ASB CHARTER
Army Science Board Charter
1. Committee’s Official Designation: The Committee shall be known as the U.S. Army Science Board (ASB).
2. Authority: The Secretary of Defense, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C., Appendix) and 41 C.F.R. § 102-3.50(d), established this discretionary advisory committee.
3. Objectives and Scope of Activities: The ASB shall provide independent advice and recommendations related to the Department of the Army’s scientific, technical, manufacturing, acquisition, logistics, and business management functions, as set out in paragraph four below.
4. Description of Duties: The ASB will focus on matters pertaining to: (a) the Army’s scientific, technical, manufacturing, acquisition, logistics, and business management functions; (b) environmental and water resource management issues involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), to include the Military Program and the Civil Works Program; and (c) other Department of the Army-related matters as determined by the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense (“the DoD Appointing Authority”), or the Secretary of the Army unless otherwise provided for by statute or Presidential directive.
The ASB is not established to advise on individual Department of Defense (DoD) or Department of the Army procurements, but instead shall be concerned with the pressing and complex technological problems facing the DoD and the Department of the Army in such areas as research, engineering, organizational structure and process, business and functional concepts, and manufacturing, and will ensure the identification of new technologies and new applications of technology in those areas to strengthen national security. No matter shall be assigned to the ASB for its consideration that would require any ASB member to participate personally and substantially in any actions related to procurement or place him or her in the position of acting as a contracting or procurement official.
5. Agency or Official to Whom the Committee Reports: The ASB reports to the DoD Appointing Authority, through the Secretary of the Army, who may act upon the ASB’s advice and recommendations in accordance with DoD policy and procedures.
6. Support: The DoD, through the Department of the Army, provides support for the ASB’s functions and ensures compliance with the requirements of the FACA, the Government in the Sunshine Act (“the Sunshine Act”) (5 U.S.C. § 552b), governing Federal statutes and regulations, and DoD policy and procedures.
7. Estimated Annual Operating Costs and Staff Years: The estimated annual operating cost, to include travel, meetings, and contract support, is approximately $2,048,000. The estimated annual personnel cost to the DoD is 4.0 full-time equivalents.
8. Designated Federal Officer: The ASB's Designated Federal Officer (DFO) shall be a full-time or permanent part-time DoD Federal civilian officer or employee, or active duty member of the Armed Forces, designated in accordance with DoD policy and procedures. The ASB’s DFO is required to attend all ASB and subcommittee meetings for the entire duration of each and every meeting. However, in the absence of the ASB’s DFO, a properly approved Alternate DFO, duly in accordance with DoD policy and procedures, shall attend the entire duration of all ASB and subcommittee meetings.
The DFO, or the Alternate DFO, calls all ASB and subcommittee meetings; prepares and approves all meeting agendas; and adjourns any meeting when the DFO, or the Alternate DFO, determines adjournment to be in the public’s interest or required by governing regulations or DoD policy and procedures.
9. Estimated Number and Frequency of Meetings: The ASB shall meet at the call of the ASB’s DFO, in consultation with the ASB’s Chair and the Secretary of the Army. The estimated number of ASB meetings is four per year.
10. Duration: The need for the ASB is on a continuing basis; however, this charter subject to renewal every two years.
11. Termination: The ASB shall terminate upon completion of its mission or two years from the date this charter is filed, whichever is sooner, unless the DoD renews the ASB in accordance with DoD policy and procedures.
12. Membership and Designation: The ASB shall be composed of no more than 20 members who are eminent authorities in one or more of the following disciplines and fields: science; technology; manufacturing; acquisition; logistics; business management functions; natural (e.g., biology, ecology), social (e.g., anthropology, community planning), and related sciences; and other matters of special interest to the DoD Appointing Authority or the Secretary of the Army. Membership will consist of talented, innovative public and private sector leaders with a diversity of background, experience, and thought in support of the ASB mission.
