The 10-year Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is scheduled to succeed the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) on October 1, 2003, representing a continuation of nearly 25 years of scientific ocean drilling. The IODP will be jointly supported and led by the NSF and the Ministry of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science, and Technology (MEXT) of Japan, with membership from other nations and consortia expected in the near future. This proposal is to provide critical IODP planning activities needed to ensure planned IODP start-up October 1, 2003 and commencement of drilling activities in 2004. IODP Management International, Inc. (IMI), the identified Central Management Office responsible for coordinating IODP science planning and operational efforts, is not expected to begin operations until January 1, 2004. This proposal provides planning coordination and services in the interim that will ensure that IODP activities are able to start as planned. These planning activities include:
1) building an IODP Executive Authority; 2) building an IODP Science Planning Committee needed to evaluate and rank proposed 2004 drilling proposals; 3) establishing other committees of the Science Advisory Structure (SAS); 4) hiring key officials of IMI, including its President and Vice President, and preparing for a permanent IMI office; 5) coordinating initial activities with and between the IODP drilling platform Implementing Organizations (IO's), including the Center for Deep Earth Exploration in Japan, the yet-to-be-named U.S. IODP System Integration Contractor, and the European Management Agency tasked with managing implementation of possible Arctic Mission Specific Platform drilling; and 6) coordinating with NSF, MEXT, the SAS, and the IO's in producing the first IODP Program Plan, which will detail the FY2004 operational schedule as well as identify databank, database, publication, and education and outreach activities.
