  The Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is a space-borne,
cryogenically-cooled infrared observatory capable of studying objects ranging
from our Solar System to the distant reaches of the Universe. SIRTF is the
final element in NASA's Great Observatories Program, and an important component
of its Origins Program. The intent of this paper is to summarize the most
important parameters of the observatory and its scientific instruments and to
present three typical examples of scientific areas where SIRTF will have a
significant impact. These examples of ``nearby'' targets -- brown dwarf
surveys, protostellar disks, and massive young clusters -- have been selected
in regard to the main topics of this conference.
