The Academic Visiting Committee (AVC) is a forum for technical discussion where selected academic representatives gain understanding of Ames challenges and opportunities and bring solutions and experience relevant to Ames.
Ames must be at the leading edge of research and technology. A clear pathway towards that is to nurture close collaboration with a diverse group of high-quality domestic and international research university programs.
While NASA has historically provided a critical connection between Ames and academia, previous attempts to develop a systematic approach to bring Ames and the wider academic community together have met with limited success.
Crown seeks to solve this challenge by mobilizing an AVC that offers efficient access to academic resources, knowledge and talent.
Approach
Step 1: Select Topic
The activation of the AVC begins with a quarterly meeting between Ames Directorate, Division and Branch chiefs and the NAMS-2 project manager and chief technologist to select a specific technical topic or area of focus that can accelerate areas of interest or identify potential future direction for Ames’ work.
Step 2: Build Committee
Technical group managers from the relevant research area will lead the activity working with the CT and appropriate task order leader and Crown’s academic subcontractors to seek candidates, both inside and outside the core universities, to serve on the committee
Committees will consist of an appropriate number of members led by a committee chair. Selection will be based on standing in the field, with all other things being equal, giving priority to candidates from outside the Ames’ usual partner universities to help build relationships with new academic institutions. Leading researchers from emerging technology industries will also be considered to ensure the highest quality committee.
Committees will select an expert facilitator from a related field, one step removed, to minimize bias. NASA will approve the selection of members, chair and facilitator.
Step 3: Committee Meeting
Committee meeting will have three parts:
- Ames present its goals for the meeting, research status and plans.
- AVC members present their relevant research, as it applies to the Ames problem.
- Members brainstorm how to jointly move forward.
Meetings will be held in person at Ames, offering the opportunity to nurture collaborative relationships with academics interested in NASA’s mission objectives.
Step 4: Follow Up
Ames staff will determine which new avenues of research to pursue and how to move forward. The research may be performed as collaborative research with no exchange of funds or as a modification to an existing NAMS-2 task order or both.
One or more graduate students will likely become involved, providing both expertise for the project and connections to talent for future recruitment.