The distributed structure of the ISTP/GGS science analysis effort and the significant com-plement of co-investigator institutions selected for the original GGS program contributes a high manpower/overhead cost. This must be reduced for the GGS/SOLARMAX program so as to be responsive to NASA guidelines. Therefore, we propose to transition at the end of FY1998 to an environment in which research is funded primarily through an open and expanded Competitive Science Program while preserving the Principal Investigator appointments from ISTP/GGS. This approach is based on the maturity of the flight operations and experimental investiga-tions, associated software and the full operational status of the ground data processing and distri-bution system. The Principal Investigators will be invited to propose competitively new small teams and new modes of science operations, including instrument consortiums, to acquire data needed to accomplish a minimum success oriented mission. The proposed efforts for a minimal program will also include the processing of data to generate and verify key parameters, and support for minimum data processing and science analysis of events to assure data quality and availability. Some routine instrument commanding and monitoring will be shifted from the investigator teams to the Flight Operations Team (FOT). It is important to distinguish here between the science objectives and the approach associated with a minimum viable science program and those of a desired program. As proposed here, a minimum viable program consists of two fundamental components: (a) resources required to assure the operation of the instruments, minimum data processing and science validation of the requested data sets, and (b) a minimal Competitive Science Program with resources equal to those invested in (a) above. This is considered to be the minimum prudent match between resource investment and scientific return. The desired program expands (a) and (b) above to levels consistent with support received during the FY1998 phase of the ISTP/GGS mission or approximately 75% of the prime science phase of ISTP/GGS.