Committee on Assessing the Value of Research in Advancing National Goals's Books

An Assessment of ARPA-E

Summary

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Board on Energy and Environmental Systems,Policy and Global Affairs,Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy,Committee on Evaluation of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

In 2005, the National Research Council report Rising Above the Gathering Storm recommended a new way for the federal government to spur technological breakthroughs in the energy sector. It recommended the creation of a new agency, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, as an adaptation of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) modelâ€"widely considered a successful experiment that has funded out-of-the-box, transformative research and engineering that made possible the Internet, GPS, and stealth aircraft. This new agency was envisioned as a means of tackling the nation's energy challenges in a way that could translate basic research into technological breakthroughs while also addressing economic, environmental, and security issues. Congress authorized ARPA-E in the 2007 America COMPETES Act and requested an early assessment following 6 years of operation to examine the agency's progress toward achieving its statutory mission and goals. This publication summarizes the results of that assessment.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309461782

ISBN 13

9780309461788

Review of the SBIR and STTR Programs at the Department of Energy

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Policy and Global Affairs,Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy,Committee on the Review of the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs at the Department of Energy

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Review of the SBIR and STTR Programs at the Department of Energy

Since its founding in 1982, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program has become the largest and most comprehensive public research and development funding program of small business research in the United States. An underlying tenet of the SBIR program, and the related Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, is that small and young firms are an important source of new ideas that provide the underlying basis for technological innovation, productivity increases, and subsequent economic growth. By involving qualified small businesses in the nation's research and development efforts, SBIR/STTR grants stimulate the development of innovative technologies and help federal agencies achieve their missions and objectives. At the request of the Department of Energy (DOE), this report examines the SBIR and STTR programs at DOE, focusing on the effectiveness of DOE's SBIR/STTR processes and procedures on topic and awardee selection; DOE outreach efforts to SBIR and STTR applicants; collaborations created between small businesses and research institutions on account of the programs; a range of direct economic and non-economic impacts to awardees; and the role of SBIR/STTR programs in stimulating technological innovation and contributing to DOE's research and development needs, whether directly from awardees or indirectly through spillovers from other firms.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

187

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309671620

ISBN 13

9780309671620

Support for Forensic Science Research

Improving the Scientific Role of the National Institute of Justice

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on Law and Justice,Committee on Strengthening Forensic Science at the National Institute of Justice

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Support for Forensic Science Research

Improving the Scientific Role of the National Institute of Justice

Reliable and valid forensic science analytic techniques are critical to a credible, fair, and evidence-based criminal justice system. There is widespread agreement that the scientific foundation of some currently available forensic science methods needs strengthening and that additional, more efficient techniques are urgently needed. These needs can only be met through sustained research programs explicitly designed to ensure and improve the reliability and validity of current methods and to foster the development and use of new and better techniques. This task is challenging due to the broad nature of the field. Concerns have been raised repeatedly about the ability of the criminal justice system to collect and analyze evidence efficiently and to be fair in its verdicts. Although significant progress has been made in some forensic science disciplines, the forensic science community still faces many challenges. Federal leadership, particularly in regard to research and the scientific validation of forensic science methods, is needed to help meet the pressing issues facing state and local jurisdictions. This report reviews the progress made by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to advance forensic science research since the 2009 report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward and the 2010 report, Strengthening the National Institute of Justice. Support for Forensic Science Research examines the ways in which NIJ develops its forensic science research priorities and communicates those priorities as well as its findings to the scientific and forensic practitioner communities in order to determine the impact of NIJ forensic science research programs and how that impact can be enhanced.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

150

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309376483

ISBN 13

9780309376488

The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing

Year 2000 Progress Assessment of the PATH Program

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment,Committee for Oversight and Assessment of the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing

Year 2000 Progress Assessment of the PATH Program

In response to HUD's request, the NRC assembled a panel of experts, the Committee for Oversight and Assessment of the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing, under the auspices of the Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment. Over an initial term of three years, the committee was asked to review and comment on the following aspects of the PATH program: overall goals; proposed approach to meeting the goals and the likelihood of achieving them; and measurements of progress toward achieving the goals.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309183928

ISBN 13

9780309183925

Recapturing NASA's Aeronautics Flight Research Capabilities

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board,Committee to Assess NASA's Aeronautics Flight Research Capabilities

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Recapturing NASA's Aeronautics Flight Research Capabilities

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board,Committee to Assess NASA's Aeronautics Flight Research Capabilities

