However, the ReMaP report also contains minority opinions, as well as dissent, voiced by members of the 20-person Task Force.

Andreas Acrivos of City University of New York said the ReMaP findings were strongly slanted towards the biological/medical areas, with the physical sciences given less play.

Also taking issue with ISS science prioritization is Harold Metcalf of State University of New York. The ReMaP report contains nothing of the atomic physics aspects that are a vital part of NASA's activities. "This is not the way for an impartial committee to proceed," he commented.

Noel Jones, a retired researcher from Eli Lilly and Company, the huge pharmaceutical firm, also questioned the report's science priorities.

Denoting his dissent, Jones said the process by which priorities for microgravity research were assigned by the ReMaP Task Force was a concern, specifically the ranking given to the protein crystallization program.

"NASA has a stake in some of the biggest intellectual problems in science: the origin of life, the nature of the solar system, human exploration outside the planet, the characterization of Earth from space. In several areas of biological and physical research, solutions of very large, important questions require microgravity. ISS provides a unique environment for attacking these problems 'as only NASA can'," the ReMaP report noted.

"They have been patient and cohesive in saying what research is mandatory and outstanding and suitable and exciting to be done on space station," Silver said.

"We are delighted to see that [NASA Administrator] Sean O'Keefe has taken the view that this is a science driven mission. And we are looking forward to seeing the science that we've identified as being outstanding go up," Silver told SPACE.com.

ReMaP's findings were presented today at a NASA Advisory Council (NAC) meeting in Washington, D.C.

The ReMaP Task Force was established in March by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe to conduct an independent review of existing space station research priorities and establish new ones where necessary.

"One important ReMaP recommendation - establishing a Chief Science Officer on board the International Space Station - is something I hope to implement quickly once the criteria for the position is firmly established. Expedition Five astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson would be an ideal candidate, considering her extensive post-graduate background in scientific research. We intend to move forward as expeditiously as possible and make the Chief Science Officer an integral part of every space station Expedition Crew," said O'Keefe in a NASA statement upon receipt of the ReMaP Task Force findings.

The NAC is slated to present the final recommendations in a few months time to NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe for consideration.

The ReMaP findings follow the recommendations of the International Space Station Management and Cost Evaluation Task Force, chaired by former Martin Marietta chief A. Thomas Young, released last November.

The Young panel, formed in the wake of NASA's disclosure that completing the space station program likely would cost some $5 billion more than expected, said NASA should get used to the idea of a three- person crew limit, as is the case now. The task force also recommended an overhaul of space station management and a reduction in the space shuttle flight rate to four missions per year.