**NASA Science Mission Directorate, Applied Sciences Program**

**Rapid Prototyping Capability (RPC) Guidelines and Implementation
Plan**

**[PURPOSE]{.underline}**

The purpose of this document is to describe the Rapid Prototyping
process and associated implementation plan necessary for conducting
experiments that utilize NASA Earth-science research results^1^ in
candidate configurations for potential Integrated System Solutions (ISS,
Figure 1). Utilizing the guidelines presented in this document, in
collaboration with NASA's Applied Sciences Program National Applications
focus area Program Managers, an experiment can be submitted for
consideration that aligns with a partnering agency's priority decision
support tools.

**[GOALS AND OBJECTIVES]{.underline}**

The overall goal of the Rapid Prototyping Capability (RPC) is to provide
for an accelerated simulation and testing of candidate configurations
with current and future Earth observation mission measurements and
research results in accordance with [NASA's 2006 Strategic
Plan](http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/142302main_2006_NASA_Strategic_Plan.pdf):

***"NASA's Applied Sciences program will continue the Agency's efforts
in benchmarking the assimilation of NASA research results into policy
and management decision-support tools that are vital for the Nation's
environment, economy, safety, and security."***

The primary objective of the Rapid Prototyping Capability implementation
plan outlined here is to:

-   Provide a framework within which Rapid Prototyping experiments can
    be conducted that target the twelve priority focus areas of National
    Applications utilizing research results from current and future
    Earth-observation missions

    -   Adopt innovative and predictive capabilities critical for
        meeting this objective within a science and engineering
        framework

    -   Provide a set of guidelines for proposing, selecting,
        conducting, and documenting experiments to demonstrate the
        benefits of the results of Rapid Prototyping studies to agency
        partners and government stakeholders

**[BACKGROUND:]{.underline}**

[^1]

The NASA Applied Sciences Program extends the results of NASA Earth
Science Division (ESD) research and knowledge beyond the scientific and
research communities to contribute to national priority applications
with societal benefits. The program focuses on, (1) assimilation of NASA
Earth Science Division research results to improve decision support
systems, and (2) the transition of NASA research results to evolve
improvements in future operational systems. NASA's Research and Analysis
Program (R&A) within the ESD has established six [research focus
areas](http://science.hq.nasa.gov/earth-sun/science/index.html) to study
the complex processes associated with Earth-system science; Atmospheric
Composition, Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems, Climate Variability and
Change, Earth Surface and Interior, Water and Energy Cycle, and Weather.

Results of NASA research conducted in these seven diverse
science-discipline focus areas provide the basis for candidate solutions
that demonstrate the capacity to improve future operational systems
through activities administered by NASA's Applied Sciences Program.

Successfully extending NASA research results to operational
organizations requires science rigor and capacity throughout the
pathways from research to operations. Implementation of the process to
extend research results from all the science focus areas benefits from
flexible science support from a network of research and operational
organizations. Figure 1 provides a graphical depiction of a framework
for the extension of applied sciences activities that involves a Rapid
Prototyping Capability (RPC) to accelerate the evaluation of research
results in an effort to identify candidate configurations for future
Benchmarking efforts.

**Figure 1. Applied Sciences activities for transitioning from research
results to operations and societal benefits**

Examples of NASA-funded organizations that utilize RPC methods to
transition research results to operations include the NASA/NOAA Joint
Center for Satellite Data Assimilation
([JCSDA](http://www.jcsda.noaa.gov/)), and the Short Term Prediction
Research and Transition ([SPoRT](http://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/sport/))
Center. These organizations provide the science capacity and physical
infrastructure that enable direct interaction between NASA basic and
applied research scientists and NOAA meteorological scientists. These
examples of collaborative RPC efforts provide working environments that
foster the scientific rigor required in the development and transition
of the research results throughout the transition from research to
operations.

Moving from research to operations within this systems engineering
framework, capabilities that show promise of ultimately contributing to
improving operational systems resulting from NASA's R&A Program are
harvested via a process of pre-evaluation in an activity referred to as
Solutions Networks (SN). The most promising of these candidate solutions
from the SN are then designed into RPC experiments to evaluate their
potential for implementation into the decision-support process (Figure
1). The results from the evaluation activity are verified and validated
in candidate operational configurations through RPC experiments. The
products of RPC studies will be archived and will be made accessible to
all customers, users and stakeholders via the internet with a purpose of
being utilized in competitively selected experiments proposed by the
applied sciences community through NASA's "Decisions" solicitation
process. The efforts and products of this section of the end-to-end
systems engineering approach, the RPC activities, are the focus of these
Guidelines and Implementation Plan.

