Ocean Drilling Program (OD)

CONTACTS

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Apply to PD 05-5720 as follows:

For full proposals submitted via FastLane: standard Grant Proposal Guidelines apply.
For full proposals submitted via Grants.gov: NSF Grants.gov Application Guide; A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at:http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf)

DUE DATES

SYNOPSIS

IODP Operations

The IODP scientific objectives require a heavy vessel for drilling deep sedimentary and crustal holes; a lighter vessel to provide widely distributed arrays of high resolution cores to address climate, environmental, and observatory objectives; and occasional use of drilling platforms, called Mission Specific Platforms (MSP) for the Arctic and shallow water projects which can't be undertaken from the two primary IODP vessels.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan has secured funding of approximately $500 million and is completing construction of the heavy drillship to address deep drilling objectives in the new program. Their vessel, the Chikyu (Earth), was launched in January 2002, will undergo outfitting and testing in 2003-2006, and will be available for IODP operations in 2007. The Center for Deep Earth Exploration of the Independent Administrative Institution, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) will operate the vessel for IODP.

The light drillship will be provided by the US and will be operated by the JOI Alliance. During Phase 1 (2004 and part of 2005) the drillship will be the Joides Resolution, and in Phase 2 (beginning in 2006) an extensively converted and more capable vessel will be deployed.

The primary provider of Mission Specific Platforms is EMA (ECORD Managing Agency) and the platforms themselves will be operated by the European Science Operator (ESO).

Overall management of the IODP is provided by IODP Management International (IMI) through a contract with NSF.

United States Science Support

Support for participation and drilling-related research performed by United States scientists is provided by NSF. This support focuses on the following:

• Investigations of potential drilling regions, especially by means of regional geological and geophysical field studies.
• The feasibility and initial development of downhole instruments and techniques.
• Downhole geophysical and geochemical experiments.
• Support for research proposals to meet the scientific objectives of specific drilling expeditions. Grants resulting from these Expedition Objective Research (EOR) proposals will be for significant support to address the research objectives of the drilling expedition and are intended to begin in the period between the co-chief approval of the expedition sampling plan and the end of the sample moratorium period. NSF ODP encourages potential submitters to submit EOR proposals in time for the existing OCE target dates of February 15 and August 15.  In addition, NSF will consider proposals for studies leading to long-range definition of future drilling objectives.

To be considered for support, proposed projects should be clearly relevant to the drilling plans of the international drilling community and focus on predrilling or drilling concurrent activities. Post-cruise studies should generally be submitted through other appropriate NSF programs such as Marine Geology and Geophysics, Earth Sciences, Polar Programs, etc.

Additional support for United States scientists may be obtained via the JOI U.S. Science Support Program. This NSF-sponsored program consists of the following elements:

• Planning activities, such as workshops, to define concepts and develop problem-related drilling programs, including United States participation in IODP Scientific Advisory Structure
• Support for United States scientists participating on drilling expeditions and for necessary follow-up studies needed by all or most other participating scientists
• Site surveys and data syntheses to develop the context for drilling
• Educational programs
• Development of instrumentation for downhole experimentation
• Dissemination of ODP results
• Support for a U.S. Science Advisory Committee (USSAC) to interact with the the U.S. scientific community and the NSF

External Links to IODP Sites

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Includes application to participate in drilling Expeditions.

IODP Management International-The central management organization for IODP.

JOI Alliance-Operator of the light drillship.

CDEX-the operator of the heavy drillship Chikyu.

ESO-the primary operator of Mission Specific Platforms.

FUNDED AS PART OF THIS ACTIVITY

U.S. Science Support Program Associated with the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program

RELATED URLS

NOTICE: TARGET DATE REQUIREMENTS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2007

THIS PROGRAM IS PART OF

Marine Geosciences Section

Abstracts of Recent Awards Made Through This Program