Astrobiology Drilling Program

**Sample, Data, and Obligations Policy**

**(DRAFT, 8/10/05)**

**1. Overview of the Policy**

The principal purpose of the Astrobiology Drilling Program (ADP) is to
promote and coordinate subsurface exploration of astrobiological
significance. Helping researchers to obtain fresh samples and data in
carefully selected geological settings is a major function of the ADP.

This document outlines the policy for distributing ADP samples and data
to research scientists, curators, and educators. This document also
defines the obligations that sample and data recipients incur.

The specific objectives of the ADP policy are to:

> · ensure availability of samples and data to science party members so
> they can fulfill the objectives of the drilling project and their
> responsibilities to ADP;
>
> · encourage a wide range of scientific investigations by providing
> core samples to the broader scientific community;
>
> · preserve core material as an archive for future description and
> observations, nondestructive analyses, and sampling; and
>
> · ensure dissemination of scientific results from drilling
> project-related research.

Astrobiology Drilling Program cores are typically taken in cooperation
with international partners. Consequently, the cores are often split,
with one portion of each core held in the United States (U.S.) and
additional portion(s) held in other countries. The policy outlined in
this document applies only to core materials held in the U.S. For
policies relating to non-U.S. portions of the cores, interested parties
need to contact the relevant non-U.S. repositories.

The principles that underlie the ADP Sample, Data, and Obligations
Policy are presented in the ADP Policy Document
(http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/adp/ppp.cfm).

**2. Sample and Data Distribution**

During the moratorium period, samples are available exclusively to
members of the drilling project's "science party" whose sample requests
have been approved by the project's Curatorial Representative (see
Section 4 and Appendix A). The moratorium period is typically a one-year
period after the cores are made accessible to the science party.
Archived project data produced from sample analyses, downhole
measurements in boreholes, and site surveys performed by ADP are
available during the moratorium period to the entire science party.

The science party is defined as those scientists approved by the ADP to
produce initial, openly shared data associated with a particular
drilling project within the moratorium period. For each drilling
project, the science party will include (1) original proponents of the
project and (2) additional scientists who propose to undertake research
that is substantially different from the original research plan,
significantly different from the research of other science party
members, and judged to have good scientific merit by the ADP Steering
Committee. The original proponents of each project will serve as the
principal committee for deciding membership of the project's science
party. Decisions can be appealed to the ADP SC, which will serve as the
final appeals board regarding science party membership.

After the moratorium period ends, samples of cores are given or loaned
to persons whose requests have been approved by the project's Curatorial
Representative (see Appendix A) in the following three categories:

> · scientists who wish to conduct research on ADP materials and publish
> the results but who are not necessarily associated with a specific
> drilling project,
>
> · curators of museums and collections, and
>
> · educators.

After the moratorium period expires, project data are also publicly
available.

Appeals of sample decisions by a Curatorial Representative regarding ADP
materials can be made to the ADP Steering Committee (ADP SC; see Section
5 and Appendix A).

**3. Moratorium Period**

The purpose of the moratorium period is to ensure that adequate time is
allotted for science party members to conduct drilling project-related
research before core samples and data are made available to the general
scientific community. To accommodate variability in the duration of
specific drilling projects, the period of one year after the release of
samples or data to the science party is designated as the "moratorium
period". In practice, the moratorium period will typically be the first
year after cores arrive at their U.S. repository. The release date,
relative to the drilling project, may be delayed post-drilling or
staggered during drilling as appropriate to the scientific objectives
defined by ADP. Only members of the science party are permitted to
receive core samples and associated data during the moratorium period.
Other requests for samples are considered after the moratorium period
expires.

**4. Drilling Project Sampling Strategy**

The project's Curatorial Representative establishes a project-specific
sampling strategy and makes decisions on project-specific sample
requests received before, during, and after the moratorium period..
Appeals of this decision can be made to the ADP Steering Committee (ADP
SC; see Section 5 and Appendix A).

**5. ADP Review and Approval of Sample Requests**

The ADP SC is a standing body that consists of members of the NASA
Astrobiology Institute (NAI) scientific community and appropriate
representatives of the jurisdiction where each drilling project occurs.
Members will serve overlapping three-year terms (see Appendix A). With
the approval of the NAI leadership, members may serve successive terms
at the request of the ADP SC. Every effort will be made to ensure that
SC membership represents a variety of scientific disciplines.

The SC has multiple functions. The following functions are relevant to
ADP sample distribution:

> · It recommends/sets and oversees policies for the Astrobiology
> Drilling Program.
>
> · It reviews drilling proposals submitted to the NAI.
>
> · It acts as the final appeals board regarding decisions of sample
> distribution and data distribution if and when differences of opinion
> arise among any combination of the sample requester, Curatorial
> Representative, and the SAC.

**6. Sample- and Data-Recipient Responsibilities**

All scientists who receive samples or conduct nondestructive analyses
after the moratorium period are obligated to conduct research and
publish their results. Papers must be published in a peer-reviewed
scientific journal or book that publishes in English or a progress
report must be submitted to the ADP SC that outlines the status of the
samples and/or the data prior to the deadline for publication of
results. If the research is discontinued, samples must be returned as
per instructions from the Astrobiology Drilling Program. Manuscripts for
publication must be submitted within 20 months of sample receipt or
nondestructive analyses (e.g., geophysical data).

All publications must include "ADP" in the title, abstract, or as a
formal keyword and explicitly acknowledge the ADP. All publications must
be sent to the Astrobiology Drilling Program, NASA Astrobiology
Institute, along with applicable data (see Appendix A). Scientists who
do not meet the above obligations will be restricted from obtaining
future samples and data and may not be allowed to participate in future
drilling projects.

**Appendix A: Contact Information---Curatorial Representatives and ADP
Steering Committee**

Curatorial Representatives

The Curatorial Representative for each project is determined by the
leadership of the NAI, in consultation with the ADP SC. The Curatorial
Representative will typically be the lead proponent of the drilling
project or another member of the project's Science Party designated by
the NAI leadership in consultation with the project's lead proponent and
the ADP SC. .

# Contact information

Contact information for the Curatorial Representatives and ADP SC can be
found at http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/adp/ppp.cfm.