2023.05.19
The International Ocean Drilling Programme-3 (IODP-cubed) will start on January 1st, 2025 (19 May, 2023)
Drilling Programme – IODP3 (IODP-cubed) that will begin immediately after the conclusion of the current IODP.
ECORD and JAPAN, two of the current IODP Platform Providers, will be the IODP3 Core Members. Organisations from other nations will be invited to join IODP3 as:
- Associate Members, who lack their own dedicated scientific ocean drilling platform(s) and making regular cash contributions to IODP3;
- Temporary Members, who may provide cash and/or project-based in-kind contributions (IKC) to access IODP3 expedition(s) and/or other services.
IODP3 will be basec on the following major principles:
General:
- IODP3 will consist of an international scientific collaboration addressing important questions in Earth, Ocean, Environmental and Life sciences based on the study of rock and/or sediment cores, borehole imaging, in-situ observatory data, and related geophysical imaging obtained from the subseafloor.
- IODP3 will adopt a transparent, open, flexible and international modus operandi, adopting programme-wide standard policies and guidelines, sustainable management and publicly accessible knowledge-based resources.
- IODP3 will adopt the Enduring Principles of the 2050 Science Framework: Exploring Earth by Scientific Ocean Drilling.
Proposals:
- IODP3 will receive drilling proposals that are submitted with a bottom-up process by teams of proponents belonging to the international research community. Those proposals will address the objectives of the 2050 Science Framework or other outstanding new research ideas.
- The merit-based evaluation of drilling proposals will be conducted in a fair, open and transparent manner by advisory panels composed of top international experts from IODP3 Core and Associate Members selected through competitive calls. The advisory panels will provide independent advice to the platform operators on science quality, feasibility, safety, and environmental issues. The advisory panels will be logistically supported by the IODP3 Science Office and serve all the platforms employed by the programme.
Expeditions:
- IODP3 expeditions will be implemented by the MSP Operators, ESO and/or JAMSTEC- MarE3, following the Mission Specific Platform (MSP) concept. This concept will be expanded by diversifying drilling and coring technologies and applying them to all drilling environments, as determined by scientific priorities, operational efficiency and better value for money. D/V Chikyu and R/V Kaimei are identified as MSP facilities that are crucial for the successful implementation of the 2050 Science Framework.
- IODP3 expeditions duration will be flexible and determined by scientific requirements. Expeditions may be as short as 14 days, as long as up to several weeks or, for exceptional expeditions, up to several months, based on different implementation plans that will be included in the proposal.
- IODP3 expeditions will welcome in-kind contributions (IKC) and/or cash contributions from any IODP3 member or non-member country/institution. For existing IODP3 members, IKCs will be rewarded by extra Science Party positions on any IODP3 expedition. For IODP3 temporary members, IKCs will be rewarded by extra Science Party positions only on the specific expedition on which the IKC will be applied.
- IODP3 drilling expeditions will be scheduled by the MSP Facility Board based on their scientific merit and operational constraints within the limits of the available resources. The MSP Facility Board will also be the policy-making body for IODP3 drilling proposals and facilities.
- IODP3 expeditions are intended to have no significant environmental impact, in conformance with the highest accepted levels of environmental sensitivity.
- IODP3 expeditions will be undertaken by international teams of scientists forming a Science Party and selected by the MSP Operator(s) based on recommendations made by Programme Member Offices (PMOs). Participation rights in IODP3 expeditions will be scaled to the relative financial contributions of IODP3 members. Staffing decisions will consider, as far as possible, the goal of achieving the maximum diversity in science parties. Science Party staffing will be flexible and tailored to scientific objectives of expeditions.
Post Expedition:
- IODP3 will provide open access to all expedition samples and data once the expedition Science Party members have had the opportunity to complete the initial studies within the established moratorium period, typically a year. After the expiration of the moratorium period, the programme will make samples, cores and data available to any scientist, in accordance with the IODP3 Samples, Data and Obligations Policy following the FAIR data principles.
- IODP3 will include the services provided by the current IODP core repositories in Bremen (BCR) and Kochi (KCC).
All statements above are subject to changes
Gilbert Camoin, Director of the ECORD Managing Agency
Angelo Camerlenghi, Chair of ESSAC
Nobu Eguchi, Director of Operations Department, MarE3, JAMSTEC
Sanny Saito, Director of J-DESC Support Office