30 November 2015

NSF's Dr. France Córdova to Speak at January AAS Meeting

Joel Parriott American Astronomical Society (AAS)

Dr. France Córdova, director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and PhD astrophysicst, will deliver a plenary talk and discussion titled "A New Universe of Discoveries" at the 227th AAS meeting in Kissimmee, Florida, on Tuesday afternoon, 5 January 2016.

NSF plays a critical role in supporting and stimulating the advances that are needed for making numerous fundamental discoveries in the astronomical sciences. NSF is the only federal agency dedicated to the support of basic research and education in all fields of science and engineering. Dr. Córdova will discuss some of the ways that NSF empowers discoveries across a broad spectrum of scientific inquiry. Her talk will be followed by a period of questions, which will be selected from questions submitted by AAS members. We are asking for questions to be submitted in advance via an online form — our hope is that by doing so we can maximize the number of questions that are asked and answered.

Submit Your Question(s)

The deadline for submitting questions is Friday, 18 December 2015; please note that you have to be a Society member and sign in to this website to submit questions via the online form.

Here is Dr. Córdova's abstract:

A New Universe of Discoveries
France Córdova, National Science Foundation
(Tuesday, 5 January 2016, 3:40 pm − 4:30 pm, Osceola C, Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center)

The convergence of emerging advances in astronomical instruments, computational capabilities, and talented practitioners (both professional and civilian) is creating an extraordinary new environment for making numerous fundamental discoveries in astronomy, ranging from the nature of exoplanets to understanding the evolution of solar systems and galaxies. The National Science Foundation is playing a critical role in supporting, stimulating, and shaping these advances. NSF is more than an agency of government or a funding mechanism for the infrastructure of science. The work of NSF is a sacred trust that every generation of Americans makes to those of the next generation, that we will build on the body of knowledge we inherit and continue to push forward the frontiers of science. We never lose sight of NSF’s obligation to "explore the unexplored" and inspire all of humanity with the wonders of discovery. As the only federal agency dedicated to the support of basic research and education in all fields of science and engineering, NSF has empowered discoveries across a broad spectrum of scientific inquiry for more than six decades. The result is fundamental scientific research that has had a profound impact on our nation's innovation ecosystem and kept our nation at the very forefront of the world's science-and-engineering enterprise.