Scientific Ocean Drilling Coordination Office for the Division of Ocean Sciences

The Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) requests proposals from eligible U.S. institutions to provide a Scientific Ocean Drilling Coordination Office (SODCO). This Coordinating Office will work with Principal Investigators (PIs) in the selection of suitable, academically or commercially available drilling and coring platforms to collect subseafloor samples, make subseafloor measurements, and install long-term borehole observatories. It is anticipated that SODCO will be supported by the NSF Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) through a Cooperative Agreement of up to five years duration with the possibility of renewal for up to an additional five years.

SODCO may work with the commercial drilling community or other drilling organizations from the United States or abroad to determine the type and availability of drilling platforms and services that may be available for NSF-funded scientific projects that require ocean drilling. SODCO will have the expertise to generate requests for bids to provide the drilling services as needed. SODCO is expected to play a proactive role in the ocean science community to encourage innovation in drilling technologies and methods in response to scientific community needs and will help guide the development of new drilling designs as requested by the ocean science community. 

SODCO will coordinate and manage drilling activities for the U.S. ocean science community. Requirements for drilling activities will be derived both from long-range science plans developed by the ocean science community as well as research proposals funded by NSF. We encourage collaborations with international partners and with scientists funded by other sources. SODCO will be capable of assisting in the planning and execution of all aspects of the drilling activities.

Interested parties must respond to this solicitation with a proposal to provide for these services under a single award. SODCO award will be administered as a Cooperative Agreement with an anticipated duration of up to five-years. A mid-term management review will be required, which will guide a decision to re-compete or renew the Cooperative Agreement for up to a further five-year period.

SODCO’s role is expected to be coordination and management of activities for proponents seeking to develop a deep-sea drilling program; financial support for a specific drilling expedition, including lease of a specific platform will be through another award instrument. It is expected that provision of expedition-specific platforms will therefore be accomplished early in the science proposal development process in collaboration with individual proponents that intend to establish a drilling-based research program.