Website for Division of Chemistry Strategic Directions Project

Date, 2007

Dear Colleague:

This past February, the Chemistry Committee of Visitors recommended that the Division of Chemistry develop strategic directions to guide our service to the community and to the nation over the next five years. This report to the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Advisory Committee (MPS-AC) is available at http://www.nsf.gov/mps/advisory/covdocs/CHEcov_07.pdf . We view the Committee of Visitors report as the first input to this important process. In August 2007, we held a Town Hall at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, and collected comments from the community. In addition, this website gives another opportunity for the Chemistry Community to provide input to us. NSF’s strategic plan addresses priorities in discovery, learning, research infrastructure, and stewardship. We need your insights into the Division of Chemistry’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and barriers to fully meeting these goals. I hope you will give the issues some thought, discuss them with your colleagues, and enter your comments here. We assure you that all comments will be carefully considered. Please be aware that comments submitted, and your name, if provided, may be made public. However, signing your name is optional. You may comment without identifying yourself. This website will be open for comments until November 30, 2007. Comments received by October 30, 2007 will be most useful. We plan to distill the comments, identify critical issues and address goals and objectives in a report to the MPS-AC. This report will be posted for public comment in early 2008 before being finalized.

If you wish, you may also send input to [email protected]. Thank you in advance for your concern and your ideas.

Sincerely,

Luis A. Echegoyen, Director

Division of Chemistry

703-292-4960

D I S C O V E R Y

Foster research that will advance the frontiers of knowledge, emphasizing areas of greatest opportunity and potential benefit and establishing the nation as a global leader in fundamental and transformational science and engineering.

What are NSF Chemistry’s strengths with respect to this goal?

What are NSF Chemistry’s weaknesses with respect to this goal?

What are some new opportunities to address this goal?

What are the barriers to fully meeting this goal?

RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE

Build the nation’s research capability through critical investments in advanced instrumentation, facilities, cyberinfrastructure and experimental tools.

What are NSF Chemistry’s strengths with respect to this goal?

What are NSF Chemistry’s weaknesses with respect to this goal?

What are some new opportunities to address this goal?

What are the barriers to fully meeting this goal?

L E A R N I N G

Cultivate a world-class, broadly inclusive science and engineering
workforce, and expand the scientific literacy of all citizens.

What are NSF Chemistry’s strengths with respect to this goal?

What are NSF Chemistry’s weaknesses with respect to this goal?

What are some new opportunities to address this goal?

What are the barriers to fully meeting this goal?

S T E W A R D S H I P

Support excellence in science and engineering research and education
through a capable and responsive organization.

What are NSF Chemistry’s strengths with respect to this goal?

What are NSF Chemistry’s weaknesses with respect to this goal?

What are some new opportunities to address this goal?

What are the barriers to fully meeting this goal?

C O M P A R I S O N

When you compare NSF Chemistry to other research funding organizations,
what do we do well? What could be improved?

O T H E R

What haven’t we thought to ask?

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