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National Science Foundation: AST Status
American Astronomical Society
Division for Planetary Sciences Agencies Night
November 9, 2015
Patricia Knezek, Deputy Division Director, MPS/AST,
James Neff, Program Director, MPS/AST
Outline
Background of NSF
Highlights, AST Budgets and overall program status
Updates
Facilities & Grants relevant to planetary science
Planetary and Exoplanetary Program
NASA-NSF Exoplanet Observational Research program (NN-EXPLORE)
O/IR System Study
Summary
Types of job positions in AST09 Nov 2015 2AAS DPS Meeting
NSF Background
09 Nov 2015 3
Only ~100% basic research agency in federal government
FY 2015 budget was $7.3 billion, and President’s Request Budget for FY 2016 is $7.7 billion (+5.2%)
AST is the lead organization for federally funded, ground-based astronomy and astrophysics, including planetary science Annual budget this decade has ranged from $232M to $246M
Major construction projects (>$130 million) are funded from a separate budget line, Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC)
Related research occasionally co-funded with Division of Chemistry, Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, and Division of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure
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Highlights
09 Nov 2015 4AAS DPS Meeting
Gemini: GPI Results
Commissioning data from GPI, above left, show three exoplanets circling the nearby star HR8799
Image of HD 115600 showing a bright debris ring viewed nearly edge-on and located just beyond a Pluto-like distance to the star. One or more unseen solar system-like planets are causing the disk center (diamond) to be offset from the star's position (cross).
2.0 2.2 2.4
Wavelength (μm)
Credit: Marois, Ingraham, & GPI Team
Credit: Ingraham, Marley, Saumon, & GPI Team
The GPI spectra, of HR8799c and d, shown here, indicate large differences in atmospheric clouds or composition
09 Nov 2015 5AAS DPS Meeting
Credit: T. Currie
Greenbank and Arecibo Image the Halloween Comet
Asteroid 2015 TB145's high-resolution radar images of the asteroid; used antenna at Goldstone, California, to transmit high-power microwaves toward the asteroid. The signal bounced off the asteroid, and its radar echoes were received 100-meter Green Bank Telescope .
Asteroid 2015 TB145’s “skull” imaged by the planetary radar system at Arecibo Observatory.
Asteroid 2015 TB145 is spherical in shape and approximately 2,000 feet (600 meters) in diameter; rotation period of approximately 5 hours and velocity of 35 km/s.
09 Nov 2015 6AAS DPS Meeting
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSSR/NRAO/AUI/NSF
Credit: NAIC-Arecibo/NSF
Credit: ASA/JPL-Caltech/GSSR/NRAO/AUI/NSF
AST budgets and overall program status
09 Nov 2015 7AAS DPS Meeting
AST Budget Breakdown, 2011-2016
09 Nov 2015 8
Facility fraction increased from 56% in FY 2011 to 60% in FY 2016 request.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
$M
Small Awards
Mid-scale
Facilities
2012 2014 2016 (req.)
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AST Portfolio Scenarios
09 Nov 2015 9
Chart above shows the maximum impact of divestment (or non-divestment) within a likely budget scenario
With Max.
Divestment
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
AST $M
Fiscal Year
Individual Investigator+ Mid-scale
DKIST
ALMA
Existing FacilitiesAssumes 2.5%
inflation/yr for
existing facilities
Facility Budget
Reductions,
FY10-FY13
LSST
enters
here
FY10 FY13 FY16 FY19
Assuming No Divestment
FY19FY17
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Proposals in AAG, 1990-2015
09 Nov 2015 10
18 12 13 19 41 33 36 43 41 38 32 40 31 48 64 44 60 66 57 58 52 54 6090
135 13680 89126 134 108 126 96
112 104 119 113 104 100112 105
115113
135 148 160200
227274 239 145 159
62 59
4958 50 52
7382
58 4841
76 107 72 74 91122
124 9196
91
107
102 118
144157
78 8878
8776 72 96
119134 128
131124
122 138 136170
219223 259 242
243
270
280311
307
319
19901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015
20151990
238
770
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Arecibo Status
09 Nov 2015 11
Arecibo has three scientific missions: Radio Astronomy, Aeronomy & Solar System Astronomy, funded by a combination of NSF-AST, NSF-AGS (Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences), and NASA. All stakeholders are keenly interested in Arecibo Observatory’s continued
long-term productivity, each provides ~1/3 of funding.
Dear Colleague Letter is part of the re-evaluation process recommended by that Portfolio Review Committee. The 2012 AST Portfolio Review recommended AST’s involvement be
reevaluated later in the decade.
A similar DCL was issued in the spring of 2013 for GBT and VLBA for exploring new ideas for their operation.
AGS is carrying out its own review of its geospace facilities; that process is expected to be completed early in 2016.
Once all information is in-hand, NSF will define feasible options to move forward; No decisions have been made at this point.