In the five decades since NASA was created, the agency has sustained its legacy from the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) in playing a major role in U.S. aeronautics research and has contributed substantially to United States preeminence in civil and military aviation. This preeminence has contributed significantly to the overall economy and balance of trade of the United States through the sales of aircraft throughout the world. NASA's contributions have included advanced flight control systems, de-icing devices, thrust-vectoring systems, wing fuselage drag reduction configurations, aircraft noise reduction, advanced transonic airfoil and winglet designs, and flight systems. Each of these contributions was successfully demonstrated through NASA flight research programs. Equally important, the aircraft industry would not have adopted these and similar advances without NASA flight demonstration on full-scale aircraft flying in an environment identical to that which the aircraft are to operate-in other words, flight research. Flight research is a tool, not a conclusion. It often informs simulation and modeling and wind tunnel testing. Aeronautics research does not follow a linear path from simulation to wind tunnels to flying an aircraft. The loss of flight research capabilities at NASA has therefore hindered the agency's ability to make progress throughout its aeronautics program by removing a primary tool for research. Recapturing NASA's Aeronautics Flight Research Capabilities discusses the motivation for NASA to pursue flight research, addressing the aspects of the committee's task such as identifying the challenges where research program success can be achieved most effectively through flight research. The report contains three case studies chosen to illustrate the state of NASA ARMD. These include the ERA program and the Fundamental Research Program's hypersonics and supersonics projects. Following these case studies, the report describes issues with the NASA ARMD organization and management and offers solutions. In addition, the chapter discusses current impediments to progress, including demonstrating relevancy to stakeholders, leadership, and the lack of focus relative to available resources. Recapturing NASA's Aeronautics Flight Research Capabilities concludes that the type and sophistication of flight research currently being conducted by NASA today is relatively low and that the agency's overall progress in aeronautics is severely constrained by its inability to actually advance its research projects to the flight research stage, a step that is vital to bridging the confidence gap. NASA has spent much effort protecting existing research projects conducted at low levels, but it has not been able to pursue most of these projects to the point where they actually produce anything useful. Without the ability to actually take flight, NASA's aeronautics research cannot progress, cannot make new discoveries, and cannot contribute to U.S. aerospace preeminence.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

102

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309255384

ISBN 13

9780309255387

Enhancing Participation in the U.S. Global Change Research Program

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Board on Environmental Change and Society,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate,Committee to Advise the U.S. Global Change Research Program

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Enhancing Participation in the U.S. Global Change Research Program

The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is a collection of 13 Federal entities charged by law to assist the United States and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change. As the understanding of global change has evolved over the past decades and as demand for scientific information on global change has increased, the USGCRP has increasingly focused on research that can inform decisions to cope with current climate variability and change, to reduce the magnitude of future changes, and to prepare for changes projected over coming decades. Overall, the current breadth and depth of research in these agencies is insufficient to meet the country's needs, particularly to support decision makers. This report provides a rationale for evaluating current program membership and capabilities and identifying potential new agencies and departments in the hopes that these changes will enable the program to more effectively inform the public and prepare for the future. It also offers actionable recommendations for adjustments to the methods and procedures that will allow the program to better meet its stated goals.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309380294

ISBN 13

9780309380294

Monitoring Progress Toward Successful K-12 STEM Education

A Nation Advancing?

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Board on Testing and Assessment,Board on Science Education,Committee on the Evaluation Framework for Successful K-12 STEM Education

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Monitoring Progress Toward Successful K-12 STEM Education

A Nation Advancing?

Following a 2011 report by the National Research Council (NRC) on successful K-12 education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Congress asked the National Science Foundation to identify methods for tracking progress toward the report's recommendations. In response, the NRC convened the Committee on an Evaluation Framework for Successful K-12 STEM Education to take on this assignment. The committee developed 14 indicators linked to the 2011 report's recommendations. By providing a focused set of key indicators related to students' access to quality learning, educator's capacity, and policy and funding initiatives in STEM, the committee addresses the need for research and data that can be used to monitor progress in K-12 STEM education and make informed decisions about improving it. The recommended indicators provide a framework for Congress and relevant deferral agencies to create and implement a national-level monitoring and reporting system that: assesses progress toward key improvements recommended by a previous National Research Council (2011) committee; measures student knowledge, interest, and participation in the STEM disciplines and STEM-related activities; tracks financial, human capital, and material investments in K-12 STEM education at the federal, state, and local levels; provides information about the capabilities of the STEM education workforce, including teachers and principals; and facilitates strategic planning for federal investments in STEM education and workforce development when used with labor force projections. All 14 indicators explained in this report are intended to form the core of this system. Monitoring Progress Toward Successful K-12 STEM Education: A Nation Advancing? summarizes the 14 indicators and tracks progress towards the initial report's recommendations.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309264812

