9414956 Taylor The Board on Physics and Astronomy, in collaboration with the National Materials Advisory Board, has established a committee to carry out a major study of the field of optical science and engineering (OS&E), a diverse interdisciplinary area of scientific and technological activity that is playing an increasingly area of scientific and technological activity that is playing an increasingly important role in driving economic growth. OS&E is emerging as a key enabling element for a host of applications that address critical national needs such as manufacturing, information technology, health care, transportation, environment, and education. It is also a vital area of frontier scientific research. The purpose of the study is to define the field of optical science and engineering, assess the state of the art in research and technology, project the future impact of OS&E on national needs, identify institutional and educational innovations needed to optimize the contributions of OS&E to national needs, identify how public policy influences the ability of the field to meet these needs, and examine trends in private and public research activities as compared to those in other countries. The study is being supported jointly by NSF, NIST, and ARPA. The Foundation of the report will be based on the conduct of 5 major workshops; each workshop would be organized according to national needs and would address issues that cross OS&E scientific and technical disciplinary boundaries. ***
