Excerpts of letter from Ethan Schreier, President of 
Associated Universities, Inc. to Robert Dickman, Coordinator, 
Radio Astronomy Facilities Unit of the Division of 
Astronomical Sciences, NSF 

 
Dated 01 November 2004
 
...

  As you know, we do not envisage this as a complete NRC-like
  study to revise the radio astronomy recommendations from 
  the decadal survey, with extensive town meetings, project
  presentations, web submissions, discussions at representative
  institutions, etc., especially given the required time scale,
  the likely availability of senior astronomers we wish to 
  utilize, and the resources that AUI and NSF have available
  for this effort. Nor has this planning activity been endorsed
  by the NRC processes nor explained and vetted by the
  community. Nonetheless, we believe it will be very valuable,
  both to the community and to AST's forthcoming senior review
  of its astronomy programs, to "update" the radio panel's
  work with a "mid-term review" of progress in radio astronomy
  projects and science made since the Decadal Survey. We 
  understand that the plan will have to be cognizant of 
  projected costs of new facilities and operations costs of
  existing facilities in the context of likely available
  resources, but financial considerations will not be at a
  very detailed level.

...
 
(transcribed by MPH from her copy of letter)