July 3, 2024

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Advisory Committee for Geosciences (AC-GEO) established the Subcommittee for a New Scientific Ocean Drilling Platform in March of 2024. The Subcommittee is outlining the key infrastructure requirements of a new scientific ocean drilling platform that most effectively addresses the Science Mission Requirements (SMRs) determined by the scientific community while meeting the operational and budgetary constraints for long term operation. NSF has contracted the Institute for Defense Analyses’ Science and Technology Policy Institute to work with the Subcommittee to provide cost estimates for construction and operation of such a platform.

The Assistant Director for Geosciences, in consultation with the Division Director for Ocean Sciences, appointed six subcommittee members to ensure a balanced representation of scientific disciplines utilizing scientific ocean drilling, including those who have experience coordinating expeditions. Effort was also made to ensure a diverse membership of individuals from underrepresented groups, different geographic regions, and varying career stages.

The Subcommittee is comprised of the following members:

• Samantha Bova, San Diego State University
• Emily Cooperdock, Brown University
• Brandon Dugan, Colorado School of Mines
• Kusali Gamage, Austin Community College
• Rebecca Robinson, University of Rhode Island
• Masako Tominaga, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

The members of the Subcommittee have terms of 18 months, through submission of the final report anticipated in March 2025. The report will be made publicly available following acceptance and approval by the AC-GEO.

Any questions or comments should be directed to the NSF Ocean Drilling Program (odp@nsf.gov) and will be shared with Subcommittee members directly.

---

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

 Get News Updates by Email 

Connect with us online
NSF website: nsf.gov
NSF News: nsf.gov/news
For News Media: nsf.gov/news/newsroom
Statistics: nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards database: nsf.gov/awardsearch/

Follow us on social
Twitter: twitter.com/NSF
Facebook: facebook.com/US.NSF
Instagram: instagram.com/nsfgov