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FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 9: January 28, 2003

Update on DOE Office of Science Strategic Plan

DOE Office of Science Director Ray Orbach called January 16 a "very
important day for science in the United States" at an all-day workshop 
on the forthcoming DOE Office of Science Strategic Plan. Scheduled for 
final release in March, this planning document, with an up to twenty 
year horizon, "will play a terribly important role in the Office of 
Science."

This well-attended workshop at a conference center in suburban 
Washington brought together major stakeholders from many interests.  
In his opening remarks, Orbach said the plan would chart a course for 
the Office of Science, and will be utilized by the White House, 
Congress, and the Office of Management and Budget.

Insight into some of the thinking that will guide the Office of 
Science is provided by the nine Occasional Papers on future 
opportunities that were discussed in FYI #8 
(http://www.aip.org/enews/fyi/2003/008.html).  Papers are to be issued 
on astrophysics and accelerator design.  Noting the "vanishingly 
small" percentage of  university students studying in the physical 
sciences, many of whom are foreign, Orbach asked "where have the 
Americans gone?"  This lack of attention to the physical sciences 
results in less-than-desired levels of scientific literacy among the 
general American population, he said.

Asking "what is it about the Office of Science that makes it 
special?," Orbach told the workshop participants that it was very 
important to "get it right" in drafting the Strategic Plan.  Pointing 
to a pie chart that showed 43% of federal support to the physical 
sciences coming from DOE (with 31% from NASA, 16% from NSF, 6% from 
DOD, and 4% "other") he asked if DOE's role was appropriate.  Balance 
within DOE's portfolio must be considered, Orbach saying "maybe it's 
right, maybe it is not," when referring to its support for the 
laboratories and universities.  Allocations for that research directly 
related to the nation's energy supply and research for the sake of 
science must also be considered.  A third "balance" issue is the 
allocation of federal dollars for the life sciences and other 
sciences, Orbach explaining that "in the White House and Congress 
there is the feeling that it is out of balance."

Bob Vallario of the DOE Office of Planning and Analysis told the 
workshop participants that the Office of Science Strategic Plan would 
have a clear intuitive link to the larger Department of Energy plan 
which is also being developed.  It is expected the Office of Science 
plan will be about twenty pages long, with an expected final release 
in March.  The "critical thinking" on the plan over the past few 
months has had input from the Office's Advisory Committees, with the 
plan now one-third to one-half complete, Vallario said.  A draft 
version will be available on the web within one month for public 
comment.

Vallario raised several other points.  Energy and national security 
issues are "front page," he said.  He described "severe" budget 
pressures, and stated that interest in performance measures continues.  
Vallario described an aging workforce, the importance of international 
research collaborations, and numerous future research opportunities 
that were  "across the stove pipes."  Looking to the future, he asked 
the audience, are we missing anything?

In another development, last month Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham
appointed MIT President Charles M. Vest to chair a Task Force on the 
Future of Science Programs at the Department of Energy.  This task 
force will act as a subcommittee to the Secretary of Energy Advisory 
Board.  The 13-person task force will report to the board toward the 
end of this summer.  A DOE release explains that the task force "will 
examine science and technology programs across the department and 
consider future priorities for scientific research."  The task force 
met once last fall, and then again in a closed session last week.  
Future hearings on the task force's findings before the entire Board 
are contemplated.

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Richard M. Jones
Media and Government Relations Division
The American Institute of Physics
fyi{at}aip.org
(301) 209-3094
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