Setting Priorities for Large Research Facility Projects Supported by the National Science Foundation

In 1995, the National Science Foundation (NSF) created a special account to fund large (several tens of millions of dollars) research facilities. Over the years, these facilities have come to represent an increasingly prominent part of the nation's R&D portfolio. Recently concern has intensified about the way NSF is selecting projects for this account. In 2003, six U.S. Senators including the chair and ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies Appropriations expressed these concerns in a letter to the NRC asking it to "review the current prioritization process and report to us on how it can be improved." This report presents a series of recommendations on how NSF can improve its priority setting process for large research facilities. While noting that NSF has improved this process, the report states that further strengthening is needed if NSF is to meet future demands for such projects. Table of Contents Front Matter Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 Description of National Science Foundation's Current Process 3 Concerns About National Science Foundation's Current Priority-Setting Process 4 Recommendations 5 Implementing the Recommendations 6 Conclusion 7 Bibliography Appendix A: Committee and Professional Staff Biographical Information Appendix B: Charge to the Committee and Origins of the Study Appendix C: Histories of Projects Funded by NSF Appendix D: Approval Processes in Other Agencies and Other Countries Appendix E: Examples of Criteria Used to Prioritize or Select Appendix F: NSF Background Materials Appendix G: Executive Summary of COSEPUP Report Major Award Decisionmaking at the National Science Foundation