Friday, 4 November, 1988 Washington, D.C.

1. THE APS STUDY GROUP ON STRATEGIC PLANNING OF PHYSICS RESEARCH
presented a far-reaching report to the Council this week. The report reflects a growing recognition that without strategic planning, physics is at a disadvantage in the competition for resources. The only organization open to all physicists that could presume to take responsibility for such planning is the APS. The Council endorsed the group's principal recommendation, creation of a Strategic Planning Committee, "To serve as a forum for consideration of the opportunities, plans and problems of the subfields of physics: to formulate a strategic plan for the development of physics in support of short and long-term goals of the nation and to present this plan on an annual basis, to the Council and the president of the APS for approval." The study was undertaken at the Council's request by a group of 14 physicists headed by A. Sessler of LBL and W. F. Brinkman of AT&T Bell Labs. The group, which spanned the major areas of physics research, met with persons who have played key roles in establishing priorities for federal funding of physics, most of whom urged the APS to undertake a planning initiative.

2 . SINCE STRATEGIC PLANNING WOULD REPRESENT A MAJOR COMMITMENT BY THE APS,
Val Fitch, APS president, has called for comments on the report from APS members prior to the 14 Jan 89 meeting of the Council. At that time the Council will discuss implementation of the report's recommendation. The report will be printed in the January issue of the APS Bulletin, but members who wish to obtain a copy more quickly should send their mailing label to: The American Physical Society, 335 East 45th St., New York, NY 10017.

3. PRESIDENT REAGAN HAS HIS OWN STRATEGIC PLANS.
One hundred high school science and math teachers traveled to Washington last week expecting to receive the Presidential Award for Math and Science Teaching directly from Ronald Reagan. Professional societies, private companies, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation had all cooperated to publicize the big event. The day before the Oct 26 date of the ceremony, however, the National Science Teacher's Association, which administers the awards for the NSF, was informed by the White House that the President would not be available. The teachers were told to drop by the Executive Office Building and pick up their awards. The President met instead with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It's just a matter of keeping your priorities straight. Several Dodgers receive annual incomes that exceed the combined salaries of all 100 teachers. Well, that's show biz.

4. THE WHISTLE-BLOWER PROTECTION ACT WAS VETOED BY THE PRESIDENT,
although Congress passed it unanimously on the assurance that the President would sign it. Although intended primarily to protect those exposing financial fraud and waste, the bill would have offered some protection to scientists exposing misrepresentation.



Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.