NSF Program Update

1
NSF Program Update

• Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee
• February 15, 2005

2
Update Topics

• General Information
• FY2005 Current Plan/FY2006 Request
• Progress on previous recommendations
• Planning activities
• Senior Review planning
• Opportunities for FY2007 budget input

3
General

• Arden Bement confirmed as NSF Director
• DOE formally added to AAAC charter as of 15 March
• Membership rotation agreed among agencies
• Rotation will occur post 15 March

4
FY2005 Budget and Outlook

• FY2005 AST request level - 204.35M (increase
  of 4 over FY2004)
• Final AST number 195.1M (lt FY2004 - 196.6M)
• FY2006 Request 198.64M (FY2005 1.81)
• Planning level budgets for next ? years
• Closer coupling between NSF and NASA budgets in
  difficult years?
• Possible changes in appropriations structure

5
Progress on Recommendations
6
Status of Decadal Survey Recommendations

• Small Initiatives
• National Virtual Observatory (NVO) - Framework
  development funded discussion with NASA planning
  long-term support through joint solicitation
  Cyber funds in 06 and beyond?
• Laboratory Astrophysics program - funded in
  grants program, strongly represented in FY2004
  proposals and awards substantial co-funding with
  chemistry and physics divisions
• Theory support MPS Theory Workshop science
  opportunities, modes of support, education and
  training issues - 30 of grants are for theory,
  no need for separate theory program in AST

7
GSMT Planning

• National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO)
  Science Working Group has formulated a detailed
  science case.
• Consortium formed to undertake an extensive
  technology development and site characterization
  effort.
• Would result in a public-private partnership with
  private funds supporting approximately 50 of the
  70M estimated cost proposal to NSF for the
  remaining 50. Public funds would support
  community effort in several major groups.
• Current estimate is that this effort would take
  five to seven years. Proposal under review.
• NSF and consortium have met to discuss timing and
  begin constructive dialogue
• Funds in FY2005 appropriation limited similar
  for FY2006 Planned growth awaits outcome of
  Senior Review

8
LSST Planning

• National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO)
  Science Working Group formulated detailed science
  case.
• LSST Corporation established.
• Pan-STARRS underway in Hawaii with DoD funding.
• NSF provided 1.3M in FY03 for detector
  development for LSST Camera NOAO is funding
  telescope design at roughly 1.7M/year.
• DOE labs have expressed strong interest in
  participating in the project through provision of
  the camera.
• NSF-NASA discussions about data handling as part
  of overall NVO effort.
• Technology development program and possible
  architecture studies planned in FY2005, FY2006
  (Physics of the Universe)

9
The Advanced Technology Solar Telescope
The ATST Project
10
The Telescope

• Improvements over current state of the art
• Resolution 7X improvement
• Light grasp 10X improvement (solar physics is
  actually photon starved in some
  experiments)
• Technical Specifications
• 4-m, off-axis Gregorian (all reflective), alt-az
  mount.
• Integrated adaptive optics.
• Hybrid enclosure with thermal control and dust
• mitigation.
• Wavelength sensitivity from 0.3-28 microns
  (near-UV
• through thermal infrared).
• Field of view 3 arcminutes (5 arcminute goal).
• Angular resolution lt 0.03 arcsecond.
• Polarization accuracy lt 0.01.
• ATST will be the worlds flagship facility for
  ground-based solar physics observation and the
  first large US solar telescope constructed in the
  past 30 years.

11
Recent and Upcoming Milestones

• A comprehensive and very successful conceptual
  design review held on August 25-28, 2003.
• Construction proposal under review.
• A set of preliminary design reviews will be held
  in late 2004 early 2005, culminating in a
  systems review by late winter of 2005.
• Final site selection Haleakala with La Palma as
  back-up.
• Planning for the environmental impact study has
  begun. RFP will go out ASAP. Note this is a
  necessary component of the design process since
  final design depends on the details of the site.

