This award to the National Academy of Sciences will provide partial support for the Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA). NASA will fund the remainder of the cost of maintaining this committee. The overall objective of the CAA is to encourage scientific progress in astronomy and astrophysics and to assist the federal government in planning programs in these fields. The CAA will build on the current decadal survey of the field, "New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics," (NWNH) and monitor the progress of its recommended priorities for the most important scientific and technical activities. Among the mechanisms the CAA will use to fulfill its charge are the initiation and oversight of report-generating studies, meetings, teleconferences, discussions with agency representatives and the scientific community, and special fora such as workshops.
