Paper copies

NASA modified the New Frontiers AO today to request that each proposal team provide 90 copies of their New Frontiers proposal, due in less than three weeks.

90 copies x 10 proposal teams x 250 pages each = 225,000 pieces of paper.

Now, government agencies almost always lag behind popular culture, but as researchers increasingly join twitter, facebook, and online consortia in ever greater numbers, I find it surprising that government officials and reviewers still require hard copies of such large documents.

Yes, I know the arguments.  Reviewers like to highlight.  It’s quicker to thumb through printed proposals on the fly at plenaries.  Specialists can be given only portions of proposals.  ITAR sensitive portions can be ripped out of foreign reviewers’ copies.

But really … all of this can be done with editable .pdfs as well, at much less cost, in much less time (after a little practice, true), and without so much … waste.  After all, proposers ALSO have to provide 90 CDs for review, each one attached to the corresponding hunk of paper.

I doubt that the next generation of proposers will stand for this.

Planetary Science Funding – Advice from OMB and Congressional Staff

On Tuesday, the Planetary Science Decadal Survey Committee was briefed by a number of organizations, including representatives from APL, JPL, GSFC, OMB, OSTP, and Congressional staff.  We weren’t there, but initial reports are fascinating.  It seems that while OMB encouraged the community to fit all their plans and proposals within current financial constraints, Congressional staff had a different message.

The Space Policy Online blog reports:

The OMB/OSTP message also was in contrast to remarks by Dick Obermann and Ed Feddeman of the House Science and Technology Committee staff who reminded the group that it is Congress that ultimately decides budgets.   Representing the Democratic and Republican viewpoints respectively, both advised the committee to focus their deliberations on the top scientific priorities, not the budget.  While acknowledging that there are no blank checks, they stressed that if the science is sufficiently compelling, Congress could make additional funds available.

Read the rest at the Space Policy Online blog.

This is important news for our community.  The question is, how do we best communicate to Congress just how compelling our future science missions are?

Acronyms:
OMB = Office of Management and Budget
OSTP = White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

The Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG) announces two new awards for student travel to professional geoscience meetings

The Sand Student Research Presentation Travel Award provides women geoscience students with support to present their research at the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America including but not exclusive to sessions sponsored by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.

The Takken Student Research Presentation Travel Award provides women geoscience students with support to present their research at a national or international professional geoscience meeting other than the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America.

More information and instructions on how to apply are available on the AWG website at
http://www.awg.org/EAS/awards/sand.html
and
http://www.awg.org/EAS/awards/takken.html.

Grad student opportunity to participate in the Planetary Decadal Survey

The Planetary Science Decadal Survey extends an invitation to graduate students to act as observers/rapporteurs during meetings of the Planetary Science Decadal Survey’s Steering Group and its five Panels. These notes will be posted on the decadal survey’s website for use by survey members and the larger planetary science community. Attending a meeting will give students the unique opportunity to experience an insider’s view of the activities of Planetary Science Decadal Survey; plus the opportunity to interact with committee members, briefers and agency officials. The SSB is not able to provide travel or lodging expenses. However, students will receive a small honorarium as well as meals during the meetings. Please note that students will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement to participate in closed sessions. More information, including the application procedure and list of meeting dates and locations, can be found at:
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/planetary_decadal_grad_students.pdf

Next Generation Lunar Scientists and Engineers

The following is an announcement from Lora Bleacher and Noah Petro on behalf of the Next Generation Lunar Scientists and Engineers.

Are you a current student (undergraduate or graduate) interested in the future of lunar science and engineering?  Want to connect with other like-minded individuals?   Then attend the free Next Generation Lunar Scientists and Engineers (NGLSE) workshop!  The workshop will be held at NASA Ames on Monday, July 20 (the day before the NASA Lunar Science Forum starts and also the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing!) from noon-5pm.  Lunch will be provided.  The workshop will precede the opening reception for the Forum.

The workshop agenda will include time for you to get to know one another and to hear from leaders in the lunar community.  It is our hope that the workshop will provide a forum for you to:

• Interact and collaborate with one another now and in the future;
• Interact and collaborate with invited speakers and attendees from NLSI and the greater lunar community;
• Give feedback to NASA and the science community on your activities and needs;
• Learn about lunar education and public outreach materials and programs that you can share with your local communities and other students.

In addition, we plan to provide time for those of you who are interested to present and receive feedback on your research from your peers by practicing delivering your poster presentation in typical poster session fashion (or alternately through an oral presentation of your results).

Space is limited on a first-come, first-served basis.  Please respond to this email to indicate your attendance by COB Monday, June 29.  Also, let us know if you would like to practice your poster presentation at the workshop as well.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in July!

Lora Bleacher (Lora.V.Bleacher@nasa.gov) and Noah Petro (Noah.E.Petro@nasa.gov)