Appendix to Charter : Genesis Subcommittee

The Genesis Subcommittee of CAPTEM consists of five voting members, one of whom is Chair and a member of CAPTEM.

Responsibilities

The Genesis Subcommittee provides peer review of:

  • Requests for allocation of Genesis samples.  Sample requests are reviewed to enable curatorial decisions that maximize the scientific and educational value of Genesis material, and preserve samples for future generations.

The Genesis Subcommittee advises on:

  • Genesis curation procedures.  Technical assessments are provided for all aspects of Genesis sample curation, including sample and hardware handling processes, contamination control, documentation, and facilities design, care and use.

Allocation Review Process

Investigators are required to submit sample allocation requests on standardized forms to the Genesis Curator.  These may be submitted electronically, and at any time.  The Curator forwards requests from investigators to the Genesis Subcommittee, along with information about sample availability.  Requests are reviewed to assess the feasibility and scientific or educational merit of the proposed investigation, the capability of the researcher to manipulate and analyze the samples, and the availability and preservation of the sample.  The Chair convenes a discussion among Subcommittee members by email, or by teleconference for more complex issues.  The findings of the Subcommittee are transmitted to the Curator, who makes allocation recommendations and communicates them to the NASA HQ Discipline Scientist for approval. 

The committee does not normally provide peer review for requests to allocate samples < 8 mm in longest dimension for cleaning studies; the Genesis Curator reviews such requests, as documented in Curatorial Policy Memo #45, Appendix B. If the Curator wishes to have such a request reviewed, then the committee would handle it using the normal procedure.