Through the program activity called Integrated Systems Solutions (ISS),
the projects that were competitively selected through the "Decisions"
solicitation assimilate the results of the RPC process for benchmarking
their performance in improving decisions-support systems or other future
operational systems. The final step in the transition pathway involves
the adoption of the ISS prototypes, decision-support tools, and their
associated benchmark reports by operational organizations. A goal of the
RPC studies as outlined here is to provide candidate configurations for
future ISS projects.

This transition pathway is designed to systematically advance the
production of the following intermediate outputs (Figure 1 and Table
A1).

(1) Category 1 -- NASA observing systems and predictive capabilities
    used in scientific research and the associated Earth-science data
    products (see footnote 1, page 1),

(2) Category 2 -- Formulation reports of experiments designed for
    assimilating NASA research results into configurations for full
    evaluation (these are the primary output of the Solutions Networks
    activity),

(3) Category 3 -- Published results of completed experiments with the
    assessment of the associated uncertainty, where appropriate, for
    targeted applications. These products include evaluation reports
    and/or verification and validation reports through the Rapid
    Prototyping Capability activity. This step in the end-to-end systems
    engineering framework in figure 1 is the focus of this RPC
    Guidelines and Implementation Plan.

(4) Category 4 --Benchmark reports published collaboratively with the
    operational user organization of the results of the Integrated
    Systems Solutions configurations for applications of national
    priority (or partner agency operational system), and

(5) Category 5 -- Reports documenting the implementation of improved
    decision support and/or operations.

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I.  **Rapid Prototyping Experiment Requirements and Objectives**

> The following list represents minimum requirements for submitting RPC
> experiments that are offered as a guiding framework.

-   All Experiment Plans are submitted to the Council and should include
    a description and identification of system requirements, provide
    preliminary design concepts, provide a succinct statement of the
    purpose and the potential usage related to decision-making, include
    a partnering organization's decision support system and/or tool and
    policy issue, outline the process to conduct a design review to
    define the system for implementation, implement the proposed system
    design, and test the implementation against the requirements and
    metrics for RPC. All Experiment Plans should identify success
    criteria; specifically, quantifying metrics to be measured
    describing pathways to further validation and verification, and
    providing recommendations to key stakeholders in one or more of the
    twelve National Applications priority areas.

-   Experiment Plans will be submitted using an on-line template on the
    RPC Central website once this site becomes operational by the second
    quarter of FY07. Prior to that, all Experiment Plans will be
    submitted by sending an electronic copy in MS Word of PDF format to
    the RPC Coordinator identified in Table 1. The template provided in
    Appendix A is offered as a minimal guide for submitting an RPC
    experiment for consideration by the RPC Council listed in Table 1.
    The RPC Council will serve as a first step in the review process and
    the National Applications Program Managers provide the next level of
    review.

-   Experiment objectives should be derived from existing Earth Science
    Division Research and Analysis Program science activities and
    products; for example, Earth-science research results that have the
    potential to contribute to the improvement of weather predictions,
    climate-change projections, management of natural resources, and
    natural disaster mitigation as they pertain to the twelve National
    Applications areas. In addition, if appropriate, the objectives
    could be aligned with and help address policy and decisions
    regarding focus area topics of importance to the
    [GEO](http://www.earthobservations.org/index.html),
    [USGEO](http://usgeo.gov/), and [CEOS](http://www.ceos.org/), and
    could address [CCTP](http://www.climatetechnology.gov/index.htm) and
    [CCSP](http://www.climatescience.gov/) goals.

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-   Experiments should develop or utilize laboratory- or field-like
    environments and computational infrastructures that include access
    to NASA Earth-science research results. The experiments should
    include physical and organizational network connections to multiple
    data and information sources such as NASA's Distributed Active
    Archive Centers ([DAAC](http://nasadaacs.eos.nasa.gov/about.html)),
    model codes and modeling results from NASA's Global Modeling and
    Assimilation Office ([GMAO](http://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/)),
    laboratories advancing models in the Earth Science Model Framework,
    and/or datasets generated through the application of an Observation
    System Simulation Experiment (OSSE). Additionally, experiments may
    utilize Rapid Prototyping approaches from similar efforts in the
    aerospace, defense, and information technology industries that
    facilitate adaptation to changes that are a result of new technical
    developments as experimental ideas are tested and lessons are
    learned.

