Division of Astronomical Sciences Program Update

1. Division of Astronomical Sciences Program Update AAAC 11 February 2008

2. Outline • Interagency and NSF news • Brief Senior Review implementation report • Reiterate concerns • Planning and Priority Setting • Taking stock as we enter a new Decade Survey • Responding to AAAC Task Forces • FY2008/FY2009 Budget and Forward Look

3. Good Interagency News! • NSF-NASA Virtual Observatory MOU signed and solicitation released! • Excellent interactions with both NASA and DOE • Joint consideration of decadal survey proposal review and structure (including OMB and OSTP) • Regular, fruitful discussions between AST and NASA Astrophysics Division • NSF AST – DOE HEP interface very effective in on-going, joint reviews, decisions, and oversight

4. Other AST News • 2008 Committee of Visitors • Exceedingly important and useful community oversight of all of AST’s activity • John Carlstrom and Bruce Margon co-chairs of the committee • Met 6 – 8 February; report to MPS AC in April • FY2007 Close out • Success rate – 24% for AAG • NSB declared ATST to be ready for inclusion in a futurebudget; New line in FY2009 MREFC account for Design and Development (more in budget discussion)

5. UK Position in Gemini • As a result of a Comprehensive Spending Review and STFC program priorities, it is likely that the UK will decrease its share in Gemini, eventually to zero. • Partnership is considering options: • New partners • Part of UK share (~25%) taken up by existing partners • Hybrids of the above • Clearly the partnership will have to be reformulated and the Agreement rewritten • Opportunities need to be explored • Community input welcomed

6. NRAO Transition Program • Very Long Baseline Array • NRAO active in seeking partners - several possibilities, prospects look good

7. NAIC (Arecibo) Transition Program • Cornell instituted new operational mode to reduce budget • Limited number of receivers supported • Reduced time for Astronomy observations by 20% • Reduced staffing (30 FTEs), reduced observer support • Reduced availability of planetary radar (close in 2008?) • Arecibo director (Kerr) active in seeking partners in Puerto Rico with NSF support (Gov’t, Dept of Education, PR universities, local businesses…) - several proposals being considered/awarded, signs are positive • Involves expanding the educational and outreach activities of the Observatory, building programs for local students, university collaborations • Involves increased focus on technology, training, atmospheric science

8. NAIC (Arecibo) Transition Program • NSF partnerships • GEO/ATM increasing level of support - from $1.7M to $2.5M per year, and contributing to base operations • Other possibilities being pursued within NSF

9. NSO Transition Program • Support of the Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG++). • {SDO launch now no earlier than Dec 2008} • NSO seeking partners - no immediate prospects, although latest news is some new possibilities opening up

10. NOAO Transition Program • Need to assure a healthy scientific enterprise going into the GSMT era • Define the “System” • Appropriate range of aperture and access • Necessary instrumentation, maintained and supported • Assure that the system is robust against delays and uncertainty along the path to a GSMT • AST is working with the community and NOAO to determine where re-investment in existing OIR facilities should occur and in the development of an integrated and coordinated “System” • NOAO’s ReSTAR deliberations - report at AAS • Defining community needs for aperture 6 meters and less -- telescopes, instrumentation, modes of access and operation, data products, user support - and prioritizing these. • NOAO now forming similar committee to look at > 6 meter

11. Towards a National GSMT Program • NSF has asked AURA/NOAO to act as NSF’s “Program Manager” for GSMT development • Role similar to NASA center in development of major space missions • Understand and represent the national needs for a GSMT • National Science Working Group (expanded from previous SWG) • National “Design Reference Mission” to set scientific performance expectations, operational models - what does the community need? • Establish understanding as input to Decade Survey • Promote development at a pace that recognizes both private and federal timescales • Establish appropriate, symmetrical interfaces with TMT and GMT

12. NOAO Transition Program • NOAO beginning infrastructure improvements at Kitt Peak and Cerro Tololo • Updating telescope systems • Increasing technical and mountain staff • Improving mountain facilities • Restructuring organization to emphasize an integrated, coordinated national System • Instrumentation group changing to emphasize partnerships with universities for future instrumentation, improving instrumentation capabilities on existing telescopes, supporting the System • Infrastructure improvements seriously impacted by FY 2008 budget ‘estimate’ levels.

