  Star formation is arguably the most important physical process in the cosmos.
It is a fundamental driver of galaxy evolution and the ultimate source of most
of the energy emitted by galaxies. A correct interpretation of star formation
rate (SFR) measures is therefore essential to our understanding of galaxy
formation and evolution. Unfortunately, however, no single SFR estimator is
universally available or even applicable in all circumstances: the numerous
galaxies found in deep surveys are often too faint (or too distant) to yield
significant detections with most standard SFR measures, and until now there
have been no global, multi-band observations of nearby galaxies that span all
the conditions under which star-formation is taking place. To address this need
in a systematic way, we have undertaken a multi-band survey of all types of
star-forming galaxies in the local Universe. This project, the Star Formation
Reference Survey (SFRS), is based on a statistically valid sample of 369 nearby
galaxies that span all existing combinations of dust temperature, SFR, and
specific SFR. Furthermore, because the SFRS is blind with respect to AGN
fraction and environment it serves as a means to assess the influence of these
factors on SFR. Our panchromatic global flux measurements (including GALEX
FUV+NUV, SDSS ugriz, 2MASS JHKs, Spitzer 3-8{\mu}m, and others) furnish uniform
SFR measures and the context in which their reliability can be assessed. This
paper describes the SFRS survey strategy, defines the sample, and presents the
multi-band photometry collected to date.