-   Experiments must focus on one or more of the NASA Applied Sciences
    Program's [twelve National
    Applications](http://science.hq.nasa.gov/earth-sun/applications/index.html)
    (a.k.a., applications of national priority), and should design,
    implement, and test concepts involving one or more of the nine newly
    launched or planned "next generation" missions (Table A2).
    Additionally, the experiments should include potential combinations
    of measurements, and model prediction data sets and can simulate
    decision support analysis and results leading to priority management
    and/or policy issues identified in the latest [National Applications
    program plans](http://aiwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/).

II. **Common prototyping implementation practices and resources**

> The following guidelines are provided to insure a consistent approach
> to conducting RPC experiments within a systems engineering framework.
> Although it is anticipated that most RPC experiments will contain all
> of the elements listed here, it is not a requirement.

-   Conduct experiments according to candidate prototyping
    configurations defined in or resulting from Solutions Networks (SN)
    processes. Although this is the desired method of candidate
    identification for RPC, this is not a requirement.

-   Prototyping projects should identify personnel and facilities to
    compose and assess configurations of the Earth-science products
    considered for potential use in decision-making or other future
    operational systems. All Experiment Plans should utilize tools and
    skills (collaborative engineering), have access to computational
    resources ([Project
    Columbia](http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Projects/Columbia/columbia.html),
    Project Fastpath) and other NASA assets (data, models ) through the
    use of portals/gateways (Earth Sun-System Gateway
    ([ESG](http://esg.gsfc.nasa.gov/c/portal_public/layout%3Fp_l_id=1.1)))
    producing environments necessary and capable of conducting
    sensitivity analyses, simulations, scenario analyses, visualization
    techniques, uncertainty analysis, and other analytic techniques to
    assess the performance of different configurations and assess
    potential societal benefit.

-   RPC experiments must have an RPC Experiment Team, i.e., consisting
    of a credentialed Principal Investigator (PI) and subject matter
    experts as appropriate and as necessary.

> The following process of prototype experiment conception, approval and
> steps to completion is offered for tracking a project from the
> submittal stage to completion.

-   Experiment Plans are submitted to the RPC Council for consideration
    for selection. Experiment Plans will be submitted using an on-line
    template on the RPC Central website once this site becomes
    operational by the second quarter of FY07. Prior to that, all
    Experiment Plans will be submitted by sending an electronic copy in
    MS Word of PDF format to the RPC Coordinator identified in Table 1.

    -   Experiment Plans should identify the experiment configuration
        utilizing NASA data/models and simulated data of particular,
        current decision support system to address National Application
        priority focus area and policy decision. Identify motivation and
        potential for improving the decision- and or policy-making
        process, or for enhancing an operational system

    -   A distributed RPC Experiment team is encouraged

    -   Experiments that focus on "unapplied" NASA missions will receive
        top priority. These include the next-generation missions listed
        in Table A2, as well as current missions that have not been
        addressed in [published evaluation
        reports](http://aiwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/).

    -   Typical resources available for an RPC Experiment are 3-12
        person-months. Typical duration for an RPC Experiment is 3-6
        months.

-   Experiments are initiated after review and approval by the RPC
    Council (see Table 1) and the appropriate National Applications
    Program Manager\\

    -   The RPC Council will meet to review Experiment Plans bimonthly,
        beginning on November 3, 2006. All Experiment Plans submitted
        prior to the end of the preceding month will be considered.

    -   The RPC Council will involve the appropriate National
        Application Program Managers in the review process

    -   The RPC Council will be augmented by external reviewers when
        appropriate

    -   The results of the review will be either

        -   Approval. This will result in the initiation of the
            experiment by the experiment team.

        -   Rejection.

        -   Conditional approval. The PI will be notified concerning
            modifications required prior to re-submission of Experiment
            Plan.

-   The Applied Sciences Program expects that resources for the RPC
    experiments will initially be provided from the IBS and RPC funding
    currently provided to each of the funded organizations.

-   Experiment PIs will work with the RPC Council Infrastructure Lead
    and Coordinator as well as representatives from other laboratories
    /(e.g. PNWC, IAGT, DAACs) for support to conduct experiment

    -   Conduct experiment (prototype)

    -   Internal project evaluation to address experiment requirements
        compliance

-   The RPC Council will conduct a review of the proposed uncertainty
    analytical methods and activities to insure an appropriate level of
    scientific rigor is maintained

-   Experiment results will be reviewed, published, and disseminated to
    the community.

