SUPPORTED ACTIVITIES

Community-led workshops are instrumental in gathering ideas, developing strong drilling proposals, and promoting successful engagement in drilling planning. The SODCO Workshops Program supports the development of new ideas to study the Earth’s processes and history via scientific ocean drilling (SciOD). The primary goal is to identify promising new scientific objectives and research opportunities.

Workshop topics should be clearly relevant to the future of scientific ocean drilling, detailed in the 2050 Science Framework Exploring Earth by Scientific Drilling, and other guiding documents relevant to SciOD. Workshops may explore scientific questions that can be addressed with SciOD, focus on a specific theme or region, assess available data sets to identify sites for future drilling or gaps in data where site surveys may be required, or synthesize preliminary results to maximize the scientific achievements from previous drilling. Although they are not limited to these topics, successful proposals will clearly state how they will advance knowledge within the field of scientific ocean drilling.

The workshop program encourages wide scientific community involvement to bring a broader and multidisciplinary approach to standing hypotheses and to explore new directions for research.

Workshop proposals should focus on expected workshop deliverables and clearly articulate how the workshop will help advance the goals and priorities of the scientific ocean drilling community. The workshop's participant group should also be described, as should appropriate methods of communicating the workshop opportunity, and the anticipated number of workshop participants.

Workshop proposals include the following elements.

• Workshop Proposal Cover Sheet: The cover sheet must be completed and signed by the proposal PI and an authorized institutional representative.

• Application Form: The application should be completed by the lead proponent.

• Proposal Text: The main proposal text (no more than 10 pages, including figures and minimal references) should include the scientific motivation and workshop goals; workshop structure and a draft agenda; planned participants/audience; communication plans; the location and travel plans; a budget summary and budget justification*; and a summary of other relevant current support and prior work by lead proponent.

• CV: No more than 2 pages

• Supporting Letters (optional)

• Demographic Information Form

• Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form

* Budgets for workshops should be within $50,000 and consist primarily of participant support (direct cost estimates for participant travel, food, accommodations, venue, etc.). Workshop funds cannot cover field trips. To support increased participation, workshop proponents are encouraged to secure co-sponsorship and additional financial support from other sources, and to indicate these plans in their budget or workshop description.

The anticipated planning period for a typical workshop is at least 5 months following funding notification. The planning period allows workshop organizers and SODCO a reasonable time for developing advertising materials, circulating an open call for participation, and arranging participant travel logistics.

A final workshop report is required within 3 months of the workshop and workshop organizers (and participants) may be asked to work with the SODCO Communications team to develop a summary article or outreach product.

Innovation Grants proposals should address how the project will use innovative approaches to help advance the goals and priorities of the scientific ocean drilling community and clearly identify expected project deliverables.

Innovation Grants proposals include the following elements.

• Innovation Grants Proposal Cover Sheet: The cover sheet must be completed and signed by the proposal PI and an authorized institutional representative.

• Application Form: The application should be completed by the lead proponent.

• Proposal Text: The main proposal text (no more than 10 pages, including figures and minimal references) should include the scientific motivation and project goals; a detailed research plan; project outcomes and impacts, with project-specific deliverables; plans for involvement of students and early career researchers; and a summary of other relevant current support and prior work by lead proponent.

• Budget and Budget Justification**: A full budget breakdown (table) and budget justification (text) are required, outlining how the request funding will be used.

• CV: No more than 2 pages, required for the lead proponent. If the proposed project includes co-proponents, their CVs should be submitted in Supporting Letters section below.

• Supporting Letters (optional)

• Demographic Information Form

• Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form

** Budgets for Innovation Grants projects should not exceed $60,000 and small, cost-effective budgets are encouraged. If travel is included, SODCO will manage travel funds directly and institutional overhead should not be applied to travel expenses in proposed budgets.

Innovation Grants projects should be scoped to be completed within a 12 month period. A final project report and deliverables are required within 3 months of project completion.

PIs and proponents must have a primary affiliation with a U.S. institution or organization to submit a proposal to SODCO.

All Workshop and Innovation Grants proposals should be submitted by the lead proponent or PI via the SODCO Application Portal. Visit the Portal to download proposal forms and preview proposal materials and instructions.

If you are a new user, you can create an applicant account in the Portal (you will need to verify your email address by responding to a Portal email). If you already have an account, log on to the Portal and create a new proposal submission.