Decadal Survey

The next decadal survey of astronomy and astrophysics has been formed and the panel is about start meetings and townhalls.

Astronomy has a tradition of decadal surveys of research priorities, which have been enormously successful.
The surveys are a National Research Council run activity under the Board on Physics and Astronomy and the Space Studies Board, and is supported by NASA and heavily relied on by NASA Science Missions Directorate for guidance on big mission priorities.

A new survey is urgently needed, given our rather interesting times, and likely changes in directions and priorities in science policy.

Here is the committee - Roger Blandford of Stanford is the Chair, with Martha Haynes (Cornell), John Huchra (Harvard) and Marcie Rieke (U. Az) as Vice-Chairs.

Committee membership looks very good - broad spread of fields good mix of observers, theorists and instrumentation people.

First townhall is at the Long Beach AAS meeting in january, of course.