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6. Policy for Astronomy and Astrophysics
Pages 177-208

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From page 177...
... 6 Folicu fo' - ~ Astronomy anc; Astrop ~ys~cs
From page 178...
... For example, the Reck and Gemini telescopes offer high-resolution spectroscopic capabilities that, combined with theoretical analysis and computational modeling, can yield insight into the dynamics, chemical composition, and evolutionary state of the objects imaged from space as well as a wealth of other astronomical phenomena detected from the ground. In addition to very large filled apertures, another advantage that ground
From page 179...
... . POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: GROUND-BASED FACILITIES The NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences (AST)
From page 180...
... Based on input from the Bash working group and on the work of both the education and policy panel and the Panel on Optical and Infrared Astronomy from the Ground, the committee recommends a new paradigm for ground-based astronomy that it believes will lead to the most effective use of ground-based facilities and optimize the science opportunities for the astronomical community. The committee then outlines the roles and responsibilities of the national astronomy organizations and the independent observatories, as well as those of the NSF, in this new paradigm.
From page 181...
... The committee believes that by working in concert, the independent observatories and the national facilities can ensure that astronomy in the United States will thrive and move forward to capture the scientific opportunities ahead. · To help ensure maximum scientific return from federal investments in ground-based astronomy, the committee recommends that all facilities, whether nationally or 181
From page 182...
... ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF NATIONAL ASTRONOMY ORGANIZATIONS AND I N D E P E N D E N T O B S E RVATO Rl ES To move forward to the next generation of facilities, which are likely to be of a scale that will require a collaborative approach, the committee envisions the following as the responsibilities of the participants: 1. Community participation in major national telescope initiatives must be led by an effective national astronomy organization working in concert with universities and similar institutions.
From page 183...
... 3. The committee's review, reflected in its policy recommendations, led to the following assessment of the current national astronomy organizations: · NOAO as currently functioning and overseen is not structured to fulfill the role foreseen for an effective national organization acting on behalf of the ground-based OIR community.
From page 184...
... · NRAO has won the respect of the radio community. It should continue to engage the broad university community in developing facilities and instruments, and it should work proactively to ensure that radio astronomy science and instrumentation development are firmly rooted in the universities.
From page 185...
... The committee conducting the competitive review for the NSF may wish to request comparative evaluations of facilities within individual disciplines prior to its deliberations. The competitive reviews 185
From page 186...
... This combined allocation must be regarded as the cost of the new facility. The committee emphasizes that the inclusion of grant money specific to each new facility should not displace the existing NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences unrestricted grants program.
From page 187...
... This committee rates the importance of the unrestricted grants program so highly that it emphasizes that newinitiatives should not be undertaken at the expense of the unrestricted grants program. Based on the Panel on Astronomy Education and Policy's examination of the costs of existing radio and optical facilities, the committee estimates that each year about 5 to 10 percent of the total cost of capital construction materials and labor is required to support reliable operation for a full range of observing modes.
From page 188...
... NSF RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ACCESS AND BALANCE IN TO E SYSTEM O F I N D OPEN D ENT AN D NAT! O NAT O BSERVATORIES · To help ensure optimum scientific returns from the system of independent and national observatories, the committee recommends that the National Science Foundation enhance and leverage observing opportunities for the community and that it recognize the interdependent roles of universities and national facilities.
From page 189...
... The NSF should work to involve university astronomers both in the planning of new solar facilities and in solar physics research programs. In particular, the committee recommends that the NSF encourage strong university participation in both the Advanced Solar Telescope and the Frequency Agile Solar Radio telescope initiatives to provide opportunities for developing the next generation of solar physicists.
From page 190...
... ground-based effort in radio, optical, and solar astronomy have led to a division of the NSF AST budget such that, through the decade of the 1990s, about 65 percent of the NSF allocation to AST was assigned to facilities operated by national astronomy organizations, with only about 22 percent made available to support individual investigators (Figure 6.21; the rest went to instrumentation and the university radio observatories. The budgets for the national facilities have lost purchasing power, resulting in cutbacks of services to users and reductions in necessary maintenance, and sharply reducing resources for improve
From page 191...
... ; and NSF's Division of Astronomical Sciences, including funding for astrophysics from NSF's Division of Physics, and spending for major research equipment (yellow)
From page 192...
... an, 'I :1 , , , 1 , , , 1 , , , ;, , , 1 , , , 1] 1990 1 992 1994 1996 1998 2000 Fiscal Year FIGURE 6.2 Percentage of National Science Foundation Division of Astronomical Sciences competitively reviewed individual investigator grant proposals funded (top curve)
From page 193...
