ast senior review major recommendations · 2014-06-05 · advisory committee, via planning award...
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NSF AST Town Hall June 3, 2014
NSF Attendees:
Jim Ulvestad, (Pat Knezek), Dan Evans, Joan Schmelz
Outline
Science and Facility Highlights
NSF and AST Budgets
AAAC Report, 2014
Decadal Survey and Portfolio Review Status
Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants (AAG)
Job Opportunities
06/03/2014 2
AST Strategy to 2020 and Beyond
06/03/2014 3
Major Facilities Divestment/
Partnership
Mid-Scale Innovations Individual
Investigators
ALMA High-Impact Science Results
4
Dust formation in
supernova 1987A
Indebetouw et al.
2014
The coldest place
in the known
universe (~1K)
Sahai et al. 2013
Imaging the “snow line” in an infant solar system
Qi et al. 2013
Galaxy superwind
Bollato et al. 2013,
and a Nature “Image
of the Year”
06/03/2014
Gemini Planet Imager (GPI)
06/03/2014 5
GPI passed commissioning tests at Gemini-South
Able to detect and characterize giant planets
at <10-6 brightness of parent star
Campaign to image ~600 exoplanets orbiting
nearby stars begins later this year.
Shared-risk observing, 2014 Semester 2
First light with the Gemini Planet Imager: Dust ring 2x orbit of Neptune around HR
4796A (220 LY distance). Left image: total light;
Right image: polarized light. Starlight is blocked. (2014 AURA/Gemini)
Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST)
06/03/2014 6
NGC 1433 molecular gas
Combes et al.
Renamed from Advanced
Technology Solar Telescope
(ATST) in December 2013
Operational status scheduled
for mid-2019
Ramp up to operations starts in
FY 2015 budget request
Concrete formwork and rebar installation
for the telescope pier walls, 03-Dec-2013.
Coudé rotator construction in Rockford, IL
DKIST enclosure, Bilbao, Spain
DKIST telescope pier, Haleakala
LSST Recent Progress
06/03/2014
• Primary-Tertiary Mirror on track to complete final polishing by mid-2014
• Secondary mirror M2 contract in place: ITT/Exelis (design, option to build)
• M2 Hexapod & Camera Rotator contract in place: Moog/CSA (same approach)
• Telescope Mount Assembly: vendor chosen, contract in negotiation
• Summit Facility Construction: bids received, review under way
• Contracts phased, “design with option to build”: design is Phase I
7 7
Am
ou
nt
(Mil
lion
s)*
Fiscal
Year
*(Constant 2012$)
NSF Funding History
1999 2004
1985 1995
ARRA
06/03/2014 8
NSF Appropriations, FY 2010-15
06/03/2014 9
Budget, In $M
FY10 Actual
FY11 Actual
FY12 Actual
FY13 Actual
FY14 Plan
FY15 Req.
NSF 6972 6913 7033 6902 7172 7255
R&RA 5615 5608 5689 5559 5809 5808
MREFC 166 125 197 196 200 201
MPS 1368 1312 1309 1249 1300 1296
AST 246 237 235 233 239 236
MREFC, In $M
FY10 Actual
FY11 Actual
FY12 Actual
FY13 Actual
FY14 Plan
FY15 Req.
ALMA 42.76 13.92 2.50 0.51 0 0
DKIST 20.00 5.00 10.00 25.00 36.88 25.12
LSST 0 0 0 0 27.50 79.64
DKIST also received $146.00 million ARRA funding in FY 2010
Astronomy and
Astrophysics Advisory
Committee (AAAC)
06/03/2014 10
What is the AAAC?