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FY 2016 Budget Status
President’s Request Budget for NSF was $7.72 billion
Congressional committee marks were $7.39 billion (House) and $7.34 billion (Senate)
Recent Congressional action on discretionary budget levels relieves sequester caps for FY 2016 and 2017
Funding marks not yet given to individual committees
President’s Request Budget for AST in FY 2016 is $246.5 million, a $2.4 million increase over FY 2015, and essentially equal to the AST budget in FY 2010
Also $120 million in MREFC line for DKIST and LSST
Appropriation bills needed by the time the Continuing Resolution expires on December 11
09 Nov 2015 12AAS DPS Meeting
Specific Updates
09 Nov 2015 13AAS DPS Meeting
Facility Capabilities for Planetary Science:An Abbreviated List
ALMA – planetary system evolution
Gemini/GPI – imaging exoplanets, proto-planetary disks, exoplanet atmospheres
Arecibo & GBT – planetary radar imaging
Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) –heliophysics, impact of solar environment on planetary atmospheres, space weather
Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) –NEOs and census of the solar system
09 Nov 2015 14AAS DPS Meeting
Grants Relevant Planetary Science
Research: growing presence of exoplanetproposals
Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships (AAPF)
Astronomy & Astrophysics Grants (AAG) Program
Re-organized Stellar and Planetary so that extrasolarplanetary now lives under Planetary
Separate Lab Astrophysics panel each year
Instrumentation:
Advanced Technologies & Instrumentation (ATI)
Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)
Mid-scale Innovations Program (MSIP)09 Nov 2015 15AAS DPS Meeting
Proposals in AAG, 1990-2015
09 Nov 2015 16
18 12 13 19 41 33 36 43 41 38 32 40 31 48 64 44 60 66 57 58 52 54 6090
135 13680 89126 134 108 126 96
112 104 119 113 104 100112 105
115113
135 148 160200
227274 239 145 159
62 59
4958 50 52
7382
58 4841
76 107 72 74 91122
124 9196
91
107
102 118
144157
78 8878
8776 72 96
119134 128
131124
122 138 136170
219223 259 242
243
270
280311
307
319
19901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015
20151990
238
770
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AAG: Planetary and Extrasolar planetary Astronomy
• Program description: Studies of solar system and extrasolar planets; the detailed characterization, structure and composition of the surfaces, interiors, and atmospheres of planets and satellites; the nature of small bodies (asteroids, comets, and Kuiper-belt objects); the inter-planetary medium; and the origin, formation, and development of the Solar System and other planetary systems.
• ~92 active awards
• Note: NSF and NASA are beginning to discuss ways to avoid duplication of proposals.
09 Nov 2015 AAS DPS Meeting 17
NRC/CAA OIR System Study
“A Strategy to Optimize the U.S. Optical and Infrared System in the Era of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST)”
Recommended by AAAC in 2013
Committee chaired by Debra Elmegreen, Vassar College
Three face-to-face meetings
July 31/August 1; October 12-13; December 2-3
Report delivered in April 2015
NSF initial response in Dear Colleague Letter NSF 15-115, issued in August 2015
Extensive discussions and planning ongoing, with both NOAO and LSST
09 Nov 2015 18AAS DPS Meeting
NN-EXPLORE
• Use WIYN 3.5m telescope for innovative community-based exoplanet program
• Second round of proposals using existing instruments received
• NASA competition for Extreme Precision Doppler Spectrograph underway09 Nov 2015 19AAS DPS Meeting
Instrument #proposals #nights
NASA-GO 15B 16 59
HYDRA 8 37
DSSI 6 17
WHIRC 2 5
NASA-GO 16A 18 85
HYDRA 9 46
DSSI 4 14
WHIRC 4 15
ODI 1 10
Summary
09 Nov 2015 20AAS DPS Meeting
Status Summary
09 Nov 2015 21
Outstanding new science opportunities
ALMA, EVLA, Gemini/GPI, Blanco/DECam, DKIST, LSST
~110 research awards/yr in AAG, plus MSIP, ATI, AAPF, REU, PAARE
Interagency: DES, DESI, NN-EXPLORE (plus LSST, of course)
Beyond AST division budget, NSF spent over $100 million on
construction of AST facilities in FY 2015
No expectation for significant budget increases this decade
Divestment process to date does not cover ramp to DKIST ops
LSST operations will begin ramp in FY 2019 to ~$25M/yr by FY 2023
Potential AST budget shift to >70% facilities
Partnerships with NASA and DOE have strengthened
Data-enabled science continues to grow in importance
Challenges are many, but our community continues to
make progress at the science frontiers
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Some Upcoming Strategy Issues
09 Nov 2015 22
Impact of facility divestment
Positive: some financial resources freed up; intellectual benefits of
increased partnerships
Negative: partnership complexity, loss or restriction of some
community capabilities
Relation among NSF OIR observatories in Chile after
initiation of LSST operations?
Future relationships among telescopes on Maunakea?
Facility choices take 5-10 years to implement, and are
based on unknowable budgetary futures. What level of risk
to grant funds is the community willing to accept in order
to commit to operations of additional new facilities?
What assumptions should be made for next decadal survey?
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Types of AST Positions Program Officer/Director
Permanent Federal Employee Must be a U.S. citizen or seeking citizenship
Rotators
Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA)- remain an
employee of home institution
1 – 3 years (in rare cases, 4 years)
Visiting Scientist, Engineer, and Educator Program (VSEE) 1 -2 years
Must be a U.S. Citizen or able to demonstrate seeking citizenship
Temporary Federal Employee (FedTemp)
Expert – usually short term, few months to 1 yr
AAAS Policy Fellow
Science Assistant – usually BA or MA level
09 Nov 2015 23AAS DPS Meeting
Thank You!
A. Pasten, A. Gomez and NOAO/AURA/NSF
09 Nov 2015 AAS DPS Meeting
