An Allocating Agent is an institution which allocates IGSN names on behalf of the IGSN registration agency of IGSN. An Allocating Agent may delegate technical functions and services to one or more data centres.

• Register IGSN and operate registration services
• Ensure persistent access to the metadata record of the registered IGSN
• Ensure uniqueness of the allocated IGSN
• Provide interfaces for metadata harvesting
• Apply for top-level namespaces from IGSN and assign sub-namespaces to its clients
• Ensure the persistence of the sample catalogue¹⁾
• Follow best practices for IGSN allocation, syntax and metadata
• Participate in the IGSN General Assembly
• Make best effort at avoiding co-reference of IGSNs

A failure to comply with the roles and responsibilities might result in a termination of the membership.

• System for Earth Sample Registration (SESAR) http://www.geosamples.org

• CSIRO Australian Resources Research Centre http://www.csiro.au/en/Organisation-Structure/Divisions/Earth-Science--Resource-Engineering/arrc.aspx
• MARUM Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences, Univ. Bremen http://www.marum.de
• German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ, Potsdam http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/portal/gfz/Services/Forschungsdaten
• Geoscience Australia
• Curtin University, De Laeter Centre for Geoschemistry