Sample Requests, Allocations and Loans
Proposal Review
Sample request proposals are reviewed by the Antarctic Meteorite Allocation Panel (AMAP), or the NASA Curator, both of which presents its findings to the Meteorite Steering Group (MSG). In considering allocation requests, AMAP and the Curator assess the scientific content of the proposal, capability of the proposers, availability of requested samples, and the realism of the investigation. AMAP also weigh the overall merit of the proposal against the required amount of sample. The AMAP consists of a panel of scientists with diverse expertise within meteoritics. The findings of the AMAP and/or the Curator must then be approved by the MSG, which is a three-person committee with representatives from NSF, NASA and the Smithsonian Institution.