AST Portfolio Review

Tom Statler, NSF/ASTAAAC Meeting 13 Oct 2011

AST Portfolio Review

13 Oct 20112

• NWNH advised: “If …budget is truly flat…there is no possibility of implementing …the recommended program…without…enacting the recommendations of the first 2006 senior review and/or …a second more drastic…review before mid-decade.” (p. 240)

• AST portfolio review will not be a repeat of Senior Review, which was confined to facilities.

• Examine balance across entire portfolio of activities AST supports.

• Enable progress on central science questions (Ch. 2 of NWNH), balancing recommendations for new facilities & instrumentation with capabilities of existing facilities & programs.

AAAC

Review Philosophy

13 Oct 2011 3

• Goal: Define the astronomical landscape for the coming decade.

• 2 “mapping” steps:

1.Let key science questions from NWNH determine set of critical capabilities needed in 2015, 2020, 2025.

2.Determine how to achieve these capabilities through combination of

i. New facilities & instrumentation (following NWNH)

ii. Evolution of existing facilities & programs

AAAC

Review Philosophy

13 Oct 2011 4

• Note that review is explicitly forward-looking

• Key question re: existing facilities is

• Can the facility be evolved so as to provide a critical future capability?

- not -

• Has the facility earned the right to survive by virtue of past performance?

• Avoid overburdening facilities with demand for statistics or overburdening committee with need to invent metrics of productivity.

AAAC

Other Boundary Conditions

13 Oct 2011 5

• Multiple budget scenarios through 2025 to be provided by AST. Consider costs of delivering/evolving existing capabilities and costs of new facilities.

• No revisiting/rehashing Astro2010 process or recommendations.

• Include context of NASA, DOE, & joint programs, private observatories, & international activities

• Consider consequences for domestic, international partnerships and on state of the profession.

AAAC

Charge to Committee

13 Oct 2011 6

• Recommend balance of investment in new & existing facilities, grant programs, and workforce required in 2015, 2020, 2025 to enable progress on science questions identified by Astro2010.

• Prioritize with sufficient granularity to permit adjustments in response to variations in Federal funding.

• Recommendations should be viable and lead to vigorous and sustainable future for US astronomy.

• Report early enough in 2012 to inform FY2014 budget request.

AAAC

Current Status

13 Oct 2011 7

• Public announcements at May 2011 AAS and via mid-June Email to AAS and APS/APD distribution lists.

• Nominations for committee membership accepted until July 15

• 17-member PR Committee now complete, diverse with regard to science expertise, geography, career stage, and other important demographic dimensions

• Opportunity for Community input will be announced (by AAS/APS Email) week of Oct 17; Committee membership to be made public via PR webpage.

• Committee has met by telecon; first face-to-face Oct 21-23

AAAC