[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 212 (Tuesday, November 3, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67795-67797]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-27952]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice: (15-099)]


NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Public Nominations for 
Subcommittees

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

ACTION: Annual Invitation for Public Nominations by U.S. Citizens for 
Service on the NASA Advisory Council's Science Committee Subcommittees.

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SUMMARY: NASA announces its annual invitation for public nominations 
for service on the NASA Advisory Council's Science Committee 
subcommittees. Five science subcommittees report to the Science 
Committee of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC), a Federal advisory 
committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). U.S. 
citizens may submit self-nominations for consideration to fill 
intermittent vacancies on these five science subcommittees. NASA's 
science subcommittees have member vacancies from time to time 
throughout the year, and NASA will consider self-nominations to fill 
such intermittent vacancies. Nominees will only be contacted should a 
vacancy arise and it is judged that their area(s) of expertise is 
appropriate for that specific vacancy. NASA is committed to selecting 
members to serve on its science subcommittees based on their individual 
expertise, knowledge, experience, and current/past contributions to the 
relevant subject area.

DATES: The deadline for NASA receipt of all public nominations is 
November 23, 2015.

ADDRESSES: To be considered by NASA, self-nomination packages from 
interested U.S. citizens must be sent to NASA as an email and must 
include the name of the specific NAC science subcommittee of interest. 
Self-nomination packages are limited to specifying interest in only one 
NAC science subcommittee per year. The following information is 
required to be included as part of each self-nomination package: (1) A 
cover email including the name of the specific NAC science subcommittee 
of interest; (2) a professional resume (one-page maximum, included as 
an attachment); and, (3) a professional biography (one-page maximum; 
included as an attachment). All public self-nomination packages must be 
submitted electronically via email to NASA to one of the addresses 
listed below; paper-based documents sent through postal mail (hard-
copies) will not be accepted. Note: Self-nomination packages that do 
not include the three (3) mandatory elements listed above will not 
receive further consideration by NASA. Please submit the nomination as 
a single package containing the cover email and both required 
attachments electronically to the specific email identified for the NAC 
science subcommittee of interest:

 Astrophysics Subcommittee (APS): [email protected]
 Earth Science Subcommittee (ESS): [email protected]
 Heliophysics Subcommittee (HPS): [email protected]
 Planetary Protection Subcommittee (PPS): [email protected]