13. NSF Response and Implementation • AST is working closely with facilities to understand implications of recommendations as we consider and proceed on implementation. • NSF is active in encouraging and engaging in discussion with other possible partners in facility operations, including international partners and other funding agencies. • NASA, Air Force, other interests within NSF • Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; Puerto Rican Universities; local business • International agency meetings convened by AST

14. NSF Response and Implementation • AST is undertaking detailed cost reviews of each observatory necessary to understand where cost reductions can be made • Understand operational costs, appropriate staffing levels • Compare costs with similar, service-oriented laboratories • Consider other operational and business models • Recently signed contract with external firm to conduct the study • Expect report by end of 2008 • Explore costs and legal issues associated with recommendations e.g. environmental, deconstruction, divestiture, termination costs – engaging outside studies over the next year; first study (for Arecibo) complete • Now constructing the forward look - What can we accomplish as the funds become available under various budget models?

15. AST Concerns • Apparent short half-life of community attention and/or understanding • Many rumors • Many misunderstandings, statements indicate report was not read (fully) or assimilated • Help in spreading the (accurate) news

16. AST Concerns Increasing political pressure and interference with science community-based process and plan. • Budget doubling removes need for Senior Review and invalidates conclusions? {What budget doubling?} • Growth in MREFC account can easily cover Arecibo problem? {MREFC account is for construction only, can not cover operations} • Arecibo future being determined without ATM consultation? {ATM and AST working closely on Arecibo future.} • Letters from members of Congress to NSF Director • Bill introduced to guarantee continued support of Arecibo - {but how, and at what cost to other higher priority programs?} • Letters from members of the community to NSF Director - {Counterproductive,undermines a science-based process, reinforces idea of a self-centered, ‘greedy’ community.}

17. Planning and Priority Setting(AAAC Retrospective heading into Decade Survey) • Now a true interagency effort • NSF • NASA • DOE • National Research Council Studies • Decadal Surveys, etc. - now many • All must involve large segments of astronomical community • NRC more approachable • OSTP and OMB part of process • Governmental Interagency Working Groups at NSTC level • Physics of the Universe – lessons learned discussion with OSTP • Much more proactive international interactions • ELT funding agencies group • SKA funding agencies group • ASTRONET (EU Decade Survey) interaction • Change in ESO leadership • Challenges remain

18. Recommendations from AAAC Activities • Task Forces sponsored by Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee (AAAC) • CMB Roadmap (report issued May 2005) • Dark Energy (report issued in June 2006) • ExoPlanet Task Force this meeting • Next Decade Survey will add new challenges

19. Prime Challenge Mid-scale Projects and Infrastructure • A new, “pilot” activity • Response to need for projects/activities between ATI/MRI and MREFC scales (~$10M) • Need is felt Foundation-wide • Prepare for/lead eventual NSF response • Prepare for next Decade Survey recommendations • Use as vehicle for CMB, DETF and ExoPTF recommendation responses • Explore review, management, coordination and oversight mechanisms • Gauge demand while growing appropriate budget The Goal: To evolve the ad hoc collection of projects, as represented by the current portfolio, into a coordinated programmatic framework that can be managed to fulfill a community need.

20. Current Projects Under Mid-Scale Rubric Mid-Scale Projects • VERITAS -- Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System • V. Pankonin • ACT -- Atacama Cosmology Telescope • R. Barvainis (V. Pankonin) • SDSS-II -- Sloan Digital Sky Survey II • V. Pankonin • MWA -- Murchison Widefield Array • V. Pankonin • QUIET -- Q/U Imaging ExperimenT • V. Pankonin • POLARBeaR -- POLARization of the Background Radiation • V. Pankonin • DES -- Dark Energy Survey • N. Sharp Design & Development (D&D) or Technology Development (TDP) • LSST -- Large Synoptic Survey Telescope • C. Foltz • GSMT -- Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope • T. Barnes • SKA -- Square Kilometre Array • R. Barvainis