The appointment of ASB members shall be approved by the DoD Appointing Authority for a term of service of one-to-four years, with annual renewals, in accordance with DoD policy and procedures. No member, unless approved by the DoD Appointing Authority, may serve more than two consecutive terms of service on the ASB, to include its subcommittees, or serve on more than two DoD Federal advisory committees at one time. The DoD Appointing Authorities shall appoint the ASB’s leadership from among the membership previously approved to serve on the ASB, in accordance with DoD policy and procedures, to serve a term of service of one-to-two years, with annual renewal, not exceed the member’s approved appointment.
ASB members who are not full-time nor permanent part-time Federal civilian officers or employees, or active duty members of the Uniformed Services, shall be appointed as experts or consultants pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 3109 to serve as special government employee (SGE) members. ASB members who are full-time or permanent part-time Federal civilian officers or employees, or active duty members of the Uniformed Services, shall be designated pursuant to 41 C.F.R. §102- 3.130(a) to serve as regular government employee (RGE) members.
All ASB members are appointed to exercise their own best judgement on behalf of the DoD, without representing any particular point of view, and to discuss and deliberate in a manner that is free from conflicts of interest. With the exception of reimbursement of official ASB-related travel and per diem, ASB members serve without compensation.
13. Subcommittees: The DoD, when necessary and consistent with the ASB’s mission and DoD policy and procedures, may establish subcommittees, task forces, or working groups (“subcommittees”) to support the ASB. Establishment of subcommittees shall be based upon a written determination, to include terms of reference (ToR), by the DoD Appointing Authority or the Secretary of the Army, as the ASB’s DoD Sponsor. All subcommittees operate in accordance with the FACA, the Sunshine Act, governing Federal statutes and regulations, and DoD policy and procedures. If a subcommittee’s duration, as determined by its ToR, exceeds that of the ASB and the DoD does not renew the ASB, then the subcommittee shall terminate when the ASB does.
A subcommittee shall not work independently of the ASB and shall report all its recommendations and advice solely to the ASB for its thorough deliberation and discussion at a publicly noticed and open ASB meeting, subject to the Sunshine Act. A subcommittee has no authority to make decisions or recommendations, orally or in writing, on behalf of the ASB. Neither the subcommittee nor any of its members may provide updates or report, orally or in writing, directly to the DoD or any Federal officer or employee, or member of the Armed Forces. If a majority of ASB members are appointed to a particular subcommittee, then that subcommittee may be required to operate pursuant to the same notice and openness requirements of FACA that govern the ASB’s operations.
Individual appointments to serve on ASB subcommittees, which are separate and distinct from appointment to the ASB itself, shall be approved by the DoD Appointing Authority for a term of service of one-to-four years, with annual renewals, in accordance with DoD policy and procedures. No member shall serve more than two consecutive terms of service on the subcommittee unless approved by the DoD Appointing Authority. The DoD Appointing Authority shall appoint subcommittee leadership from among the membership previously approved, in accordance with DoD policy and procedures, for a term of service of one-to-two years, with annual renewal, which will not exceed the member’s approved subcommittee appointment.
Subcommittee members who are not full-time or permanent part-time Federal civilian officers or employees, or active duty members of the Uniformed Services, shall be appointed as experts or consultants pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 3109 to serve as SGE members. Subcommittee members who are full-time or permanent part-time Federal civilian officers or employees, or active duty members of the Uniformed Services, shall be appointed pursuant to 41 C.F.R. § 102-3.130(a) to serve as RGE members. Each subcommittee member is appointed to exercise his or her own best judgment without representing any particular point of view and in a manner that is free from conflicts of interest. With the exception of reimbursement for official ASB- and subcommittee-related travel and per diem, subcommittee members shall serve without compensation.
14. Recordkeeping: The records of the ASB and its subcommittees shall be managed in accordance with General Record Schedule 6.2, Federal Advisory Committee Records or other approved agency records disposition schedule, and the appropriate DoD policy and procedures. These records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552).
15. Filing Date: May 20, 2022.