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2 NASA's Microgravity Research Solicitation and Selection Process
Pages 21-28

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From page 21...
... To accomplish this goal, the research program must be able to stimulate anct identify research proposals of the highest caliber. The inventory of materials-science research experiments in the microgravity research program ultimately clepencts on the success of the proposal solicitation anct selection processes.
From page 22...
... Another strength of the 1996 solicitation is that it prominently encourages unclergracluate participation in the microgravity research enterprise. In addition to the intrinsic merit of providing opportunities for unclergracluates to participate in real research projects, this initiative could significantly increase interest in the microgravity program among future professionals.
From page 23...
... A strong feature of the process is that it contains extensive external peer-review by scientists both with anct without microgravity materials-science research experience. Another proven evaluation strategy that is incorporated in the present external peerreview process is the grouping of proposals according to common themes, which facilitates comparative evaluations.
From page 24...
... The assignment by NASA of a project scientist to work with the Principal Investigator to clevelop the Science Requirements Document, which is the basis for the second stage of the review cycle (i.e., the Science Concept Review) , is an effective method of assisting Principal Investigators in making the transition from funciamental research iclea to flight experiment concept.
From page 25...
... Many factors may have contributed to this imbalance in the research program, chief among them the nature of the materials themselves. The nature of the sintering process in ceramics anct the viscous character of typical high-polymer melts greatly desensitizes their responses to gravitational acceleration, making the value of a microgravity environment in experiments on these classes of materials less obvious than on metals anct semiconductors.
From page 26...
... that conveys the benefits of the microgravity research program anct stimulates proposals from segments of the materials research community that appear to be unclerrepresentect in the current research portfolio. In the opinion of the committee, identifying research opportunities in ceramic, glass, anct polymeric materials anct disseminating them to the targeted communities would be aiclect by increasing the representation of these research areas on the DWG anct SWG.
From page 27...
... Any substantial reclefinition of the microgravity materials science research plan or redesign of the SSFF Core must be driven by the neects of a coherent, broact-basect, high-impact program of materials research carried out in a microgravity environment, and any potential studies of polymeric, ceramic, anct glass materials must be evaluatect in the context of this larger research program. Recommendation.
From page 28...
... 28 FUTURE MA TERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNS TIONAL SPA CE STY LION programs have the highest potential for making significant contributions to the fielct of microgravity materials science research, what ranking among these programs is appropriate when they are placecl in competition with each other, anct what design modifications to the SSFF Core concept should be implementect to accommodate these new areas. These determinations will only be valid, however, if they are performed by new working groups with representatives from all the possible areas of microgravity materials science research anct thus can clebate the issues in a balancect anct objective manner.


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