Interim Collaboration Guidelines

The following are collaboration guidelines that the NUSEL PIs have adopted for the interim period prior to approval of the NSF NUSEL proposal. It includes a description of the procedure for joining the interim collaboration.

Interim Collaboration Guidelines
NUSEL
1. The NUSEL collaboration proposed a governance plan in its NSF proposal based on management through a consortium of universities and other entities. That plan has been endorsed by the state and federal officials involved in the indemnity effort. We expect that plan, or one the NSF recommends based on it, to be put into effect before the end of 2001. These guidelines address NUSEL collaboration governance in the interim period before that time.

2. The mechanism for interim governance is an Executive Committee that will include the PI, the four coPIs, and the heads of any task groups that the PI and coPIs feel are appropriate. The executive committee duties include:

b) Appointing chairs and members of task groups and other committees that are charged with specific duties for the laboratory.

c) Selecting collaboration members to represent NUSEL in scientific meeting and other similar occasions.

d) Inviting new members into the collaboration and considering applications for new membership.

e) Advising the PI on proposed expenditures of collaboration or interim proposal funds.

3. The executive committee will maintain a web site on which information of general interest -- memberships of task groups, collaboration membership, NUSEL proposals, etc. -- can be posted.

4. The executive committee will informally review any experimental proposals requesting Homestake space during the interim period, and will offer to represent the experimental group in interactions with Homestake management.

5. The following procedure will be employed in considering prospective collaborators (with the exception of Ph.D. graduate students) for admission to the collaboration:

b) The executive committee will make this information available to all members of the collaboration.

c) For a period of two weeks, the executive committee will collect comments concerning the application for membership. Comments will be summarized by the executive board such that those who make them can remain anonymous.

d) At the end of two weeks, the board will decide whether a vote for membership will be held.

e) An application is approved by a two-thirds vote of the collaboration membership.

The board retains the right to invite members into the collaboration who can contribute essential expertise to the NUSEL effort during the interim period.

6. In recognition of the many sensitive issues that will arise during the interim period, we note:

b) In accordance with the wishes of Homestake-Lead, consortium/Homestake-Lead contacts will be arranged through the interim director. There may be occassion, particularly during organization and construction, where access will necessarily be limited.

c) Press inquires about nonscientific matters (interim funding, state or federal relations, Homestake relations) should be handled discreetly. If any question exists as to the position of the collaboration, the matter should be referred to the interim director.

7. It is understood that all aspects of this interim management plan will expire as soon as a permanent NUSEL governing consortium is approved by the NSF. That consortium is expected to appoint a new interim director and design a new interim governance agreement, as it searches for a permanent director.