In order to better facilitate communication between scientists in the Research Program Management division (Code SR) of the Office of Space Science (Code S) at NASA Headquarters and researchers in space astronomy and astrophysics, NASA has appointed an "Astrophysics Working Group" (AWG) that is comprised of active researchers at universities and research institutions, including NASA and NASA-supported centers. The AWG is intended to serve as an interface between scientists who rely on NASA support directly (through grants and contracts) or indirectly (as users of NASA space observatories and data produced by them) and the Headquarters discipline scientists who are responsible for oversight of these various programs and projects. The AWG provides a resource pool from which input might be obtained on specialized technical, scientific, operations, and outreach/education issues of concern to the Code SR discipline scientists. The AWG will solicit community response on various "tactical" level questions, and bring problems to the attention of NASA Headquarters.

The NASA discipline scientists are:

• Dr. Hashima Hasan (Ultraviolet, Visible, and Gravitational Astrophysics)
• Dr. W. Vernon Jones (Particle Astrophysics)
• Dr. Louis Kaluzienski (High-Energy Astrophysics)
• Dr. Harley Thronson (Infrared/Submillimeter/Radio Astrophysics).

The AWG has a rotating membership; members are appointed by NASA for three-year terms. The current chairman of the AWG is Dr. H. R. Miller (Georgia State University). The AWG has three subgroups for dealing with wavelength-dependent technology issues:

• the Ultraviolet/Visible Subgroup (Chair: Dr. James C. Green)
• the Infrared/Submillimeter Subgroup (Chair: Dr. Michael D. Bicay)
• the High-Energy/Cosmic-Ray Subgroup (Chair: Dr. F. Rick Harnden).