1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910960485403321

Titolo

Evaluating federal research programs : research and the Government Performance and Results Act / / Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Washington, D.C., : National Academy Press, 1999

ISBN

9786612083716

9780309173278

0309173272

9781282083714

1282083716

9780309517980

0309517982

9780585058542

0585058547

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (94 p.)

Disciplina

507/.2073

Soggetti

Research - United States - Evaluation

Engineering - Research - United States - Evaluation

Administrative agencies - United States - Management - Evaluation

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-80).

Nota di contenuto

Front Matter; Preface; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS; Contents; Executive Summary; CHAPTER 1 Statement of the Problem; CHAPTER 2 Research and the Federal Government; CHAPTER 3 Measuring AND EVALUATING Federally Funded Research; CHAPTER 4 Recommendations; APPENDIX A COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND PUBLIC POLICY MEMBERS' BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION; APPENDIX B HOUSE SCIENCE COMMITTEE LETTER; APPENDIX C PROJECT SUMMARY; APPENDIX D government performance and results act; APPENDIX E REFERENCES

Sommario/riassunto

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), passed by Congress in 1993, requires that federal agencies write five-year



strategic plans with annual performance goals and produce an annual report that demonstrates whether the goals have been met. The first performance reports are due in March 2000.  Measuring the performance of basic research is particularly challenging because major breakthroughs can be unpredictable and difficult to assess in the short term. This book recommends that federal agencies use an "expert review" method to examine the quality of research they support, the relevance of that research to their mission, and whether the research is at the international forefront of scientific and technological knowledge. It also addresses the issues of matching evaluation measurements to the character of the research performed, improving coordination among agencies when research is in the same field, and including a human resource development component in GPRA strategic and performance plans.