides insight into the ability of the program to select important research topics to fund and the quality of investigators in the program strongly affects the likelihood that future research will yield important results.
From page 86...
... Jet ' Low PROBABILITY OF ACHIEVING IMPACT High FIGURE 8.2 Assessment of research topics in terms of their likely impact on terrestrial applications such as industry's technology needs.
From page 87...
... Computational materials science; 19. Collection of thermophysical data of liquid state in microgravity.
From page 88...
... Those recommended areas are as follows: · Multiphase flow and heat transfer · Complex fluids Self-assembly and crystallization Complex fluid theologies · Interfacial processes Wetting and spreading Capillary-driven flows and equilibria Coalescence and aggregation (liquid phase) · Biofluid dynamics Cellular biotechnology Physiological flows · Turbulent combustion · Chemical kinetics · Soot and radiation · Smoldering combustion · Development of computer simulations of fire dynamics on spacecraft · Oxygen systems fire safety · Ignition, flame spread, and screening techniques for engineering materials Antimatter search/measurements Elemental composition survey Complete the current set of ISS experiments in fundamental physics Low-temperature experiments Relativity and precision clock experiments Other NASA clock application experiments Nucleation process within, and the properties of, undercooled liquids · Dynamics of microstructural development during solidification · Morphological evolution of multiphase systems · Computational materials science Collection of thermophysical data of liquid state in microgravity.
From page 89...
... NASA chooses to emphasize or what trade-offs between research risk and reward it is willing to accept. PEER REVIEW The committee has commented numerous times in past studies on the role that rigorous peer review has had in greatly improving the quality of the research funded by the Physical Sciences Division, and it strongly recommended the continued use of peer review in future funding selections (NRC, 1994, 1997, 2000~.
From page 90...
... Liu..2000. "Mechanical Stretch stimulates macrophage inflammatory protein- 2 secretion from fetal rat lung cells." American Journal of Physiology Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology.


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