ISBN 13

9780309264815

A Strategy for Assessing Science

Behavioral and Social Research on Aging

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Center for Studies of Behavior and Development,Committee on Assessing Behavioral and Social Science Research on Aging

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

A Strategy for Assessing Science

Behavioral and Social Research on Aging

A Strategy for Assessing Science offers strategic advice on the perennial issue of assessing rates of progress in different scientific fields. It considers available knowledge about how science makes progress and examines a range of decision-making strategies for addressing key science policy concerns. These include avoiding undue conservatism that may arise from the influence of established disciplines; achieving rational, high-quality, accountable, and transparent decision processes; and establishing an appropriate balance of influence between scientific communities and agency science managers. A Strategy for Assessing Science identifies principles for setting priorities and specific recommendations for the context of behavioral and social research on aging.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

177

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309103975

ISBN 13

9780309103978

Assessment of the National Science Foundation's 2015 Geospace Portfolio Review

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Space Studies Board,Committee on Assessment of the National Science Foundation's 2015 Geospace Portfolio Review

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Assessment of the National Science Foundation's 2015 Geospace Portfolio Review

At the request of the Advisory Committee for Geosciences of the National Science Foundation (NSF), a review of the Geospace Section of the NSF Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences was undertaken in 2015. The Portfolio Review Committee was charged with reviewing the portfolio of facilities, research programs, and activities funded by Geospace Section and to recommend critical capabilities and the balance of investments needed to enable the science program articulated in the 2013 NRC decadal survey Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society. The Portfolio Review Committee's report Investments in Critical Capabilities for Geospace Science 2016 to 2025 (ICCGS) was accepted by the Advisory Committee for Geosciences in April 2016. Assessment of the National Science Foundation's 2015 Geospace Portfolio Review provides an independent assessment of the ICCGS report. This publication assesses how well the ICCGS provides a clear set of findings, conclusions, and recommendations for Geospace Section that align with the science priorities of the NRC decadal survey, and adequately take into account issues such as the current budget outlook and the science needs of the community. Additionally, this study makes recommendations focused on options and considerations for NSF's implementation of the ICCGS recommendations.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309454832

ISBN 13

9780309454834

Prospective Evaluation of Applied Energy Research and Development at DOE (Phase Two)

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Board on Energy and Environmental Systems,Committee on Prospective Benefits of DOE's Energy Efficiency and Fossil Energy R&D Programs (Phase Two)

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Prospective Evaluation of Applied Energy Research and Development at DOE (Phase Two)

Since its inception in 1977 from an amalgam of federal authorities, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has administered numerous programs aimed at developing applied energy technologies. In recent years, federal oversight of public expenditures has emphasized the integration of performance and budgeting. Notably, the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) was passed in 1993 in response to questions about the value and effectiveness of federal programs. GPRA and other mandates have led agencies to develop indicators of program performance and program outcomes. The development of indicators has been watched with keen interest by Congress, which has requested of the National Research Council (NRC) a series of reports using quantitative indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of applied energy research and development (R&D). The first such report took a retrospective view of the first 3 years of DOE R&D programs on fossil energy and energy efficiency. The report found that DOE-sponsored research had netted large commercial successes, such as advanced refrigerator compressors, electronic lighting ballasts, and emission control technology for flue gas desulfurization. However, some programs were judged to be costly failures in which large R&D expenditures did not result in a commercial energy technology. A follow-up NRC committee was assigned the task of adapting the methodology to the assessment of the future payoff of continuing programs. Evaluating the outcome of R&D expenditures requires an analysis of program costs and benefits. Doing so is not a trivial matter. First, the analysis of costs and benefits must reflect the full range of public benefits that are envisioned, accounting for environmental and energy security impacts as well as economic effects. Second, the analysis must consider how likely the research is to succeed and how valuable the research will be if successful. Finally, the analysis must consider what might happen if the government did not support the project: Would some non-DOE entity undertake it or an equivalent activity that would produce some or all of the benefits of government involvement? This second report continues to investigate the development and use of R&D outcome indicators and applies the benefits evaluation methodology to six DOE R&D activities. It provides further definition for the development of indicators for environmental and security benefits and refines the evaluation process based on its experience with the six DOE R&D case studies.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

