Dear Colleague,

Be a part of the future of NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS)! The PDS is beginning the process of creating its next Roadmap and NASA is soliciting self-nominations for the PDS Roadmap Study Team. The goal of this activity is to develop a practical, community-developed pathway to implement the new long-term vision (see URL below) for the PDS, which continues to accomplish NASA's broad objective for the PDS; namely, preserving and making available all data products from planetary exploration research and missions.

The PDS Chief Scientist, Dr. Ralph McNutt (Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory), will serve as the Chair of the Roadmap Study Team. Ms. Emily Law (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory - JPL) will serve as his Deputy.

Background

The Planetary Data System (PDS) archives electronic data products from NASA planetary missions, sponsored by NASA's Science Mission Directorate. It actively manages the archive to maximize its usefulness. All PDS-curated products are peer-reviewed, well documented, and available online to scientists and to the public. More information on The Roadmap is available from the PDS homepage at: https://pds.nasa.gov/roadmap/index.shtml.

The PDS is one of four NASA organizations within the Planetary Science Division which works to ensure that planetary science archived data and curated samples remain accessible to current researchers; preserved for future generations; and protected against corruption, contamination, and loss. NASA expects to increase interoperability and searchability across all archives.

It is expected that the PDS Roadmap Study Team will do much of its work virtually, using tele- and web-conferences. However, there will be up to three, two-day long face-to-face meeting.

To nominate yourself for membership on the PDS Roadmap Study team, E-mail a single PDF-formatted file to the PDS Program Scientist, Dr. Michael New, at michael.h.new@nasa.gov and the PDS Program Executive, Mr. William Knopf, at William.knopf-1@nasa.gov by 11:59 PM EDT on March 28, 2016. The subject line should include the phrase "PDS Roadmap Study Team Self-Nomination".

The application material should consist of:

Nominations are solicited from researchers at U.S.-based research and academic institutions, Government laboratories, including NASA centers and JPL, industry, and private individuals. Only U.S. persons (for the purpose of U.S. export control regulations, i.e., U.S. citizens and permanent residents; see http://oiir.hq.nasa.gov/nasaecp/Webbrfg/tsld018.htm) are eligible to serve on the PDS Roadmap Study Team.

NASA will select the PDS Roadmap members for balance of expertise in relevant science and technology areas.

NASA reserves the right to cancel this road-mapping activity at any time, should programmatic and/or other reasons warrant it.

Questions about the PDS Roadmap should be addressed to the NASA PDS Project Manager, Dr. Thomas Morgan, thomas.h.morgan@nasa.gov at 301-286-1743.