Advisory Committee chartered by Congress in 2002
Advises NSF, NASA, and DOE on interagency
astrophysics activities
Advises on activities related to NRC decadal
surveys
Transmits annual report to Congress by March
15 of each year
13 members: selected by NSF (4), NASA (4), DOE
(3), and OSTP (2)
Meets four times per year (typically two in person,
two by telecon)
Next meeting is June 10 telecon
06/03/2014 11
AAAC 2013-2014 Annual Report Recommendations to NSF
Use newly drafted “Principles for Access to Large
Astrophysics Projects and Facilities” in negotiating future
agreements (also NASA, DOE)
Should budget situation improve, make more aggressive
progress on decadal survey priorities (also NASA, DOE)
Pursue divestments in most expedient possible manner to
enable decadal survey progress
Where possible, leverage divested facilities for
community access
AAAC and agencies work together to clarify and quantify
questions related to individual investigator grants and
mid-scale programs (also NASA, DOE)
Recommendations to Congress and Executive Branch
Recognize importance of basic research and prevent
funding decline
Stabilize funding environment 06/03/2014 12
Intent of AAAC Principles
Background
Apply principles to all large astrophysics projects and facilities
funded by NSF AST, NASA Astrophysics, and DOE HEP
Apply principles to international collaborations, interagency
collaborations, and collaborations with other public and private
entities
Assess all proposed large astrophysics projects and facilities
against these principles before deciding to undertake them
Discuss these principles with partners in current and future large
astrophysics partnerships and facilities
If agencies deviate significantly from these principles,
reason for deviation should be publicly articulated
06/03/2014 13
Six Recommended Principles Primary goal: produce best understanding of the universe
Balance opportunity for implementing consortium and funding
partners with participation by wider community
Global Coordination
Efficient and effective use of resources
Open Data
Accessibility of data in a scientifically useful form; may include
period of limited access
Open Access
Merit-based process, with some preferred access for contributors
Opportunity to Contribute
Openly advertised criteria for collaboration membership
Reciprocity
Those desiring access to resources should offer similar access to
their own resources
06/03/2014 14
Decadal Survey and
Portfolio Review
06/03/2014 15
Decadal Survey (NWNH) Status LSST construction under NSF budget expected to begin in
July
Mid-Scale Innovations Program (MSIP) proposals under final
evaluation
NSF and community participating in TMT Board, Science
Advisory Committee, via planning award
Only Cerenkov Telescope Array (CTA) opportunity - MSIP
Only CCAT opportunity - MSIP
“Small” recommendations: TCAN (Theoretical and
Computational Astrophysics Network) started with NASA, no
funds available for other recommended increases
CAA O/IR System Study under way (see Town Hall
tomorrow) 06/03/2014 16
NSF Goals of CAA-chartered O/IR Study
Goal 1: Position the observational, instrumentation, data
management, and support capabilities in U.S. O/IR
astronomy to best address the science frontiers and
science goals as identified in the decadal surveys “New
Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics”
and “Vision and Voyages for Planetary Sciences in the
Decade 2013-2022” in the era of LSST as the primary new
federal asset in the O/IR portfolio.
Goal 2: Achieve the best science return from the NSF
investment in night-time O/IR astronomy, including, but
not limited to, the role of the O/IR system in delivering
LSST-related science.
06/03/2014 17
AST Portfolio Scenarios
06/03/2014 18
AST budget assumption: FY15=Request, 1%/yr growth thereafter
With Max.
Divestment
FY19 FY17
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
AST $M
Fiscal Year
Individual Investigator+ Mid-scale
DKIST
ALMA
Existing Facilities Assumes 2.5%
inflation/yr for
existing facilities
Facility Budget
Reductions,
FY10-FY13
LSST
enters
here
FY10 FY13 FY16 FY19
Assuming No Divestment
Portfolio Review Status
AST issued Dear Colleague Letter NSF 14-022 on
December 20, 2013
Lays out future steps for all telescopes that
were either recommended for divestment in the
near term or for future consideration
NSF will begin environmental review of
alternatives for a number of telescopes, while
consideration of some others awaits specific
external milestones
Expect outcome and preferred alternatives in
FY 2015
Congress continues to express interest in
implementation
06/03/2014 19
Astronomy and
Astrophysics
Research Grants
(AAG)
06/03/2014 20
Grants Program Statistics
Many questions are asked about various grants
program statistics, impact of soft-money positions,
money spent on students, multiple proposal
submissions, gender balance, etc.
