Scientific Merit Review

Updated: January 25, 2024

Scientific Merit Review Final Documents

  1. Revised Research Plan
  2. Panel of Experts Terms of Reference
  3. Scientific Merit Review Round 1 Panel Summary Report
  4. Research Team Response to Round 1 Panel Report
  5. Advisory Committee Summary of the Second Round of Review
  6. Second Round of Reviews and Research Team Response

The SCoPEx Advisory Committee developed a rigorous multi-step process to review the scientific merit of SCoPEx. The Advisory Committee appointed a 3-member Panel with specialized expertise in stratospheric science and climate modeling to assist with the peer review process. 

With support from the Panel, the Advisory Committee selected 5 peer reviewers to evaluate the SCoPEx Research Plan and provide feedback on the scientific merit of the proposed experiment. Reviewers were selected for their knowledge of at least one of the following topics: global modeling, instrumental design, in situ campaigns, cloud/aerosol microphysics, and/or atmospheric chemistry.

We asked the Reviewers and the Panel to respond to the following questions: 

  1. Will the proposed study make an important scientific contribution? If so, what is that expected contribution?
    1. How likely is it that the experiment will yield new relevant knowledge that has not already been gained from numerical modeling, laboratory studies, or other approaches?
    2. Can the questions outlined in the proposal be answered in another way? If so, what are the benefits and limitations of this approach versus others?
  2. Can the experiment as designed, achieve its objectives by the methodology proposed in the experiment plan?
    1. Is the methodology described sufficiently?
    2. Is there a substantial/reasonable chance/probability that the methodology will enable achieving the stated goal: to improve process models that will, in turn, reduce uncertainties in global-scale models, thus reducing uncertainty in predictions of important SRM risks and benefits?
  3. Is there anything else relevant to the scientific merit of this experiment plan that raises concern that has not been covered in the previous questions?

Updated: October 27, 2022

Status of the Scientific Merit Review as of October 2022

The Panel produced a summary report in August for the Advisory Committee based on the Reviewers’ evaluation. Similar to the process undertaken for the Engineering Integrity and Safety Review, the Advisory Committee offered the Research Team an opportunity to respond to the Panel report and the reviews. The Advisory Committee received the Research Team’s response in late October and will be proceeding with the review process.

In making its recommendation on whether and under what conditions the SCoPEx experiment could proceed, the Advisory Committee will take on board all reviewer comments, the Panel report, and the Research Team’s response. The panel report, Research Team’s response, and Advisory Committee’s recommendation will be made public.

For more information, see our Scientific Merit Terms of Reference for the Panel and Reviewers.

The review process was modeled after the Intellectual Merit Guidelines of the U.S. National Science Foundation https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/merit_review/  

Previous Update: April 29, 2022

Scientific Merit Review Panel

To assess the scientific merit of the proposed SCoPEx project, the Advisory Committee has identified 3 panel members to support the peer review process. These panelists have a deep knowledge of stratospheric chemistry and aerosol microphysics and will have the following responsibilities to support the peer review process: 

  • Support the selection of peer reviewers. 
  • Evaluate the reviews.
  • Provide a summary report to the Advisory Committee about the scientific merit of the experiment based on that evaluation.
  • Meet with the Advisory Committee to communicate the findings of the summary report.

We have met with the panelists and are in the process of selecting peer reviewers. We look forward to working with the panelists to ensure the scientific merit undergoes a rigorous review process. Panelist names and their summary report will be released on our website at the conclusion of the review process.

Updated SCoPEx Research Plan

The SCoPEx research team recently updated the SCoPEx Research Plan to reflect the most current experiment plans.

The changes made to the document are as follows:

  • 1. Introduction – noted the newest National Academies recommendations for small scale field experiments
  • 2.3.4 Limitations of Naturally Occurring Analogs – cited more recent events that are relevant to convective systems in the stratosphere
  • 3.1 SCoPEx Platform – notes the platform design is influenced by Frank’s work with the NASA DCOTSS project
  • 4.3.2 Unreactive Alternative SAI Materials – verified in the lab that diamond triggers the minimal possible response in the stratosphere
  • 4.3.3.2 Chemical Properties – cites a recent study by Dai et.al about calcium carbonate