83 FR 10753 - Request for Information-National Space Weather Action Plan; Extension of Comment Period

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 48 (March 12, 2018)

Page Range		10753-10754
FR Document		2018-04874

The National Science Foundation published a notice on January 5, 2018, seeking inputs from the public on establishing space weather research priorities to address Action 5.5.1 in the National Space Weather Action Plan. The original comment date was to end on March 6, 2018.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 48 (Monday, March 12, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 48 (Monday, March 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10753-10754]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04874]

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Request for Information--National Space Weather Action Plan;
Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notification of extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation published a notice on January
5, 2018, seeking inputs from the public on establishing space weather
research priorities to address Action 5.5.1 in the National Space
Weather Action Plan. The original comment date was to end on March 6,
2018.

DATES: Comments on this notice will now be accepted through April 6,
2018.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the on space weather research priorities may be
submitted in writing through April 6, 2018 to spwxrfi@nsf.gov. See the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for comment guidelines.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Michael Wiltberger at (703)
292-8519, or email to spwxrfi@nsf.gov for further information. Any
requests for clarification must be received no later than seven (7)
days prior to the close of this RFI in order receive a timely response.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background Information

On October 29, 2015, the White House OSTP released the National
Space Weather Strategy (NSWS) and Space Weather Action Plan (SWAP). The
NSWS identifies several key goals in specific areas of space weather
research and operations to make the national critical infrastructure
and technologies resilient to space weather events. The NSWS also calls
for improving national space-weather services through advancing
fundamental understanding of the underlying physical processes and
their forecasting. The SWAP document, which accompanied NSWS, specifies
actions to develop and continually improve predictive models through
enhanced fundamental understanding of space weather and its drivers. In
particular, the SWAP Action 5.5.1 directed NSF, NASA, DOC and DOD with
documenting priorities for research and development (R&D) efforts to
enhance the fundamental understanding of space weather and its drivers
and to improve space weather forecasting capabilities.

Action 5.5.1: NSF and NASA, in collaboration with DOC and DOD,
will lead an annual effort to prioritize and identify opportunities
for research and development (R&D) to enhance the understanding of
space weather and its sources. These activities will be coordinated
with existing National-level and scientific studies. This effort
will include modeling, developing, and testing models of the coupled
sun-Earth system and quantifying the long- and short-term
variability of space weather.

Forecasting space weather depends on understanding the fundamental
processes that give rise to hazardous events. Continued support for
basic research in solar and space physics is essential to achieve the
level of understanding required for accurate predictions. Particularly
important is the study of processes that link the Sun-Earth system and
that control the flow of energy within the coupled system.
Space weather science as a discipline is still in its nascent
phase. There exist significant gaps in the fundamental understanding of
many physical processes and coupling mechanisms underpinning various
space weather phenomena. This poses a major limiting factor for
improving space weather prediction, including some of the most
important and immediate operational needs. It is, therefore, essential
to continue untargeted investments in basic research into areas that in
unforeseeable ways can lead to a better understanding of the physical
processes that drive space weather.
High priority space weather research topics and linkages to the
SWAP Benchmarks (Goal 1) were assessed by the 5.5.1 interagency working
group. The SWAP benchmarks are a set of physical characteristics and
conditions against which a space-weather event can be measured. They
describe the nature and intensity of extreme space-weather events,
providing a point of reference from which to improve understanding of
space-weather effects. Addressing research that would advance our
physical understanding of the phenomenology behind these benchmarks
will ultimately improve our predictive capability necessary for
operational advancements.

II. Purpose

Successful execution of Action 5.5.1 requires definitions of
research priorities in the context of benchmarks identified by NSWS
Goal 1. An interagency working group developed the first set of
priorities in fulfillment of this task. To ensure that an optimal list
of priorities is generated, which could benefit all interested parties
including Federal agencies, state and local governments, universities,
policy groups, and the private sector, the broader community must weigh
in. This RFI requests public comments to SWAP

[[Page 10754]]

Action 5.5.1 to support a public dialogue on developing research
priorities to enhance fundamental understanding of space weather and
its drivers to develop and continually improve predictive models.
This RFI seeks inputs from the research community on setting
research priorities, which will then be used as guidance by various
concerned agencies in planning for space weather related research
programs. Examples of space weather research topics include ionospheric
irregularities and structure, thermospheric neutral density and neutral
wind response to external drivers, forecasting of GICs, radiation belt
dynamics, SEP events, flare and CME initiation and propagation,
forecasting of EUV and proxy F10.7, predictions of ICME amplitudes and
directions, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling during space weather
events, etc.

III. Response Instructions

The specific objective of this RFI is to seek information that will
assist the Action 5.5.1 Working Group in determining a list of space
weather research priorities.
Disclaimer: Federal agencies may or may not use any responses to
this RFI as a basis for a subsequent project, program, or funding
opportunity. Responses to this RFI will not be returned. The National
Science Foundation is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the
information received, or provide feedback to respondents with respect
to any information submitted under this RFI. No requests for a bid
package or solicitation will be accepted; no bid package or
solicitation exists. In order to protect the integrity of any possible
future acquisition, no additional information will be provided and no
appointments for presentations will be made in reference to this RFI.
This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and
does not constitute a solicitation. Responders to this RFI will have no
competitive advantage in receiving any awards related to the submitted
input on a potential space weather-related research priority.
Confidential Information: Some contents of the submissions may be
made public. Therefore, responses must be unclassified and should not
contain any information that might be considered proprietary,
confidential, business sensitive, or personally identifying (such as
home address or social security number).
Instructions: One page documents per topic, multiple documents are
allowed. Reponses must include the following sections; (1) Title--short
and descriptive, (2) Brief Summary of Impacts--a bulleted list of
systems impacted by the potential study, (3) Description--a succinct
discussion of the topic, its importance, and relevant supporting
evidence or arguments, (4) 5-10 year Imperatives--a bulleted list of
the steps necessary to carry out the research including comments on
relative importance to other. A section including references can be
added if needed. Responses should follow the template outlined below.
Responses may be no longer than 1 page type written in 12-point font.

Response Template
Title of the priority
Brief Summary of Impacts
One sentence summary of impact 1
One sentence summary of impact 2
Background and Relevance
A few paragraphs explaining the background of the space weather
research priority, its relevance to SWAP Goal 5.5.1 and supporting
justification of why this is a high priority issue.

5-10 Year Goals
Over the next 5 to 10 years it is imperative to:
One sentence summary of goal 1
One sentence summary of goal 2
References
Include essential references only

References:

National Space Weather Strategy, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/final_nationalspaceweatherstrategy_20151028.pdf
National Space Weather Action Plan,https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/final_nationalspaceweatheractionplan_20151028.pdf

Dated: March 7, 2018.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2018-04874 Filed 3-9-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P

Document Created: 2018-11-01 08:51:55
Document Modified: 2018-11-01 08:51:55

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notification of extension of comment period.
Dates		Comments on this notice will now be accepted through April 6, 2018.
Contact		Contact Michael Wiltberger at (703) 292-8519, or email to [email protected] for further information. Any requests for clarification must be received no later than seven (7) days prior to the close of this RFI in order receive a timely response.
FR Citation		83 FR 10753