Data are important for assessing possible future
approaches related to community health and
demographics
AAAC recommended clarification and
quantification of some of these issues, which
also are of great interest to AAS
Subsequent slides show some of our first looks at
the data over last 10-25 years
06/03/2014 21
AAG Global Budget Breakdown
Indirect Costs
Other Direct
Fringe
Personnel
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13
Indirect Costs Other Direct Participant Support Travel and Equipment Fringe Personnel
Travel and Equipment
Approximately
15% Senior Personnel,
10% Postdocs,
15% Students
06/03/2014 22
18 12 13 19 41 33 36 43 41 38 32 40 31 48 64
44 60 66 57 58 52 54 60 90
136 80 89
126 134 108 126
96 112 104 119 113 104
100 112
105 115
113 135 148 160
200 227
274 239 143
62 59
49 58 50
52 73
82 58 48
41 76 107
72 74 91
122
124 91
96
91
107
102 118
145
78 88 78
87 76
72 96
119
134 128 131
124 122 138
136 170
219
223 259 242
243
270
280
311 308
1 9 9 0 1 9 9 1 1 9 9 2 1 9 9 3 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7 1 9 9 8 1 9 9 9 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 5 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 8 2 0 0 9 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 3 2 0 1 4
PLA SAA
GAL EXC
# Proposals in AAG 732
238
1990 2014
50.4 48.0
45.1
29.5
45.1
29.3
24.9
31.2 27.6 26.7
31.2 34.3
38.1 36.8
28.8 28.5
24.4 23.9 20.7
36.3
22.4 19.9
14.8 15.4
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Proposal Funding Rate, %
16.2 17.0 18.2 17.1 20.2 18.6 17.5 19.3 19.7 18.8 20.9 22.7
29.4 32.4 30.7
34.0 38.9
41.5 42.1
79.6
49.4 48.1 44.5 42.4
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
AAG Budget, $M
06/03/2014 24
Submissions and Awards by Gender
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Male Awardees
Male Pool
Female Awardees
Female Pool
06/03/2014 25
$0
$20,000
$40,000
$60,000
$80,000
$100,000
$120,000
$140,000
$160,000
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Average Dollars per award per year
Increasing Proposal Cost
06/03/2014 26
FY13 Project Cost
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
All Projects Awards before trimming Awards after trimming06/03/2014 27
1
10
100
1000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Number of submissions as either PI or co-PI over the past 5 years
Multiple Submissions in 5 Yr
06/03/2014 28
1
10
100
1000
1 2 3 4 5
Number of submissions per PI in FY14
Multiple Submissions in FY14
06/03/2014 29
AAG Now and Future FY13: 112/758 proposals = 15% funding rate
Desire >20% funding rate for best merit review
Reviewer load is quite high
Number of FY14 proposals decreased ~3.5%, and
AAG budget will likely decrease by similar amount
Changes needed to achieve best review, reduce
workload
Under consideration: reducing frequency of AAG
calls, restricting numbers of proposals per
investigator/institution
Strongly encouraging investigators to restrict
themselves to 1 AAG proposal in FY 2015 06/03/2014 30
Job Opportunities at
the National Science
Foundation
06/03/2014 31
Types of Positions Program Officer/Director
Permanent Federal Employee
Must be a U.S. citizen or able to demonstrate seeking
citizenship
Rotators
Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA)- remain an
employee of home institution
1 – 3 years (in rare cases, 4 years)
Must have a job to go back to!
Visiting Scientist, Engineer, and Educator (VSEE) Program (VSEE)
1 -2 years
Must be a U.S. Citizen or able to demonstrate seeking citizenship
Temporary Federal Employee (FedTemp)
06/03/2014 32
Types of Positions Expert – usually short term, a few months – 1 year
AAAS Fellows
Can target specific area, such as public policy
Can be more general
Current AST opportunity – Program
Officer/Director(s)
All areas of astronomical expertise considered;
background in the oversight, management, and operation of large scientific facilities are especially encouraged.
Also 1-2 rotator positions becoming available in next year
06/03/2014 33
Backups
06/03/2014 34
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13
Indirect Costs $ Other Direct $ SubContract $ Computer $ Consultant $ Publication $ Material $
Participant $ Domestic Travel $ Foriegn Travel $ Equipment $ Fringe Benefits $ Other Personal $ Sec-Clerical $
Under Graduation $ Graduation $ Other Prof $ PostDoc $ Senior $
Normalized AAG Fiscal Year Budget Breakdown
Sal
arie
s an
d F
ringe
Equip. and travel
Other Direct Costs
Indirect Costs
06/03/2014 35
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