    -   The RPC Council will review RPC experiment evaluation reports
        before release to community (Please Note: The first meeting of
        the RPC Council is scheduled for November 3, 2006. The Council
        will meet every other month beginning with this initial meeting
        (11/03/06).

    -   The RPC evaluation reports will be publicly released on the RPC
        Central website

    -   The Principal Investigator is encouraged to present results to
        the community of practice

    -   Results should be submitted for peer-reviewed publication, if
        appropriate

**Table 1. The RPC Council**

+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| **Member**                         | **Contact**                     |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| DeWayne Cecil (RPC Coordinator)    | [Dewayne.Cecil-1@nasa.gov](m    |
|                                    | ailto:dewayne.cecil-1@nasa.gov) |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| David Young (Science Requirements) | <David.F.Young@nasa.gov>        |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Lucien Cox (Crosscutting Program   | [elbert.l.cox@nasa.gov](m       |
|                                    | ailto:dewayne.cecil-1@nasa.gov) |
| Requirements)                      |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Robert Morehead (Systems           | [r                              |
|                                    | jm@GRI.MsState.edu]{.underline} |
| Requirements)                      |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Tsengdar Lee (High-Performance     | Tsengdar.j.lee@nasa.gov         |
|                                    |                                 |
| Computing)                         |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Marge Cole (Earth Science Gateway) | Marjorie.C.Cole.1@gsfc.nasa.gov |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Stephen Marley (Architecture       | S                               |
|                                    | tephen.R.Marley.1@gsfc.nasa.gov |
| Design/EA)                         |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Lars Peter Riishojgaard (OSSEs)    | Lars                            |
|                                    | .P.Riishojgaard.1@gsfc.nasa.gov |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Craig Peterson (Schedule           | Craig.A.peterson@nasa.gov       |
| Oversight)                         |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Doug Rickman (Report Tracking)     | Douglas.L.Rickman@msfc.nasa.gov |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Lawrence Friedl (National          | lfriedl@nasa.gov                |
| Applications)                      |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+

III. **Standard RPC Architecture**

> To obtain the greatest benefit from the experiments, each project will
> be required to use a recommended format for deliverables (to be
> provided by the RPC Council) and adhere to the Applied Sciences
> Program's adaptation of a system of systems construct to support the
> advancement of NASA Earth-science research results for societal
> benefit. All products, actions, documentation, and eventual solution
> sets shall include Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) principles,
> guidance, and framework formulation consistent with service oriented
> approach (SOA) practices to accomplish project goals (need a reference
> for FEA here).

IV. **Organizational and Personnel Participants**

-   Projects should include or involve NASA mission science teams and
    interagency organizations (e.g., Joint Center for Satellite Data
    Assimilation, Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, etc.).
    Projects should include partnerships with organizations with
    established skills to conduct Observing System Simulation
    Experiments (OSSE) on next-generation missions where appropriate. If
    the necessary expertise does not exist with the member
    organizations, the projects should develop partnerships with
    appropriate, nationally-recognized organizations with the necessary
    skills as well as seek to develop personnel and skills internally.

-   The Rapid Prototyping Capability includes support, contribution of
    capacity, and connection to a primary node with interfaces to
    external components that exist at other institutions and facilities.
    Projects may work collaboratively on some projects and independently
    on others.

V.  **Deliverables**

-   Experiment Plans should present a delivery schedule for published
    results. Reports include periodic updates as agreed to by the
    Council in consultation with the appropriate National Applications
    focus area Program Manager(s) and the RPC Council in addition to a
    final report as described in the Category 3 products in Table A1.

-   The format for the final Evaluation Report is given in Appendix B.
    These reports will be eventually filed using an on-line template.
    Prior to the availability of this template, final reports should be
    mailed to the RPC Coordinator listed in Table 1.

-   These Evaluation Reports will serve as the official documentation
    for the completion of the Experiment. The inventory of Evaluation
    Reports will be stored in a single centralized database that will be
    accessible to all customers, users and stakeholders via the internet
    in a manner that readily accommodates their needs. The reports will
    be indexed and searchable by research result, science focus area,
    National Application, potential partners; DST, mission, models used,
    and required technology. All connections to a Candidate Solution
    Formulation Reports, or ISS benchmark will be documented in order to
    track the effectiveness of the complete life-cycle of development.

