This report is the product of many individuals. First, we would like to thank all the agency, congressional, and White House staff and the agency advisory group members for their input (see Appendix C for focus group and workshop participants). The panel also extends thanks to Bob Simon and John Jennings, Senate staff, and Richard Russell and Beth Sokol, House staff, for their guidance. Without the help of all of them, the panel would have had great difficulty understanding the intricacies of the issues surrounding the implementation of GPRA for federal research programs.

Second, we would like to thank the reviewers of this report. This guide has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report:

JOHN F. AHEARNE, Director, Ethics Programs, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

EUGENE W. BIERLY, Senior Scientist, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C.

NICHOLAS P. BIGELOW, Professor, The University of Rochester, New York

RADFORD BYERLY, JR., Boulder, Colorado

THEODORE J. CASTELE, Fairview Park, Ohio

MELANIE C. DREHER, Dean, College of Nursing, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

DAVID W. ELLIS, President and Director, Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts

FRANCIS B. FRANCOIS, Consultant, Bowie, Maryland

CUTBERTO GARZA, Vice Provost, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

VICTORIA FRANCHETTI HAYNES, President, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

SCOTT RAYDER, Director of Government Affairs, Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, Washington, D.C.

MICHAEL J. SAILOR, Professor of Chemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by William G. Howard, an independent consultant in Scottsdale, Arizona. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Finally, we would like to thank the staff for this project, including Deborah Stine, associate director of COSEPUP and study director; Alan Anderson, consultant writer, who worked with the panel to develop the text of the guide; Susan Cozzens and David Hart, who also served as our GPRA and case study consultants, respectively, on the report; Rebecca Burka, administrative associate, and Kevin Rowan, project assistant, who provided project support; David Bruggeman and Carl Picconatto, interns who provided research support; Norman Grossblatt, editor; and Richard Bissell, executive director of COSEPUP.