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 Planetary Science Subcommittee (PSS): [email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain further information on 
NASA's science subcommittees, please visit the NAC Science Committee's 
subcommittee Web site noted below. For any questions, please contact 
Ms. Elaine Denning, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, 
(202) 358-0332; or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Nominees from any category of organizations 
or institutions within the U.S. are welcome, including, but not limited 
to, educational, industrial, and not-for-profit organizations, 
Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), University 
Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory (JPL), and other Government agencies. Nominees need not be 
presently affiliated with any organization or institution.
    The following qualifications/experience are highly desirable in 
nominees, and should be clearly presented in their self-nomination 
packages:
     At least 10 years post-Ph.D. research experience including 
publications in the scientific field of the subcommittee for which they 
are nominated, or comparable experience;
     Leadership in scientific and/or education and public 
outreach fields as evidenced by award of prizes, invitation to national 
and international meetings as speaker, organizer of scientific 
meetings/workshops, or comparable experience;
     Participation in NASA programs either as member of NASA 
mission science team, Research and Analysis program, membership on an 
advisory/working group or a review panel, or comparable experience;
     Good knowledge of NASA programs in the scientific field of 
the subcommittee for which they are applying, including the latest NASA 
Science Plan (available as a link from http://science.nasa.gov/about-us/science-strategy/), or comparable experience; and,
     Knowledge of the latest Decadal Survey conducted by the 
National Academies or other relevant advisory reports for the 
scientific field of the subcommittee.
    These are not full-time positions and the likelihood that a vacancy 
will occur in the coming year is unknown at this time. Successful 
nominees will be required to attend meetings of the subcommittee 
approximately two or three times a year, either in person (NASA covers 
travel-related expenses for this non-compensated appointment) or via 
telecon and/or virtual meeting medium. All successful nominees will be 
required to submit confidential financial disclosure forms, and undergo 
conflict of interest reviews by the NASA Office of the General Counsel, 
before their appointment is finalized. Successful nominees who are not 
U.S. Government employees will be formally appointed as Special 
Government Employees (SGEs).
    NASA's five (5) science subcommittees are listed below. Additional 
information about these science subcommittees may be found at the NAC 
Science Committee's subcommittee Web site at http://science.nasa.gov/science-committee/subcommittees.
     Astrophysics Subcommittee (APS)--The Astrophysics 
Subcommittee is a standing subcommittee of the NAC Science Committee 
supporting the advisory needs of the NASA Administrator, the Science 
Mission Directorate (SMD), SMD's Astrophysics Division (APD), and other 
NASA Mission Directorates as required. The scope of the APS includes 
projects and observational and theoretical study of the origins, 
evolution, and destiny of the universe and the search for and study of 
Earth-like planets and habitable, extrasolar environments. In addition 
to scientific research, the scope encompasses considerations of the 
development of near-term enabling technologies, systems, and computing 
and information management capabilities, developments with the 
potential to provide long-term improvements in future operational 
systems, as well as training of the next generation of astronomers, and 
education and public outreach.
     Earth Science Subcommittee (ESS)--The Earth Science 
Subcommittee is a standing subcommittee of the NAC Science Committee 
supporting the advisory needs of the NASA Administrator, the Science 
Mission Directorate (SMD), SMD's Earth Science Division (ESD), and 
other NASA Mission Directorates as required. The scope of the ESS 
includes the advancement of scientific knowledge of the Earth system 
through space-based observation and the pioneering use of these 
observations in conjunction with process studies, data assimilation and 
modeling to provide the Nation with improved capability to: Predict 
climate variability, global change, and weather; mitigate and respond 
to natural hazards; and improve the scientific basis for policy 
decisions. In addition to observations and scientific research, the 
scope encompasses the development of computing and information 
management capabilities and other enabling technologies, including 
those with the potential to improve future operational satellite and 
ground systems.
     Heliophysics Subcommittee (HPS)--Heliophysics Subcommittee 
is a standing subcommittee of the NAC Science Committee supporting the 
advisory needs of the NASA Administrator, the Science Mission 
Directorate (SMD), SMD's Heliophysics Division (HPD), and other NASA 
Mission Directorates as required. The scope of the HPS includes all 
aspects of heliophysics, including the dynamical behavior of the Sun 
and its heliosphere; the dynamical behavior of the magnetosphere, 
ionosphere, and upper atmosphere of Earth and other planets; the multi-
scale interaction between solar system plasmas and the interstellar 
medium; energy transport and coupling throughout the heliophysics 
domain; and space weather. In addition to scientific research, the 
scope encompasses considerations of the development of enabling 
technologies, systems, and computing and information management 
capabilities, as well as developments with the potential to provide 
long-term improvements to future space weather operational systems.
     Planetary Protection Subcommittee (PPS)--Planetary 
Protection Subcommittee is a standing subcommittee of the NAC Science 
Committee supporting the advisory needs of the NASA Administrator, the 
Science Mission Directorate (SMD), SMD's Planetary Science Division 
(PSD), NASA's Planetary Protection Officer, and other NASA Mission 
Directorates as required. The scope of the PPS includes programs, 
policies, plans, hazard identification and risk assessment, and other 
matters pertinent to the Agency's responsibilities for biological 
planetary protection. This scope includes consideration of NASA 
planetary protection policy documents, implementation plans, and 
organization. The subcommittee will review and recommend appropriate 
planetary protection categorizations for all bodies of the solar system 
to which spacecraft will be sent. The scope also includes the 
development of near-term enabling technologies, systems, and 
capabilities, as well as developments with the potential to provide 
long-term improvements in future operational systems to support 
planetary protection. Outside the scope of the

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Subcommittee's responsibilities are issues that pertain solely to the 
quality and interpretation of scientific experiments and data in 
support of solar system exploration.
     Planetary Science Subcommittee (PSS)--Planetary Science 
Subcommittee is a standing subcommittee of the NAC Science Committee 
supporting the advisory needs of the NASA Administrator, the Science 
Mission Directorate (SMD), SMD's Planetary Science Division (PSD), and 
other NASA Mission Directorates as required. The scope of the PSS 
includes all aspects of planetary science, scientific exploration of 
the Moon and Mars, the robotic exploration of the solar system, 
astrobiology, exoplanet research, space- and ground-based research, 
technology development, planning, and training required to support 
these science areas. In addition to scientific research, the scope 
encompasses considerations of the development of near-term enabling 
technologies, systems, and computing and information management 
capabilities, as well as developments with the potential to provide 
long-term improvements in future operational systems. Responsibility 
for biological planetary protection is outside the purview of the PSS 
and resides with the Planetary Protection Subcommittee (PPS).

Patricia D. Rausch,
Advisory Committee Management Officer, National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015-27952 Filed 11-2-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7510-13-P