21. Current Status • AST organizational structure with Mid-Scale Projects and Infrastructure put in place early calendar 2006. • 5 of 7 current projects were inherited from previous org structure. • Map to the future is under study. • Internal AST working group looking at a plan to the future for all AST instrumentation related programs. • ATM mid-scale solicitation is out; we will monitor for lessons learned. • Need to gauge the demand. • Historical proposal receipt, without announcement or solicitation. • 2002-1; 2004-3; 2005-1; 2006-1; 2007-2 • Task Force reports provide framework for more than mid-scale projects • Questions to be answered. • Should there be a general mid-scale solicitation? • Should there be targeted solicitations? How often? • How should a budget for a program and/or a solicitation be set? • For how long should AST support operations? • Need to get word out to community

22. Charting the Future • Sine qua non • Healthy grants program • Successful completion and operation of ALMA • Robust support of base facilities (as defined by Senior Review) • Progress on GSMT, LSST, SKA → “TDPs” • Resources for non-MREFC projects → “Mid-scale” {CMB, DETF, ExoPlanet, next Decade Survey small and moderate} • Playing above against models of budget outlook – Decade Survey guidance

23. Looking Forward to 2008(At President’s Request Level) • Healthy increase (~10%) in grants program • Grant support for facility users under study • Partnerships in Astronomy and Astrophysics Research and Education (PAARE, NSF 07-561) • New program helping young investigators start instrumentation careers (grad students, post-docs, beginning faculty) • Increases in ATI (30%), TSIP (25%) and UROs • NOAO up $2.3M to refurbish and modernize KPNO and CTIO facilities • NRAO up $2M for ALMA early operations • GSMT program at $5M and SKA TDP at $3M per year

24. FY 2008 (As ‘Estimated’ in FY 2009 budget) • AST up by 1.15% or $2.47M (total of $217.86M) • (compared to R&RA up 1.32%, MPS up 1.44%) • All facilities held flat (except $2M for ALMA ops) • Grants programs roughly constant (ATI, AAG+POU, CAREER, ESP, etc) • Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI) up $1.2M

25. Looking Forward to FY 2008 (As Enacted) • Language says that AST facilities must be funded at 2008 Request level (increase of ~$6M or 5%). • Impact of NSF-wide programs (CDI…) and language (“transformative research”,..) on AST budget unknown • “Infrastructure” increase in House language? • BUT • Providing full ALMA operations ramp • ALMA construction looks ok for 2008 • Joint NSF/NASA solicitation for Virtual Astronomical Observatory has gone forward.

26. FY 2009 Budget Request by Division NSF overall: +13.0%; $6.85 B NSF R&RA: +16.0%; $5.59B MPS overall: +20.0%; $1.40B

27. New MPS Investments in NSF-wide and MPS-wide Activities NSF-wide activitiesFY 2009 Science and Engineering Beyond Moore’s Law $10.00 M Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation $19.05 M Adaptive Systems Technology $ 3.49 M MPS-wide activities MPS – Life Science Interface $ 6.00 M Quantum Information Sciences $ 5.00 M

28. AST FY 2009 budget highlights • Facilities: • NRAO: $61.56M - ALMA ramp up • NAIC: $9.60M - planned ramp down • NOAO + NSO: $36.83M • ATST moves to MREFC at $2.5M • Gemini: $22.0M - continue Aspen • URO’s: $10.0M • TSIP: $5.0M • AODP: $1.5M

29. AST FY 2009 budget highlights • Grants • CDI: + $2.0M • Instrumentation fellowships program • Start of Mid-scale activity: $3.0M • Start of ‘SR reinvestment’: $3.0M • Healthy increases (10-20%) across all programs - AAG, ATI, CAREER, ESP

30. MREFC FY 2009 Budget Request

31. ATST - Next Steps • Final EIS (FEIS) is being edited right now.  Expect publication in late spring 2008. • NSF will issue a record of decision based on the FEIS.  We assume this will be positive. • Section 106 (of the National Historic Preservation Act) consultations are ongoing.  Result will be an MOA signed by consulting parties, the Hawaiian State Historic Preservation Officer (a post currently vacant), and sent to the Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation for their information. • FEIS will form the basis for the application for a Conservation District Use Permit.  This is basically the Hawaiian building permit to allow construction to start.  Normally this is about a six-month process. • Consultations with the FAA and the National Park Service continue.  We are making progress with the former.

34. What has not changed since 2005? • The excitement of the science and its future • The stochastic nature of the budget process • The fact that there is no good socket in the NSF planning process for the plug we have made • AST not a big ACI player • Lack of clarity in the MREFC process