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

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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