-   The results of the Experiments should be presented to the community
    and published in peer-reviewed journals when appropriate.

+--------+---------------+--------------------------+-----------------+
| *      |               |                          |                 |
| *Table |               |                          |                 |
| A1:    |               |                          |                 |
| Cate   |               |                          |                 |
| gories |               |                          |                 |
| and    |               |                          |                 |
| asso   |               |                          |                 |
| ciated |               |                          |                 |
| pro    |               |                          |                 |
| ducts, |               |                          |                 |
| A      |               |                          |                 |
| pplied |               |                          |                 |
| Sc     |               |                          |                 |
| iences |               |                          |                 |
| P      |               |                          |                 |
| rogram |               |                          |                 |
| activi |               |                          |                 |
| ties** |               |                          |                 |
+--------+---------------+--------------------------+-----------------+
| **Cate | **Product**   | **Contents**             | **Outcome**     |
| gory** |               |                          |                 |
+--------+---------------+--------------------------+-----------------+
| 1      | Peer Reviewed | -   Product of sound     | Provides        |
|        | NASA          |     scientific theory    | potential input |
|        | Earth-Science |                          | to the          |
|        | Research      | -   Reproducible         | Solutions       |
|        | Results       |                          | Network         |
|        |               | -   Science Data         |                 |
|        |               |     Products             |                 |
|        |               |                          |                 |
|        |               | -   Algorithms           |                 |
|        |               |                          |                 |
|        |               | -   Technology           |                 |
|        |               |                          |                 |
|        |               | -   Models               |                 |
+--------+---------------+--------------------------+-----------------+
| 2      | Formulation   | -   Output of Solution   | A set of        |
|        | Reports       |     Network              | recommendations |
|        |               |                          | on candidate    |
|        |               | -   Matches research     | solutions and   |
|        |               |     results to potential | associated RPC  |
|        |               |     configurations       | experimental    |
|        |               |     related to           | designs         |
|        |               |     application areas    |                 |
|        |               |                          |                 |
|        |               | -   Prioritization of    |                 |
|        |               |     candidate solution   |                 |
|        |               |     configurations to be |                 |
|        |               |     evaluated in RPC     |                 |
|        |               |                          |                 |
|        |               | -   Estimates of level   |                 |
|        |               |     of effort required   |                 |
|        |               |     for testing within   |                 |
|        |               |     RPC                  |                 |
|        |               |                          |                 |
|        |               | -   Identify appropriate |                 |
|        |               |     RPC location and     |                 |
|        |               |     personnel            |                 |
+--------+---------------+--------------------------+-----------------+
| 3      | Results of    | -   Assessment of actual | Documented,     |
|        | Experiments   |     performance of       | verified and    |
|        | (Evaluation   |     research result with | validated       |
|        | Report and/or |     regard to target     | solution        |
|        | Verification  |     application          | published for   |
|        | and           |                          | consideration   |
|        | Validation    | -   Performance analysis | for R&O or ISS  |
|        | Report)       |     and assessment with  | activities      |
|        |               |     regards to           |                 |
|        |               |     user-defined metrics |                 |
+--------+---------------+--------------------------+-----------------+
| 4      | Benchmark     | -   Performance of DSS   | Documented      |
|        | Report        |     or R&O capability    | assessment of   |
|        |               |     with NASA research   | value added to  |
|        |               |     result               | DSS through     |
|        |               |                          | integration of  |
|        |               | -   Published document   | NASA research   |
|        |               |     with procedures and  |                 |
|        |               |     uncertainty analysis |                 |
|        |               |     of performance for   |                 |
|        |               |     research result to   |                 |
|        |               |     be implemented       |                 |
|        |               |     operationally        |                 |
+--------+---------------+--------------------------+-----------------+
| 5      | Operational   | -   Operational system   | Operational     |
|        |               |     description          | implementation  |
|        |               |                          | documented      |
|        |               | -   Examples of improved |                 |
|        |               |     decision making      |                 |
+--------+---------------+--------------------------+-----------------+

