The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will appoint the Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA) to support scientific progress in astronomy and astrophysics and to assist the federal government in planning programs in these fields by providing advice on the implementation of decadal survey recommendations. The CAA provides an independent, authoritative forum for identifying and discussing issues in astronomy and astrophysics between the research community, the federal government, and the interested public.
The CAA's scope spans the full range of astronomy and astrophysics research, including space- and ground-based observations. The committee's domain encompasses stellar, galactic, and extragalactic astronomy, particle astrophysics, cosmology, the search for extra-solar planets, and aspects of fundamental physics relating to astronomical objects. The CAA's scope also includes appropriate cross-disciplinary areas and consideration of budget and programmatic aspects of the implementation of the decadal survey.
The committee shall monitor the progress of implementing the priorities in the most recent decadal survey for the most important scientific and technical activities in that report and recommendations in the subsequent mid-decadal review report.
When agreed to by a sponsor and as approved by NASEM in accordance with its procedures, the committee may write consensus reports or an individual member, set of members and outside experts as needed, and staff of the committee may write non-consensus issue papers to assess progress on the implementation of the decadal survey's recommended scientific and technical activities. Consensus reports will be based on evidence gathered by the committee. Issue papers include evidence gathered by the authors on the status of and key elements shaping an issue, examining and summarizing the research or evidence base, examining existing practices on a key issue, and/or providing technical assessments of strategies and priorities. The reports and issue papers may address key strategies being pursued by the agencies and the status of agency actions that relate to the state of implementation. The reports and issue papers may also highlight scientific discoveries and engineering and technical advances relevant to progress on the science objectives identified in the most recent decadal survey and in addition may focus on one or more of the following types of issues:

• The scientific impact of a change in the technical and engineering design, cost estimate, schedule, or programmatic sequencing of one or more of the survey-recommended activities;
• The impact of a scientific advance on the technical and engineering design, schedule, or programmatic sequencing of one or more survey-recommended activities;
• The scientific impact of a course of action at a decision point described in the survey report and recommended therein as being suitable for consultation with an independent decadal survey implementation committee;
• The scientific impact of implementing recommendations from the mid-decadal review and other relevant NASEM reports.