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Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
RECOMMENDATIONS
93
focused EPO efforts that can be evaluated for their effectiveness in enhancing the visibility of the field and
in stimulating students to choose solar and space physics as a career. The survey committee found that the
Heliophysics Education and Public Outreach Forum plays an important role in ensuring the effectiveness
of mission EPO efforts and in informal and formal science education at all levels. The survey committee endorses programs such as NSF’s REU and LANL’s post-baccalaureate program, which are important
recruiting tools for the field. The committee also fully supports the efforts of EPO professionals and physics educators who collaborate with scientists to develop the solar and space physics workforce as well as
promote public support and interest. The committee also recognizes the importance of participation in the
development of the Common Core standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. The survey committee endorses programs that specifically target enhancing diversity within solar and space physics, akin
to NSF’s Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG) program. The committee notes,
as a final point on this topic, that solar and space physics is not currently listed as a dissertation research
area in NSF’s annual Survey of Earned Doctorates, 7 a report that influences other rankings, ratings, and
demographic surveys such as those done by the National Research Council and the American Institute of
Physics (AIP) and is, the survey committee concluded, a significant tool for recruiting students to the field.
Recommendation: To further enhance the visibility of the field, NSF should recognize solar and space
physics as a specifically named subdiscipline of physics and astronomy by adding it to the list of dissertation research areas in NSF’s annual Survey of Earned Doctorates.
Conclusions Regarding the DRIVE Initiative
The DRIVE initiative capitalizes on the breadth of current programs in solar and space physics and
will build capabilities for the future, starting with the current HSO as the foundation. DRIVE as proposed
makes the most of these existing assets while enabling advances in science and technology that will fuel
progress within realistic cost envelopes. Chapters 5 and 6 discuss implementation of the DRIVE initiative
for NSF and NASA, respectively; an explicit, phased budget for the DRIVE recommendations addressed to
NASA is included in Chapter 6. By implementing the recommended DRIVE components, NASA and NSF
can ensure that the next decade will be rich in new observations made from diverse platforms, new science harvested from missions and projects, new synergies arising between disciplines and platforms, new
technologies and theories to enable and inspire future missions and projects, and talented new students
to power the future workforce.
NASA Mission Lines
Much progress will be made through the DRIVE initiative, but a properly scoped program with high
science return requires new observations from spaceflight missions. Missions explore new frontiers and are
rightly the main activity of NASA. Outlined below are the advantages of critical reassessment and creative
re-imagination of the solar and space physics mission program, along with ranked recommended science
targets for both the STP and the LWS lines.
7 See National Sciencen Foundation, “Survey of Earned Doctorates,” updated December 6, 201, available at http://www.nsf.gov/
statistics/srvydoctorates/.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
RECOMMENDATIONS
93
focused EPO efforts that can be evaluated for their effectiveness in enhancing the visibility of the field and
in stimulating students to choose solar and space physics as a career. The survey committee found that the
Heliophysics Education and Public Outreach Forum plays an important role in ensuring the effectiveness
of mission EPO efforts and in informal and formal science education at all levels. The survey committee endorses programs such as NSF’s REU and LANL’s post-baccalaureate program, which are important
recruiting tools for the field. The committee also fully supports the efforts of EPO professionals and physics educators who collaborate with scientists to develop the solar and space physics workforce as well as
promote public support and interest. The committee also recognizes the importance of participation in the
development of the Common Core standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. The survey committee endorses programs that specifically target enhancing diversity within solar and space physics, akin
to NSF’s Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG) program. The committee notes,
as a final point on this topic, that solar and space physics is not currently listed as a dissertation research
area in NSF’s annual Survey of Earned Doctorates, 7 a report that influences other rankings, ratings, and
demographic surveys such as those done by the National Research Council and the American Institute of
Physics (AIP) and is, the survey committee concluded, a significant tool for recruiting students to the field.
Recommendation: To further enhance the visibility of the field, NSF should recognize solar and space
physics as a specifically named subdiscipline of physics and astronomy by adding it to the list of dissertation research areas in NSF’s annual Survey of Earned Doctorates.
Conclusions Regarding the DRIVE Initiative
The DRIVE initiative capitalizes on the breadth of current programs in solar and space physics and
will build capabilities for the future, starting with the current HSO as the foundation. DRIVE as proposed
makes the most of these existing assets while enabling advances in science and technology that will fuel
progress within realistic cost envelopes. Chapters 5 and 6 discuss implementation of the DRIVE initiative
for NSF and NASA, respectively; an explicit, phased budget for the DRIVE recommendations addressed to
NASA is included in Chapter 6. By implementing the recommended DRIVE components, NASA and NSF
can ensure that the next decade will be rich in new observations made from diverse platforms, new science harvested from missions and projects, new synergies arising between disciplines and platforms, new
technologies and theories to enable and inspire future missions and projects, and talented new students
to power the future workforce.
NASA Mission Lines
Much progress will be made through the DRIVE initiative, but a properly scoped program with high
science return requires new observations from spaceflight missions. Missions explore new frontiers and are
rightly the main activity of NASA. Outlined below are the advantages of critical reassessment and creative
re-imagination of the solar and space physics mission program, along with ranked recommended science
targets for both the STP and the LWS lines.
7 See National Sciencen Foundation, “Survey of Earned Doctorates,” updated December 6, 201, available at http://www.nsf.gov/
statistics/srvydoctorates/.