The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program is currently accepting application for the following expeditions :

• Expedition 331: Deep Hot Biosphere
• Expedition 332: NanTroSEIZE Riserless Observatory 2
• Expedition 333: NanTroSEIZE Inputs Coring 2 and Heat Flow

Applications for Expedition 331 are due on July 11, 2010, and applications for Expeditions 332 and 333 are due on July 19, 2010.

Eligibility

USSSP sponsors participation on IODP expeditions by scientists and engineers (e.g., professors, research scientists, technologists, graduate students) affiliated with U.S. institutions (e.g., universities, government agencies, corporations). Personnel affiliated with institutions in other IODP member countries should apply for IODP participation through their country's national program office.

Expedition lengths may vary, but two months is a typical duration. Applicants must be available for the entire length of the expedition. Invitees will be assigned a specific role in the scientific party and must sign an agreement with the expedition operator elaborating their responsibilities during the expedition and their acceptance of all the rights, privileges, and obligations of a member of the science party as defined by IODP policy.

If selected, science party members may receive financial support including:

• Salary: USSSP provides salary support to approved U.S. expedition participants for a period of approximately 1.5 times the duration of an expedition in weeks, where the additional time covers preparation, travel, and participation in post-expedition activities. U.S. co-chief scientists normally receive a longer period of salary support (up to eight months total) because of their additional expedition-related responsibilities. The program director determines the exact salary period of each participant in light of available funding and other factors.
• Travel: USSSP coordinates and funds the travel of expedition participants to and from the drilling platform and also supports their travel as necessary to pre- and post-expedition meetings for planning, sampling, and coordination of research results. Science party members will receive detailed travel instructions after accepting the invitation to sail.
• Miscellaneous: Expedition participants may receive limited reimbursement for miscellaneous costs such as required medical exams, travel visas, and safety training.

Required Application Materials

Please read the following and submit the required materials to: expeditions [at] oceanleadership [dot] org.

1. Online Application Form: Read and fill out the online application completely.
2. Curriculum Vitae: Should include educational history (degrees and dates awarded), employment experience (including any internships), and any authored or co-authored journal articles, abstracts, or other publications related to the proposed research.
3. Participation Plan:  One to two pages outlining the analyses or research proposed for the 12-month moratorium period following the expedition (when the science party has exclusive access to expedition samples and data) and explaining how this work relates to the expedition objectives. The contents and quality of the participation plan, excluding the budget, will factor into the staffing decisions. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to revise their participation plans in light of recovered samples and expedition outcomes.
4. Preliminary Budget:  The applicant should include a preliminary budget of up to $15,000 delineating the major work categories (e.g., post-expedition salary, supplies, analytical costs, etc), also including the institution's overhead rate.  Ocean Leadership will consider informal budgets in the application, pending a formal budget to be submitted through an authorized representative of the applicant's institution after the expedition.
5. Faculty Adviser Recommendation: Applications from graduate students must include a letter from their primary adviser documenting the student's scientific experience and detailing how participation on the cruise would fit into their graduate degree program.
6. Demographic Information Form: This information will not be disclosed to external peer reviewers. If you do not wish to fill out any of the information (excluding your name), please check the appropriate box.

Questions?

Contact expeditions [at] oceanleadership [dot] org for more information.