NSF Strategic Plan

Comments Requested on Draft NSF Strategic Plan

The National Science Foundation (NSF) requests comments from the scientific community on its
draft strategic plan by July 15, 2003.

This document will serve as the guiding document for the agency for the next five years and could
have an impact on the astronomical research supported by the NSF.

All members of the astronomical community are encouraged to read the document, available at
http://www.nsf.gov/od/stratplan_03-08/draft-stratplan.htm or through the NSF homepage and to submit comments.

Comments on the draft document can be submitted by email to stratplan@nsf.gov.

Kevin B. Marvel
Deputy Executive Officer
American Astronomical Society

The American Astronomical Society has submitted the following comment on the Draft NSF strategic plan.

Submitted Comments by the American Astronomical Society

The American Astronomical Society supports the concept of strategic planning for the National Science Foundation and is pleased that the public has been the opportunity to comment.

We are concerned, however, to note that the NSF GPRA Strategic Plan for FY 2003-2008 does not include any explicit mechanism for incorporating into the overall priority and performance planning for the Foundation the independent studies carried out by various parts of the scientific community, often under the aegis of the National Research Council and often funded in part by the NSF. For example, studies such as "Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium" (NRC, 2001) or "Connecting Quarks with the Cosmos" (NRC, 2003) provide valuable guidance in setting priorities within a discipline and can even provide information useful in setting cross-disciplinary priorities and balancing the nation's investment among various scientific endeavors. These studies also provide measurable goals for the performance of research facilities that are necessary to achieve the scientific objectives agreed upon by the community.