Please use the following instuctions as a guide to submitting your request.
Instructions for Completing the Facility Questionnaire
Use the following instructions as a guide when completing the Facility Questionnaire (FQ); the documents have corresponding section numbers. The FQ is usually completed by the Principal Investigator (PI) or by a PI Representative in order to request the use of Center for Gravitational Biology Research (CGBR) main and support facilities. The provided information will be used by CGBR staff to assess the requirements for a proposed experiment and to determine whether the experiment is feasible given such requirements and other constraints.
The FQ can be filled out via the form provided, in hardcopy form and returned to the Facilities Utilization Office (FUO), or submitted via e-mail to the FUO Manager (tshaw@mail.arc.nasa.gov). In addition to the online form, a plain text version and an Adobe PDF version are provided via any of these links (http://lifesci.arc.nasa.gov/facilities/ ). Limit the responses to information about one experiment only, although the possibility of more experiments will be addressed in sections 4 and 7. Write "Not Applicable" or "N/A" in any sections of the FQ that do not apply to the proposed experiment. Attach additional sheets to hard copy submissions as required (include the appropriate section number on these pages).
Extramural Investigators include anyone who works outside of NASA-ARC.
For descriptions of the facilities and information on how to apply for facility use, refer to the Center for Gravitational Biology Research (CGBR) User’s Guide. For further information, contact the Facilities Utilization Office (Telephone: 650-604-6496; FAX: 650-604-3954, e-mail: tshaw@mail.arc.nasa.gov).
Additional detailed background information for specific sections of the questionnaire is provided below:
2. Facility(ies) Requested: Write the name(s) of the preferred facility(ies) for the proposed experiment. More than one facility may be requested. As described in the CGBR User’s Guide, the choices include:
a) Human Research Facility (HRF)
b) 20-G Centrifuge
c) Human-Carrying Rotation Device (HCRD) / Hypergravity Facility for Cell Culture (HyFaCC)
d) Human-Powered Centrifuge (HPC)
e) International Space Station Test-Bed (8-Foot Diameter) Centrifuge
f) 24-Foot Diameter Centrifuge
g) Short Arm Centrifuge (SAC)
h) Vestibular Research Facility (VRF) 7.9-Foot Diameter Multi-Axis Centrifuge
i) 30-Foot Linear Sled
j) Programmable Linear Sled (PLS)
If you are requesting the use of the Center for Bioinformatics, contact Dr. Richard Boyle at 650-604-1099.
3. Support Facility(ies) Requested: Write the name(s) of the preferred support facility(ies) for the proposed experiment. More than one support facility may be requested. As described in the CGBR User’s Guide, the choices include:
a) Central Clinical Laboratory (CCL)
b) Cell Culture Facility (CCF)
c) Animal Care Facility (ACF) / Surgery
d) Radioisotope Laboratory
e) General Use Laboratory(ies)
4. Proposed Dates for Study: Indicate a window of time, including month and year, within which you would prefer to start and to finish the experiment. If additional experiments involving CGBR facilities are planned, indicate the proposed start and finish dates for those as well (i.e. Expt. #1: September, 1998 - October, 1998. Expt. #2: April, 1999 - June, 1999. Expt. #3: January, 2000 - March 2000).
5. Co-Investigators and Support Personnel: Check the box that accurately describes the citizenship of each Co-Investigator and Support Person (if the person is NOT a U.S. citizen, a green card number, if applicable, and a country of citizenship must be added). This information will be used for badging purposes only.
6. Study Title: Write the title for the proposed study, as it is written on the grant proposal and on other official documents related to the experiment.
7. Type of Study: Write the relevant responses on the FQ.
If this is an approved, funded study, indicate the funding source.
If a research proposal is under review or is being developed, indicate the agency or organization to which the proposal has been/will be submitted.
Do you plan to run more than one experiment at Ames Research Center (ARC) for this study? If so, how many experiments will be needed?
9. Description of Facility Use: Describe the intended use of the proposed facility(ies) (i.e. bedrest, isolation, G-profile/frequency of exposure, duration of exposure, stopping frequency, and/or the hardware/equipment/devices that will need to be carried on board). Describe the detailed protocol of the experiment, including a timeline of the procedures to be carried out at ARC (i.e. Day 0: Load the animals into the cages on the centrifuge; Days 1-5: Run the centrifuge; Day 6: Unload the animals from the cages, collect vital signs, etc.).
If a support facility will be required for the experiment, describe the general needs and intended use for that as well. If this study is a mission simulation, give the operations timeline.
10. Subjects/Specimens to be Used at CGBR Facility(ies):
Notes: Intramural investigators (anyone who works at NASA-ARC) are responsible for obtaining the human subjects. Human subjects cannot be used until a Human Research Institutional Review Board (HRIRB) research protocol has been approved by ARC. NASA ARC’s radioactive materials license does not provide for human radiation experiments.
