Review of the Restructured Research and Analysis Programs of NASA's Planetary Science Division (2017) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
3 Linkage Between Planetary R&A and NASA PSD Science Goals
3 Linkage Between Planetary R&A and NASA PSD Science Goals
Pages 23-32
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 23... ...
As noted in Chapter 1, the current PSD R&A program encompasses core research and core technology program elements, as well as some strategic and focused program elements.1 The committee looked at all these program elements and the range and scope of activities that they support, with a view to assessing their alignment with NASA's strategic objectives and PSD's science goals. Particular attention was given to whether the current program elements provide suitable support for all research activities critical to PSD's mission.
|
From page 24... ...
2014, the appropriate NASA document was NASA's 2010 Science Plan.4 This document identified five fundamental science questions that guided NASA's solar system exploration. These questions were used by PSD to structure a new set of R&A core research program elements, which are described in the section "Planetary Science Division R&A Program Elements" in Chapter 1.
|
From page 25... ...
As illustrated in Figure 3.2, these older program elements do not map simply into the new core research program elements, which are more thematic in character. Proposals appropriate to the new core elements may have been previously submitted to a variety of the older elements.
|
From page 26... ...
provide funding for some research activities that are integral to understanding our ability to conduct the scientific exploration of other planets by both robotic and human explorers (PSTAR) , or to generate higher-order data products, archive and restore data sets, create or consolidate databases, or digitize data and make improved software tools available to researchers (PDART)
|
From page 27... ...
Data analysis tools to measure programmatic balance -- for example, analyses of keywords identified for proposals -- have thus become increasingly necessary for effective program management. As the reorganization of the planetary science R&A programs involved many-to-many mapping of old-to-new program elements, it was difficult for the committee to assess whether appropriate support for subdisciplinary activities critical for PSD's science goals was maintained through the reorganization.
|
From page 28... ...
Because the reorganization of R&A core research program elements first appeared in ROSES 2014, proposals selected for funding under this NRA were first supported using FY2015 funds. Similarly it is important to recall that a typical grant has a duration of 3 years so that the funding awarded in any given year is a mix of new awards with secondand third-year renewals.
|
From page 29... ...
Finally, the declining phases of data analysis program elements that are narrowly targeted to a specific mission can also introduce year-to-year fluctuations in funding allocations. Absent final data for FY2016, the keyword data have not been collected over a long enough period since reorganization for the committee to make firm conclusions.
|
From page 30... ...
The same point can be made about other research initiatives beyond technology development. Highrisk/high-payoff research proposals submitted to core research program elements face challenges in review that are exacerbated in times of tight budgets and low selection rates.
|
From page 31... ...
Recommendation: NASA needs to investigate appropriate mechanisms to ensure that high-risk/high payoff fundamental research and advanced technology-development activities receive appropriate consideration during the review process. FUNDING DISTRIBUTION AMONG PROGRAM ELEMENTS Data presented to the committee by NASA PSD staff shows that the proposal success rates for the five core research program elements are all ~20 percent, consistent with funding allocations among program elements largely driven by proposal pressure, rather than an assessment of strategic importance to NASA PSD science goals.
|
From page 32... ...
32 REVIEW OF THE RESTRUCTURED RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS PROGRAMS OF NASA'S PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISION Recommendation: A formal assessment by NASA of how well the program structure and funding are aligned with the Planetary Science Division's science goals should be conducted at least every 5 years, appropriately phased to the cycle of the decadal surveys and midterm reviews.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.