... · The NSF should work with other federal government agencies and with the astronomical community to build interagency programs that will aggressively pursue astronomical problems of broad national interest. The committee notes that the growth of interdisciplinary projects in astrophysics and cosmology has led to increased participation of NSF divisions other than AST in support of astronomy and astrophysics.
From page 194...
... · The committee recommends that NASA maintain diversity in its flight programs by ensuring that a suite of opportunities, including small, moderate, and major missions, is available to accomplish scientific goals. There are compelling scientific, programmatic, technical, and educational reasons for ensuring some balance between the major flagship missions and missions of moderate and small size (and cost)
From page 195...
... The committee believes that a vigorous program of moderate-sized missions is required to achieve program diversity. Moderate missions are similar in capability to the older Delta-class Explorers such as the Cosmic Background Explorer, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, the International Ultraviolet Explorer, and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer or to the Discovery missions of the Solar System Exploration and Discovery Program.
From page 196...
... As the size and complexity of astronomy and astrophysics projects ncrease, funding patterns are changing in ways that challenge traditional agency boundaries and funding patterns, and interagency collaborations are frequently advantageous. The committee commends DOE for supporting astrophysical research and recommends that DOE develop a strategic plan for astrophysics to ensure a vigorous, coherent research program and to facilitate cooperation with other agencies.
From page 197...
... Although many applications of the radio spectrum provide a clear benefit for society, concern is growing about protecting observing conditions for radio astronomy, a uniquely powerful tool for studying the universe. The committee supports the efforts to deal with these important problems in several ways: better community relations and public information on the pollution problems; negotiations with violators on a case-by-case basis; and increased research oriented toward making radio telescopes less susceptible to interference (e.g., adaptive cancellation, filter technology, and high-spectral-efficiency modulation techniques)
From page 198...
... POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING Postdoctoral fellowships play a critical role in the career path of most researchers in astronomy and astrophysics. Despite the great success and high visibility of the Hubble Fellowship program over the past decade, enhanced support of postdoctoral associates both grant-funded and portable is needed in many areas of astronomy and astrophysics, including ground-based astronomy, instrumentation, and theory.
From page 199...
... One study of the progress of junior LTSA scientists, however, indicated that this goal has not, in fact, been achieved:5 Junior LTSA scientists have been substantially less successful in obtaining tenure-track faculty positions than their peers with named fellowships, such as the Hubble fellowships. The committee therefore recommends that in the LTSA program the separation between senior and junior scientists be eliminated, and that the selection of grants be based solely on scientific merit.
From page 200...
... This disparity does not appear to stem from any of the sociological factors that might distinguish women from men in current society; rather, the prevailing model is that women suffer from an accumulation of smaller disadvantages, which together result in longer time to tenure or to promotion to a full professorship, less pay compared with that for men who have similar credentials, and diminished representation at the top echelons of scientific society (Sonnert and Holton, 1996; Valian, 19983. A report on senior women on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
From page 201...
... The American Astronomical Society, the society for professional astronomers in North America, contributes substantially to the progress of astronomy by publishing scholarly journals, organizing scientific meetings, and, more recently, expanding its focus on astronomers' education and employment needs. Among all the scientific societies, the AAS has clearly taken the lead in communicating the results of its meetings to the public at large and has paved the way for the specialized divisions to follow suit.
From page 202...
... It is the largest general astronomy society in the world, with members from more than 70 nations. The ASP's professional publications, a journal and a series of conference proceedings, are valuable resources for the astronomical community.
From page 203...
... Balance among various components of the program, however, remains a concern of the astronomical community. A large portion of the total support for astronomy is now tied to a few flagship missions of NASA.
From page 204...
... · The NSF should work with other agencies and with the astronomical community to build interagency programs that will aggressively pursue astronomical problems of broad national interest. What special strategies are needed for strategic cooperation between NASA and NSF?
From page 205...
... Missions to develop these themes are budgeted with a total cost that includes construction, mission operations, and data analysis as one package in the mission's prime phase; the funding level for operations and data analysis during the mission's subsequent extended phase is determined by competitive review among all operating missions (NASA's Senior Review process)
From page 206...
... 4. The Owens Valley Radio Observatory and the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory give 50 percent of their time to outside observers; the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association allocates 30 percent of observing time to outside astronomers; the Five College Radio Astronomy Observa
From page 207...
... Statistics on minorities in astronomy faculty positions are not currently available. Data from an AAS-initiated sequence of frequently conducted member surveys should become available in the future.


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