Under this award for a Cooperative Agreement, JOI Inc. will mange the US Science Support Program (USSSP) associated with the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). This will be accomplished by developing and implementing the following: planning and program development objectives: pre-drilling activities; instrument development; platform participation and post-expedition support; education and community engagement activities; and the creation of a coordinating structure and administration plan. As it did in USSSP-ODP, JOI will continue to receive advice and guidance from the U.S. Science Advisory Committee. Within the implementation period of IODP (2004-2007), it is expected that IODP will accomplish about 10 drilling expeditions with a light drill ship and perhaps as many as three Mission Specific Platform (MSP) expeditions in the arctic and shallow water. The USSSP-IODP will provide the ways and means to enable a broad cross-section of the U.S. scientific community to advance knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the planet, including Earth, oceans, atmosphere, biota, and cryosphere, as delineated in IODP's initial long-range scientific plan "Earth, Oceans and Life: Scientific Investigations of the Earth System Using Multiple Drilling Platforms and New Technology." The broader impacts of USSSP-IODP will be to enhance the nation's research infrastructure by supporting scientists in a variety of U.S. academic institutions and provide opportunities to promote teaching, training, and learning. Finally, to enhance scientific understanding across society and to help grow the U.S. scientific community, JOI will implement a community engagement campaign that will convert the scientific results of IODP and the USSSP-IODP into accessible products that will be disseminated broadly in a variety of formats.
