Overall resources for the broad spec- 

 trum of basic research, free from 

 competition from short-term applied 

 projects 



Thermal studies (nonequilibrium sys- 

 tems problems constitute one of the 

 classic areas of science where a fully 

 satisfying conceptual basis is still 

 lacking. Collaborative interactions 

 with atomic and molecular science 

 and phase transformation in materi- 

 als give this area special interest). 



National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Administration (NOAA) 



NOAA's research priorities for the next 3 to 10 

 years are listed below. 



List of Priorities (short- and long-term) 



• Oceans (climate variation, effects of 

 pollutants) 



• Mesoscale weather (forecasting tech- 

 niques, long-range forecasting, se- 

 vere storms, cloud microphysics) 



• Geochemical cycles (COi and nitro- 

 gen in the atmosphere, oceans and 

 biosphere, stratosphere and upper 

 stratosphere) 



• Continental shelf, coastal estuarine 

 processes 



• Fine structure of the geoid 



• Global weather experiment 



• Climate (effects of aerosols, human 

 impact, diagnostic research) 



• Weather modification 



• Sea-air interaction. 



List of Gap Areas 



• Carbon dioxide in the oceans and 

 biosphere (measurement and analysis 

 to understand buffering of atmos- 

 pheric carbon dioxide by oceans and 

 biosphere) 



• Mesoscale atmospheric processes 



• Role of oceans in climatic variation 



• Ocean dynamics and coastal process- 

 es (eg., rate of change in elevation 

 and position of the U.S. continental 

 shelf region, polar motion, and bath- 

 ymetric forms — their origins and 

 association with catastrophic sub- 

 marine events) 



• Climate diagnostics 



• Stochastic processes in hydrologic 

 forecasts. 



Office of Telecommunications 



The research and engineering arm of the Insti- 

 tute of Telecommunication Sciences supports re- 

 search to increase the availability of usable spec- 

 trum and to improve the telecommunication sys- 

 tem. Its basic research priorities are in the wave 

 transmission area. 



List of Priorities 



• Electromagnetic wave transmission 

 research (propagation, attenuation, 

 scattering, ducting, refraction) 



• Transmission loss through the atmos- 

 phere (distortion, effects of rain on 

 microwave paths, predictive tech- 

 niques) 



• Mutual interference between systems 

 and subsystems. 



Maritime Administration (MarAd) 



Basic research in MarAd emphasizes the naval 

 architecture technologies of structures, hydrody- 

 namics, and propulsions. 



List of Priorities 



• Structures (effects of sea loads and 

 vibrations) 



• Hydrodynamics (new hull and ship 

 forms, human factors studies, ship 

 automation, wave heights and their 

 effect on ship bending, effects of 

 propeller shape on transmission of 

 vibration) 



• Propulsors (advanced propeller de- 

 sign, materials). 



Department of Defense 



Army 



The 

 severa 

 spond 

 Army 

 especi 



List of Priorities (short-term) 



Department of the Army has established 



1 areas of emphasis in basic research to re- 



to Army user needs and to indicate to 



laboratories the areas where research is 



ally needed. 



• Millimeter and submillimeter wave 

 radiation that can penetrate fogs and 

 battlefield smokes 



• Smokes and aerosols 



• Target and background signatures 

 (more comprehensive compilation 

 and analysis) 



• Wear and erosion research (to meet 

 requirements for higher muzzle ve- 

 locities, longer ranges, and higher 

 rates of fire) 



PRIORITIES AND GAP AREAS 305 



