This award will provide funds for the National Academy of Science (NAS) to conduct a study that examines how the National Science Foundation (NSF) sets priorities for competing proposals for construction and operation of large-scaled research facility projects. The work will be performed by an expert committee under the oversight of the NAS' Policy and Global Affairs Division's Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP) and the Board on Physics and Astronomy (BPA). Specifically the project will address and make recommendations on the following: 1) current prioritization process and ways for improvement; 2) development of specific criteria used to prioritize and rank large research facility projects and 3) guidance in the management, oversight and accountability of sponsored projects. The study will contribute to the decision-making process at NSF and should be useful to other federal agencies involved in making significant investments in facilities and infrastructure across all fields of science and engineering.