12
Marching toward MREFC

• ATST team had planned aggressively for an FY06
  start of construction. This will not happen.
• Additional funding will be required to pay
  marching army and produce final design (note that
  current MREFC rules preclude funding design from
  MREFC). AST will fund through FY06 (FY07).
• The next steps
• ATST and AST craft development plan for FY05-6.
• Site selection complete contract for
  environmental impact study
• Preliminary design reviews.
• Bring to MREFC panel in March 2005.
• Attempt to address critical path items early
  procurement of primary mirror.
• Let contracts for final design to design and
  engineering firms.
• Complete Project Execution Plan.
• Final design review in early 2006.
• Construction begins in fall of 2006/2007.

13
Readiness Second Rank Criteria

• Impact on scientific advances in related fields
  considering portfolio balance?

• Opportunities to serve the needs of researchers
  in multiple fields or multi-disciplinary research?

• Commitments from other agencies or countries?

• Potential for education and workforce
  development?

• Readiness for further development and
  construction?

In the opinion of AST, the ATST Project is ready
for consideration for promotion to ready status
by the MREFC panel and the NSB. Second Rank
Criteria endorsed by MPS Advisory Committee
14
Planning(Activity Accelerating)

• O/IR roadmap team convened by NOAO well underway
• Radio/mm/sub-mm convened by AUI underway(separate
  report)
• CMB Roadmap (separate report)
• Dark Energy Task force (separate report)
• Brinkman report response (separate report)

15
CARMA
ALMA
SKA
GBT
LOFAR
GBT
LOFAR
EVLA Phase II
EVLA I
NAIC
OWL?
VLA
GSMT
VLA
CHARA
LOI?
Gemini
Horizon Facilities
GSMT
LSST
ATST
Intermediate Term
LSST
Near Term
16
Astronomy Division Budget - FY2004
ALMA 50.7 M
17
Astronomy Division Budget - FY2004
Facilities - 124.75 M National Optical
Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) National Solar
Observatory (NSO) Gemini Observatory
National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)
National Astronomy Ionosphere Center (NAIC)
University Radio Observatories

Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)
34.4 M (excludes 4M for TSIP 3M for
AODP) 14.27 M 54.98 M (directed) 10.54 M
10.56 M _______________
50.7 M
18
Astronomy Division Budget - FY2004

• Astronomy Research Instrumentation - 71.8 M
• Astronomy Astrophysics Research Grants (AAG)
• Particle Astrophysics
• Education Special Programs (ESP)
• CAREER, REU, Postdoctoral fellowships
• Advanced Technologies Instrumentation (ATI)
• Electromagnetic Spectrum Management (ESM)
• Science Technology Centers (STC)
• Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO)
• NSF/MPS Priorities and programs
• e.g. ITR, Math Sciences, Biocomplexity in the
  Environment

19
AST Budget FY1992-2004
20
How can we afford it?

• Proposals and studies will sharpen cost
• Planning will provide phasing, decision points,
  down-selects
• Overall plan must meet fiscal reality
• How?

21
Senior Review

• Responds to
• Decade Survey recommendation re facilities
• Calls for examination of balance in AST portfolio
  (Committee of Visitors, Feb)
• Made imperative by
• Budget outlook
• Ambitions of the community
• AST budget growth

22
Senior Review

• AST retreat
• Established understanding of need and goals
• Self-examination of balance
• Identified issues that NSF and community must
  address
• First time this has been undertaken by AST
• AST retreat conclusions
• IF significant progress is to be made on
  development of major recommendations, 20M of
  free energy in AST budget must be identified.
• Implications for program may be profound
• Balance grants program (AAG) must be held
  sacrosanct
• Free energy will come from non-AAG portion of AST
  portfolio
• Next Steps
• AST exploring implications of all issues
  identified
• Will frame options along with best understanding
  of consequences, positive and negative
• Will convene community representatives (mid-2005)
  to advise on best option(s) (or identify others).

23
Opportunities for FY 2007 Budget Input in 15
March Report

• Support for AST planning as part of NSF
  Facilities Plan
• ATST
• Roadmap Efforts
• Senior Review
• Funding for pre-MREFC activity
• Design and development (GSMT, LSST,)
• Theory challenges (part of DD)
• Growth of grants program keyed to upcoming
  facilities
• Need for strong core program support with funds
  under division control