2005 Radio/Submm Astronomy Planning Group (5RSAPG) Minutes of telecon 27Dec04 Present: John Carlstrom, Martha Haynes, Jackie Hewitt, Ken Kellermann, Jim Moran, Steve Myers, Jack Welch and Wayne van Citters 1. MH briefly reviewed the 5RSAPG activity as an introduction to WvC. 2. WvC reviewed the NSF/AST perspective. The 2000 NRC AASC report proposed a very ambitious program for NSF AST that included a diverse suite of projects at different levels of funding and complexity, from the major MREFC programs like EVLA and GSMT to ones in technology development, the NVO, etc. At the same time, the ASAC report recommended that NSF should undertake a review of its facilities. The upcoming 2005 AST senior review is being undertaken in response to that recommendation and seems also appropriate as part of AST's strategic planning. Several developments associated with the NSF budget should be recognized: a. Design and development activities leading towards construction of facilities which qualify under the MREFC line need to be initially funded under RRA. This is a change of NSF policy (e.g., MMA D&D was funded under the MRE line, but GSMT technology development must now come out of the AST divisional funds). b. Between 2000 and 2004, the AST budget has gone up about $60M/year. Some of this increase has come with strings attached in the first year. c. The NSF overall and AST in particular is now having to face flat budget scenarios instead of the doubling ones that one had hoped for a few years ago. The NSF/AST staff will be, over the next months, developing what it sees as the viable options for redirecting, eventually, some $20M/year towards laying the groundwork for new investments. Plans may include divestment of some current AST facilities including closure or privatization, in order to accomplish this redirection. The 5RSAPG report is intended to provide input into the ongoing AST portfolio review/strategic planning process. AST staff will then present its suggestions and recommendations to the community-based "senior review" panel in the June/July timeframe for its advice and comment. JC asked if AST were unique within NSF in seeing its budget increase so much over the 2000-04 timeframe. WvC responded that in some respects the answer was "yes", because of funding for specific facilities and one-time fixes. KK asked if the one-time directed increases had remained as part of the AST base budget for the next year. WvC indicated that sometimes that was the case. MH reiterated, and WvC concurred, that the 2000 AASC report will serve as the basis for the 5RSAPG activity but that our report will not repeat everything presented in the earlier one. Updates will be provided in terms of recent science discoveries and directions, and we will attempt to provide a concise summary of the current radio and submillimeter program and where it is headed. WvC pointed out that the estimated costs of some projects recommended by the AASC have increased considerably and that planning must be in place for operations costs within AST as MREFC facilities come on line. Part of the AST exercise is to square both costs and timescales. JH remarked that several committees have pointed out that AST does not have a good way to fund projects of the scale of, for example, the CBI. WvC agreed that funding the wide range of projects is part of the problem, again reinforcing the idea that a strategy for the whole portfolio is what is needed. It was agreed that close communication between AST and the 5RSAPG would be beneficial to all parties. WvC thanked the group for its efforts and MH thanked him for his willingness to participate in this and in future telecons. 3. MH reviewed the current status of project/facility reports. Most have been delivered in draft form at least. 4. The next telecon is Mon Jan 10th at 12noon EST. KK, SM and JM will be at the AAS meeting and may meet collectively to join the conference.