National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Senior Fellows are periodically assigned special tasks of strategic significance to NASA Goddard and the agency. These activities may include reviews and analyses that seek to leverage the collective technical expertise and experience of the group. However, most of the group’s engagements are geared toward nurturing a culture of innovation through science, technology and engineering research.
| Activities | Results and Comments |
|---|---|
| GSFC Presidential Transition | Senior Fellows (SF) provided input for use by GSFC in describing GSFC capabilities to a transition team. Recommendations with respect to GSFC, SF provided several slides, innovation capabilities and uniqueness of GSFC and what makes GSFC great. |
| Support Offering of Leadership for Complex Decision Making Program (RTMS 2) | Senior Fellows reviewed the concept, design and content of the proposed educational program, including selected text books. SF members supported the pilot and post pilot offerings. SF members provided inputs and recommendations, which helped to improve the program’s content and delivery. The RTMS II program is designed for NASA civil servants within GS15—SES, SL or ST functional category, particularly executives and managers facing complex decision making processes that relate to mission success. The Senior Fellows group has been designated as the primary stakeholder of the program, on behalf of Goddard senior management. |
| Goddard Fellows Innovation Challenge (GFIC) proposal | Senior Fellows vetted GFIC ideas, drafted announcements, provided Q&A sessions, meet with Center Management, developed selection criteria, and will select proposals in the January timeframe. GFIC is new call to support innovative ("low TRL= 0/1") proposals. |
| SMD AA Portraying Science - Transition Brief | Supported drafting and review of three science briefs requested by the incoming SMD AA for the presidential transition team. Three topics on 2 pages and a presentation were reviewed and comments were provided on several HQ drafts. |
| Science future at GSFC | Senior Fellows will aid in determining future science concepts for the 2020-2040 timeframe. |
| Goddard New Business Process (AeroSpace report) | Senior Fellows discussion with Center management to review New Business and the report by Aerospace. Capabilities on operational readiness, space weather, and scientific instruments were considered. Followed up at Nov 2016 Senior Fellows meeting. |
| Science Innovation Fund (SIF) | Senior Fellows reviewed the Science Innovation Fund (SIF) proposals individually and collectively as group with an HQ official as an observer. Significant input and selection process for 19 winning proposals. All ~130 abstracts were prioritized. |
| Brain Trust Concept | The Brain Trust concept was proposed by the Senior Fellows to support Goddard mission concepts, proposal development activities, and new business initiatives. Center management offered valuable suggestions regarding “implementation points” within existing Goddard processes. |
| Kigali Amendment of 2016 | Senior Fellows would like to showcase GSFC involvement and highlight this agreement to the public. |
| African Americans in Science Postdoc Programs | The Senior Fellows plan to review Post-doc programs at GSFC. Members will reach out to sources and leads provided at the meeting for additional insights and data on post-docs and outreach activities. |
| Space Weather | Executive Order -- Coordinating efforts to prepare the nation for Space Weather events |
| Innovative Organization | Senior Fellows worked on draft to highlight how GSFC is innovative. |
| Science Director's Committee Interaction with Senior Fellows | Science Director's Committee interaction with the SF, The SF met and worked with the SDC to set up talking points and panels. "Conversations with Senior Fellows…" |
| Interfaced with Applied Physics Lab on Innovative Programs | Senior Fellows provided discussion and questions to the APL speakers on innovation programs at APL. |
| Suggestions for GSFC's response to the letter from Chair Wolf and Chair Smith | Senior Fellows provided comments on letter from NASA administrator Bolden to House Appropriations and Authorization Committees. |