Research Using GIS

In what fields of NSF-funded research does GIS have little or no current or potential use as a research tool or technique?

In what fields of NSF-funded research (if any) has GIS reached its full potential as a research tool or technique?

In what fields of NSF-funded research does GIS have significant unfilled potential as a research tool or technique?

If the set of fields in Group 3, above, is not empty, what are the impediments to more widespread and effective use of GIS in these fields, and what funding strategies could NSF use to promote the use of GIS in these fields?

Impediments might be identified or addressed by attention to the following questions:

Are there research fields for which current commercial GIS software cannot accommodate the data and process models of the phenomena under study? What can be done to bridge these gaps? What are the strategic areas for investment in research to extend GIS capabilities to serve these sciences?
Are there research fields for which GIS software are appropriate, but for which supporting (infrastructure, independent) geospatial data are not readily available to researchers?
Are there research fields for which GIS software and data are appropriate, but where the impediment is lack of knowledge, either GIS awareness in general, or training in particular?