Notes: Intramural investigators are responsible for ordering the animals. Delivery of animals must be coordinated with the ARC Animal Care Facility (ACF). Animals cannot be ordered until an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) research protocol has been approved by ARC.
Notes: Intramural investigators are responsible for obtaining the plants. Permission must be obtained from the California Department of Food and Agriculture before plants can be imported into and/or disposed of in California.
Notes: Intramural investigators are responsible for obtaining the cells and for their storage. Depending upon the types of cells used, a HRIRB or an IACUC research protocol may have to be approved by ARC prior to experiment operations.
12. Special Subject/Specimen Requirements: Define all special subject/specimen requirements (i.e. environmental conditions, diet, medication, etc.) to be met during the experiment and identify any potential hazards. This information will be used by the FUO staff to determine if facility modifications will be necessary and/or if special arrangements will need to be made.
13. Procedures to be Performed at CGBR Facility(ies): List each procedure that will be performed. Indicate who will perform the procedure (PI Team and/or ARC/FUO personnel) and how long the procedure will take (i.e. Animal Surgery, PI, 2 hours/subject; Daily Animal Maintenance, ARC, 5 minutes/subject; G exposure, ARC, 5 days/subject, etc.). Identify any potential hazards.
14. Chemicals to be Used at CGBR Facility(ies): List all chemicals to be used in the proposed experiment and the approximate quantity of each. Indicate which chemicals (including quantity) will be supplied by the FUO and which by the PI. Specify storage conditions. Identify any potential hazards.
Note: Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) must be provided for all chemicals used in the experiment before they arrive at ARC.
15. Radioactive Materials and Lasers to be Used at CGBR Facility(ies): List any radioactive substances to be used in the proposed experiment and the quantity of each. Specify storage conditions. Identify authorized user(s). If radioactive substances are to be shipped to or from NASA-ARC, the PI Institution’s radiation user number must be identified.
Notes: If the experiment will use radioactive material, the (external) PI will need to receive authorization from the NASA-ARC Radiation Safety Committee to use this material (contact the NASA-ARC Radiation Safety Officer at 650-604-3573 for more information). Radioactive wastes (long half-life: > 89 days) are disposed of at commercial disposal sites and disposal costs must be considered. If the experiment will use a laser, the PI will need to contact the NASA-ARC Radiation Safety Officer about the equipment planned for use and its application within the experimental protocol.
17. Equipment to be Used at CGBR Facility(ies): List all pieces of equipment for the proposed experiment and the number of each piece that will be used. For each item, indicate whether you will bring the item with you, will purchase a new item for delivery to ARC, or would like to use CGBR facilities equipment if available. Identify in which facility and/or support facility each piece of equipment will be used. Indicate any special power requirements.
Note: Prior to the use of any radiation- (ionizing or non-ionizing) generating equipment, the NASA-ARC Radiation Safety Officer will need to approve the procedure.
18. Fabrication Requirements: List any hardware (electrical and mechanical) that will need to be fabricated at ARC. Also list any mounting hardware that will need to be fabricated for any equipment (i.e. measurement devices, enclosures, video, etc.) brought into the facility in connection with the proposed experiment.
19. Measurement Requirements: List all parameters to be measured and recorded. Indicate whether you will bring the measurement transducer with you, will purchase a new item for delivery to ARC, or would like to use CGBR facilities devices if available. In the appropriate category, list the primary measurement(s), the suggested transducer(s), and the power requirement(s) for each piece of equipment, as well as the approximate signal level(s) for each measurement.
20. Data Recording/Display Requirements: List parameters, frequency range, sampling rate (if applicable), data storage medium, data transfer requirements, and display requirements for the proposed experiment. Indicate whether you will bring the recording devices with you (describe the specifications and requirements of these in the above section), will purchase a new item for delivery to ARC, or would like to use CGBR facilities data systems and devices if available.
21. Video Requirements: List all video or still photo requirements and provide specifications (i.e. camera type, film type, recording speed, black/white or color, etc.) for all items. Indicate whether you will bring your own camera (and film) or would like to use CGBR facilities equipment if available. Indicate if the camera will be mounted to ARC hardware.
22. Preparation of Samples for Shipment: Describe how experiment samples will be handled at ARC. Indicate how (i.e. Hand-carried by PI, Federal Express, etc.) they will be sent back to the PI laboratory. Describe any special shipping requirements (i.e. dry ice, liquid nitrogen). Identify any potential hazards.
Notes: Hazardous chemicals have volume limits for shipping. Prior to shipment of any radioactive specimens to the PI laboratory, a copy of the PI Institution’s radioactive materials license and the PI’s authorization to handle radioactive material must be supplied to the NASA-ARC Radiation Safety Officer (call the Radiation Safety Office at 650-604-3573 for additional information).
23. Miscellaneous Information: Provide any additional information regarding experimental requirements and/or objectives. Also, request additional information from the FUO regarding facility capabilities, dimensions, set-up, etc. in order to clarify the experimental protocol.