233

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

030910467X

ISBN 13

9780309104678

Assessing Accomplished Teaching

Advanced-Level Certification Programs

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Center for Education,Board on Testing and Assessment,Committee on Evaluation of Teacher Certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Assessing Accomplished Teaching

Advanced-Level Certification Programs

The mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is to establish "high and rigorous standards for what teachers should know and be able to do, to certify teachers who meet those standards, and to advance other education reforms for the purpose of improving student learning in American schools." In response to a request from the U.S. Congress, the National Research Council developed a framework for evaluating programs that award advanced-level teacher certification and applied that framework in an evaluation of the impacts of the NBPTS. Specifically, this book addresses the impacts on students, teachers, and the educational system in this country. Assessing Accomplished Teaching finds that teachers who earn board certification are more effective at improving their students' achievement than other teachers, but school systems vary greatly in the extent to which they recognize and make use of board-certified teachers. Many of the questions on the evaluation framework could not be answered because the data have not been collected, and the report makes recommendations for the kinds of research that are needed to fully evaluate the impacts of board certification by the NBPTS.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

338

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309134382

ISBN 13

9780309134385

Pathways to Exploration

Rationales and Approaches for a U.S. Program of Human Space Exploration

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Space Studies Board,Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board,Committee on Human Spaceflight

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Pathways to Exploration

Rationales and Approaches for a U.S. Program of Human Space Exploration

The United States has publicly funded its human spaceflight program on a continuous basis for more than a half-century, through three wars and a half-dozen recessions, from the early Mercury and Gemini suborbital and Earth orbital missions, to the lunar landings, and thence to the first reusable winged crewed spaceplane that the United States operated for three decades. Today the United States is the major partner in a massive orbital facility - the International Space Station - that is becoming the focal point for the first tentative steps in commercial cargo and crewed orbital space flights. And yet, the long-term future of human spaceflight beyond this project is unclear. Pronouncements by multiple presidents of bold new ventures by Americans to the Moon, to Mars, and to an asteroid in its native orbit, have not been matched by the same commitment that accompanied President Kennedy\'s now fabled 1961 speech-namely, the substantial increase in NASA funding needed to make it happen. Are we still committed to advancing human spaceflight? What should a long-term goal be, and what does the United States need to do to achieve it? Pathways to Exploration explores the case for advancing this endeavor, drawing on the history of rationales for human spaceflight, examining the attitudes of stakeholders and the public, and carefully assessing the technical and fiscal realities. This report recommends maintaining the long-term focus on Mars as the horizon goal for human space exploration. With this goal in mind, the report considers funding levels necessary to maintain a robust tempo of execution, current research and exploration projects and the time/resources needed to continue them, and international cooperation that could contribute to the achievement of spaceflight to Mars. According to Pathways to Exploration, a successful U.S. program would require sustained national commitment and a budget that increases by more than the rate of inflation. In reviving a U.S. human exploration program capable of answering the enduring questions about humanity's destiny beyond our tiny blue planet, the nation will need to grapple with the attitudinal and fiscal realities of the nation today while staying true to a small but crucial set of fundamental principles for the conduct of exploration of the endless frontier. The recommendations of Pathways to Exploration provide a clear map toward a human spaceflight program that inspires students and citizens by furthering human exploration and discovery, while taking into account the long-term commitment necessary to achieve this goal.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

405

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309305101

ISBN 13

9780309305105

Book's by Committee on Assessing the Value of Research in Advancing National Goals

An Assessment of ARPA-E

An Assessment of ARPA-E

Review of the SBIR and STTR Programs at the Department of Energy

Review of the SBIR and STTR Programs at the Department of Energy

Support for Forensic Science Research

Support for Forensic Science Research

The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing

The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing

Recapturing NASA's Aeronautics Flight Research Capabilities

Recapturing NASA's Aeronautics Flight Research Capabilities

Enhancing Participation in the U.S. Global Change Research Program

Enhancing Participation in the U.S. Global Change Research Program

Monitoring Progress Toward Successful K-12 STEM Education

Monitoring Progress Toward Successful K-12 STEM Education

A Strategy for Assessing Science

A Strategy for Assessing Science

Assessment of the National Science Foundation's 2015 Geospace Portfolio Review

Assessment of the National Science Foundation's 2015 Geospace Portfolio Review

Prospective Evaluation of Applied Energy Research and Development at DOE (Phase Two)

Prospective Evaluation of Applied Energy Research and Development at DOE (Phase Two)

Assessing Accomplished Teaching

Assessing Accomplished Teaching

Pathways to Exploration

Pathways to Exploration

Username

Password

Username

Password

Password again

Birthday

Email