Report Series: Committee on Solar and Space Physics Heliophysics Science Centers (2017) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
VIRTUAL INSTITUTIONS
VIRTUAL INSTITUTIONS
Pages 5-10
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 5... ...
HSCs are intended to enable progress on the science questions that are too challenging to be solved otherwise, because of inadequate resources to provide the level of effort required, insufficient time to make substantive advances, or limitations on the range of capabilities and expertise of team members required to achieve significant impacts. The following paragraphs describe how HSCs can be made to differ from other NASA and NSF program elements, and how to include unique aspects that will facilitate transformative progress on some of the outstanding challenges of solar and space physics.
|
From page 6... ...
As envisioned by the decadal survey, topics appropriate for an HSC may be intentionally broad or narrow, but inherently require a cross-cutting effort by a large team with multiple skills, ensuring the "critical mass" necessary for sustained innovation. This necessitates a center-level funding model that is larger than what currently exists in the NASA Heliophysics and NSF Geospace research programs.
|
From page 7... ...
Structure and Scope of HSCs and Lessons Learned from Other Programs As recommended in the decadal survey, to make the HSC program unique will require equally unique implementation strategies, in particular, • Multidisciplinarity, involving theorists, observers, modelers, and computer scientists; • Interagency collaboration involving NASA and NSF; • Annual funding for each center in the range of $1 million to $3 million for 6 years; and • Total NASA funding ramping up to $8 million per year, plus increases for inflation. 27 Denise Caldwell, NSF, personal communication to the Committee on Solar and Space Physics, March 29, 2017.
|
From page 8... ...
The NASA and NSF Partnership for Collaborative Space Weather Modeling, 31 the Community Coordinated Modeling Center, 32 CubeSats, 33 and, in collaboration with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other agencies, the National Space Weather Action Plan34 are examples of successful heliophysics partnerships. Lesson Learned: Successful interagency partnerships require careful coordination.
|
From page 9... ...
The NSF Geospace portfolio review raised concerns that HSCs may be overemphasized as an "enduring institutional firmament," as opposed to a model that "solves or makes significant progress in solving the problem and then diminishes in intensity of effort to make way for other pressing strategic research problems. 38 The NSF STCs allow renewal for one term but have a "sunset" policy of a 10-year total term.
|
From page 10... ...
." 41 The success of the NASA Explorer program also argues for an open competition of science objectives. When allowed to design a science mission within the broad confines of the decadal survey recommendations, the heliophysics community continues to produce a wide range of competitive science missions.
|
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.