House Science Committee Looks at NSF's Large Research
Facilities
September 6, 2001
Dr. Rita Colwell, Director of the National Science
Foundation, Dr. Anita Jones, Vice Chair of the National
Science Board, and Dr. Christine Boesz, NSF Inspector
General, testified on the NSF's procedures for selecting,
constructing, and managing large research facilities
at a September 6 Research Subcommittee hearing.
All of the witnesses commented on the general success
that the agency has had in building and operating
research facilities ranging from massive telescopes
to gravitational wave detectors, but they also noted
the growing challenge of meeting researchers needs
for increasingly complex facilities.
In response to these challenges, Dr. Colwell testified,
NSF has developed a Large Facilities Projects Management
and Oversight Plan to improve oversight of the construction
and management of multi-million dollar research facilities.
As part of the plan, NSF will create a new position
of Deputy to the Chief Financial Officer for Large
Facility Projects and develop a consistent set of
management and oversight policies and practices.
Chairman Nick Smith (R-MI) and other committee members
were generally supportive of NSF's record for facilities
management, but expressed concern about how priorities
are set for selecting among competing candidates for
research facilities. Dr. Colwell and Dr. Jones explained
the evaluation and selection process that results
in a set of NSB approved research facilities projects.
These projects are all candidates for inclusion in
the annual budget request, they noted, but those finally
incorporated in the request are determined by the
administration's priorities and the need to provide
balance across disciplines.
The panel was also questioned about the technical skills
required to oversee the construction of large research
facilities and how these would be reflected in new
Large Facilities Projects position. The position description,
Dr. Colwell noted, will be developed with input from
a September 21 workshop on large research facilities,
followed by a national search for qualified candidates.
NSF anticipates filling the new position by the spring
of next year.
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