+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+
| Table   |                                               |            |
| A2.     |                                               |            |
| NASA    |                                               |            |
| Earth   |                                               |            |
| System  |                                               |            |
| Spa     |                                               |            |
| cecraft |                                               |            |
| M       |                                               |            |
| issions |                                               |            |
| for     |                                               |            |
| Rapid   |                                               |            |
| Prot    |                                               |            |
| otyping |                                               |            |
| Cap     |                                               |            |
| ability |                                               |            |
| Expe    |                                               |            |
| riments |                                               |            |
+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+
| Spa     | Sensors                                       |            |
| cecraft |                                               |            |
+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+
| C       | CloudSat CPR - Cloud Profiling Radar          |            |
| loudsat |                                               |            |
+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+
| CALIPSO | IIR - Imaging Infrared Radiometer             |            |
|         |                                               |            |
|         | WFC - Wide Field Camera                       |            |
|         |                                               |            |
|         | CALIOP - Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal  |            |
|         | Polarization                                  |            |
+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+
| OSTM    | Poseidon-3 Altimeter                          |            |
|         |                                               |            |
|         | AMR - Advanced Microwave Radiometer           |            |
|         |                                               |            |
|         | DORIS - Doppler Orbitography and              |            |
|         | Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite      |            |
|         |                                               |            |
|         | GPSP - Global Positioning System Payload      |            |
|         |                                               |            |
|         | LRA - Laser Retroreflector Array              |            |
+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+
| OCO     | Orbiting Carbon Observatory Spectrometers     |            |
+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+
| Glory   | TIM - Total Irradiance Monitor                |            |
|         |                                               |            |
|         | APS - Aerosol Polarimetric Sensor             |            |
+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+
| A       | Aquarius Radiometer/Scatterometer             |            |
| quarius |                                               |            |
+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+
| NPP     | CrIS - Crosstrack Infrared Sounder            |            |
|         |                                               |            |
|         | OMPS - Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite       |            |
|         |                                               |            |
|         | ATMS - Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder  |            |
|         |                                               |            |
|         | VIIRS - Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer    |            |
|         | Suite                                         |            |
+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+
| GPM     | DPR - Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar      |            |
|         |                                               |            |
|         | GMI - GPM Microwave Image                     |            |
+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+
| LDCM    | Multispectral Imager                          |            |
+---------+-----------------------------------------------+------------+

**Appendix A. Outline for RPC Experiment Plan Content**

-   Title

-   Principal And Co-Principal Investigators

    -   Full contact information for PIs and Co-PIs.

-   Statement Of Purpose And Scope

    -   Including identification of the National Application focus
        area(s) for the experiment.

-   Participation

    -   Including contact information for all team members and a
        description of institutional infrastructure to be utilized if
        applicable.

-   Description Of The Candidate NASA Earth-Science Research Results To
    Be Tested And Evaluated:

-   Identification Of The Potential Partnering Organization's Decision
    Support Tool:

-   Complete Description Of Experiment To Be Conducted, Including:

    -   Objectives of conducting experiment

    -   Tasks to reach objectives

    -   Potential societal benefits

    -   Metrics for determining level of success:

-   Management Plan

    -   Resource requirements

    -   Risk assessment

    -   Performance tracking plan

    -   Schedule

-   References

**Appendix B. Outline for RPC Report Content**

-   Executive Summary

-   Introduction

    -   NASA, ESE, ESA, and Application mission traceability

    -   Brief mention/introduction to decision support tool (DST)

    -   Initial partnering activities

    -   Systems engineering approach

-   Overview of DST

    -   Background (organizational, programmatic, technical)

    -   Detailed description of DST and functional and technical needs,
        with emphasis on remote sensing and modeling requirements (i.e.
        areas where NASA can contribute). Include plans for DST future
        development, if any.

        -   This should include a clear description of how and when the
            tool is used, data inputs and their sources, data outputs,
            who uses the outputs, what actions and decisions are made as
            a result, and the impact of these decisions.

-   Consideration of NASA inputs

    -   Overview of NASA inputs matched against technical requirements

    -   Description of past and current NASA contributions that
        contribute to the DST (e.g. past research, currently funded
        activities such as REASoN, etc.)

    -   Detailed description and analysis of NASA inputs to improve DST

        -   Measurements

        -   Models

-   Gaps in meeting DST needs

    -   Description of limitations in NASA inputs that prevent NASA from
        addressing certain DST requirements

-   Conclusions and Recommendations

    -   Findings - Summarize DST and potential NASA inputs

    -   Recommendations

    -   Next Steps

-   References

[^1]:
    > NASA Earth-science research results include current and planned
    > Earth observing measurements and systems, computer model
    > projections, data handling systems, analytical tools and networks,
    > and other capabilities developed through NASA's R&A Program, Earth
    > Science Division, Science Mission Directorate.