Science Support Office for the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP)

CONTACTS

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Solicitation  12-611

Important Notice to Proposers

A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), NSF 13-1, was issued on October 4, 2012 and is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 14, 2013. Please be advised that, depending on the specified due date, the guidelines contained in NSF 13-1 may apply to proposals submitted in response to this funding opportunity.

Please be aware that significant changes have been made to the PAPPG to implement revised merit review criteria based on the National Science Board (NSB) report, National Science Foundation's Merit Review Criteria: Review and Revisions. While the two merit review criteria remain unchanged (Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts), guidance has been provided to clarify and improve the function of the criteria. Changes will affect the project summary and project description sections of proposals. Annual and final reports also will be affected.

A by-chapter summary of this and other significant changes is provided at the beginning of both the Grant Proposal Guide and the Award & Administration Guide.

SYNOPSIS

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) will serve to advance basic research in the marine geosciences and will be supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and several international partners.  IODP builds on a rich legacy of scientific ocean drilling pioneered by NSF in the 1960's with the Deep Sea Drilling Project, which provided a test of the plate tectonic hypothesis and a basic reconnaissance of deep sea sediments and crustal rocks.   This was followed in 1985 by the Ocean Drilling Program, which focused on examination of Earth, ocean and climate processes. The current Integrated Ocean Drilling Program commenced in 2003 and has served as an expanded program of scientific ocean drilling based on "Earth, Oceans and Life: Scientific Investigations of the Earth System Using Multiple Drilling Platforms and new Technologies; Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Initial Science Plan, 2003 - 2013" (http://www.iodp.org/initial-science-plan ).  IODP, expected to commence October 1, 2013 with the science plan available at http://www.iodp.org/Science-Plan-for-2013-2023/, builds upon lessons learned in the previous programs to build a multi-platform international program based on cooperation rather than integration. IODP planning for JOIDES Resolution operations will be conducted under a Facilities Governing Board rather than an integrated Science Advisory Structure, and management and funding for JOIDES Resolution operations will occur independently of the other IODP drilling platforms. The Facilities Governing Board (FGB) will be made up of scientists and governmental representatives of nations contributing to JOIDES Resolution operations, as well as representatives of the JOIDES Resolution science operator. The Facilities Governing Board will be advised by a Proposal Evaluation Panel (PEP), a Site Characterization Panel (SCP), and an Environmental Protection and Safety Panel (EPSP), and will be further served by a Site Survey Databank (SSDB). The FGB and its advisory panels will be utilized for proposal review by other science operators in IODP. The IODP Science Support Office will provide logistical support for the Facilities Governing Board and its advisory panels, manage and archive IODP Proposals and oversee their external review, and manage the SSDB.

This solicitation seeks the services of a qualified organization to provide the IODP Science Support Office. The award, to be administered as a Cooperative Agreement, is intended to cover an initial five year period beginning on October 1, 2013.  A Program Review will be held prior to completion of the initial period and the results will guide a decision to re-compete or renew the Cooperative Agreement for a second five year period.

What Has Been Funded (Recent Awards Made Through This Program, with Abstracts)

Map of Recent Awards Made Through This Program