Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2004 14:17:32 -0500
Subject: DPS Mailing #04-16b: DPS Meeting Info, NRC Study, AGU Call for
 Papers
 
Greetings, DPS Colleagues,
 
   +------------------CONTENTS:------------------------------+
   1) DPS MEETING INFORMATION
  2) INFORMATION ABOUT CALL FOR INPUT FOR NRC STUDY ON PI-LED MISSIONS
 3) CALL FOR PAPERS AT AGU FALL MEETING
 +----------------------------------------------------------+
 
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DPS MEETING INFORMATION
 
By now everyone should have received both a postcard and an AAS 
mailing with information about the upcoming Louisville DPS meeting. 
As announced in earlier versions of the enews, the deadline for the 
submission of abstracts is September 1, 2004, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. 
The abstract form and much more information is available at the 
meeting website, http://dps04.org/
 
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INFORMATION ABOUT CALL FOR INPUT FOR NRC STUDY ON PI-LED MISSIONS
 
The National Research Council's Space Studies Board is beginning a 
study on lessons learned from principal investigator-led missions 
in the space sciences. The study was requested by NASA's Office of 
Space Science and will address the following tasks:
 
(1) examine and assess the selection process and objectives for 
PI-led missions, including the balance between science objectives 
and cost and management criteria, (2) examine the roles, 
relationships, and authority among members of the PI-team 
(e.g., PI, university, industry, field center) in past missions, 
(3) identify lessons learned from the scientific and technical 
performance of previous PI-led missions, (4) investigate and 
analyze the factors contributing to cost overruns of missions, 
including any requirements that are imposed on PI-led projects 
during their development, (5) identify opportunities for 
knowledge transfer to new PIs and sustained technical 
management experience throughout the program, and (6) identify 
lessons learned and recommend practices and incentives for 
improving the overall conduct of future PI-led missions.
 
Many members of the DPS community have valuable experience with 
Explorer and Discovery missions. We welcome your comments on 
the following questions or on any other aspect of PI-led missions 
that you would like to share:
 
1. Please list those problems and challenges that were distinct 
from a program-led mission that you have faced/are facing in your 
effort to accomplish your proposed PI-led project. What is the 
status of each or what was the outcome?
 
2. List changes you would make to the way PI-led missions are 
defined and/or executed to improve them at the proposal, 
development, and/or implementation phases.
 
3. Given your experience, would you lead in future PI-led 
mission proposals?"
 
Please send your comments via e-mail to [email protected]
 
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CALL FOR PAPERS: Fall AGU Meeting Special Session SH11: 
"The Space Physics of Life"
 
Earth, Mars, Europa, Titan, and other potentially habitable bodies 
in our solar system are continually exposed to the effects of 
their interplanetary and magnetospheric space environments. 
We invite contributions on direct or indirect astrobiological 
effects of natural and artificial space environment components 
(magnetic and electric fields, plasma, energetic particles and 
photons, radio and plasma waves, dust) on potentially habitable 
environments, and to related sites of pre-biotic organic synthesis 
in the solar system and the local interstellar medium. Presentations 
are also solicited on techniques exploiting space environment 
interactions (e.g., magnetospheric, auroral, atmospheric, surface) 
in searches for such environments within and beyond the Solar System.
 
Abstracts are due at the meeting web site, 
http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm04/, by Sept. 1 for regular mail 
and by Sept. 9 on-line. The journal Astrobiology has tentatively 
agreed to publish papers related to the theme of this session 
with manuscript submissions due by March 31, 2005. Please contact 
the conveners for further information.
 
John F. Cooper <[email protected]>

 
Linda French Emmons, DPS Secretary
send submissions to [email protected]