The Schlanger Ocean Drilling Fellowship Program offers merit-based awards for graduate students enrolled in a Ph.D. program to conduct research using samples/data from the International Ocean Discovery Program or one of its predecessor scientific ocean drilling programs. The Fellowship year begins in either June or August (summer or fall semester) and runs one year. During the following summer, at the conclusion of the fellowship, Schlanger Fellows may attend a meeting of the U.S. Advisory Committee for Scientific Ocean Drilling (USAC) to present the initial results of their research and take part in U.S. Science Support Program-related activities.
Given that USSSP’s prime award from NSF will be concluding in 2026, we are not able to offer fellowships for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Award Information
Fellowship awards are $30,000 for a 12-month period and are made to the fellow’s home institution. The entire amount is intended to be applied to the research project, student stipend, tuition, benefits, and, if necessary, related travel. No part of the award is to be used to cover institutional overhead, administrative costs, or permanent equipment. Award start dates can be negotiated on an individual basis—but in general are based on the academic year and following summer.
Applicants are discouraged from proposing projects reliant on data from expeditions that are scheduled but have not yet taken place. USSSP cannot fund projects based on prospective datasets.
The fellowship is open to all graduate students currently enrolled at U.S. institutions in full-time Ph.D. programs. Approval of the research project by the student’s faculty advisor is necessary to begin the application process. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, creed, sex, age, or national origin.
The Schlanger Fellowship winners for the 2025-2026 academic year are:
Investigating ice sheet collapse and expansion as a driver of micro-nutrient bioavailability
Abstract
The rapid melting of ice sheets is among the most visible consequences of anthropogenic climate change and has the potential to disrupt marine biogeochemical cycles. Predicting how marine primary productivity will respond in this rapidly changing environment remains uncertain, because ice sheets may enhance inputs of iron (Fe) into regions where Fe is presently a bio-limiting nutrient. I propose to assess how Fe delivery and reactivity have changed over long timescales with the expansion and decline of multiple major ice sheets by characterizing the amount and speciation of Fe delivered to the seafloor, using multiple geochemical and mineralogical analytical methods on IODP cores from Baffin Bay, the Ross Sea, and the Gulf of Alaska.
Biography
I discovered Earth science in an introductory geology course at The Ohio State University, where my undergraduate and master’s research focused on Arctic marine sediments. I participated in a geophysical research cruise to the Chukchi Sea and found a passion for seagoing research, which led me to a position as a marine lab technician on the JOIDES Resolution. I sailed in support of eleven IODP expeditions before transitioning to a career as a middle school science teacher. In 2021, I decided to return to graduate school and pursue a PhD at Kent State University, where I work with Dr. Allyson Tessin studying biogeochemical cycling and sediment delivery in polar regions. I was thrilled to return to the JOIDES Resolution as an inorganic geochemist on IODP Expedition 400 to Baffin Bay. My Schlanger Fellowship project will focus on the relationship between iron cycling and glacial instability, using sediments from Expedition 400 as well as IODP sites in the Ross Sea and Gulf of Alaska.
Understanding influences on the marine phosphorus budget during Quaternary glacial- interglacial cycles: Insights from Hawaiian fossil corals
Abstract
All organisms require phosphorus, and its distribution and abundance in the ocean limits primary production over short- and long-term timescales. As the marine sources and sinks of P are intimately controlled by climatic processes, anthropogenic climate and environmental change has and will continue to cause perturbations to the marine phosphorus cycle. It is critical that we understand the history of marine phosphorus cycling and its response(s) to climate fluctuations in a variety of environmental and oceanographic settings. I propose to investigate phosphorus cycle dynamics in a shallow water, oceanographically isolated tropical reef environment during Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles. I will analyze past seawater phosphate concentrations through the penultimate glacial-interglacial transition using the novel proxy carbonate-associated phosphate (CAP). As a result of combined global and local processes, I anticipate observing low phosphate levels during warm intervals and elevated phosphate during cooler intervals, reaching a peak at maximum glaciation that persists into early stages of warming. I predict that this glacial increase in phosphate concentrations was driven by global fall in sea level, reducing burial of P on continental shelves, and enhanced local weathering and P runoff from the Hawaiian Islands. These hypotheses will be further investigated by comparing P trends with those of coral skeleton nitrogen isotopes from the same samples, providing an additional constraint on nutrient budgets. Findings from this study will contribute to a better understanding of historical phosphorus cycling and enhance our ability to anticipate future warming-forced changes. Further, use of CAP in this study will aid in its development as a geochemical proxy.
Biography
My interest in geology stemmed from childhood experiences collecting Miocene fossils along the Chesapeake Bay in southern Maryland, where I grew up. It wasn’t until my time at Smith College, though, that I fully embraced this interest and became hooked on sedimentary geochemistry research as a tool to understand the history of life and environments on Earth. After graduating with a BA in Geoscience in 2021, I started my PhD at Virginia Tech working with Dr. Benjamin Gill. My research thus far has focused on using stable isotope geochemistry and redox proxies to evaluate environmental instability as a driver of extinctions during the Cambrian. In 2022, I took a step outside my comfort zone and applied to participate in IODP Expedition 389, Hawaiian Drowned Reefs. As part of Exp. 389, I am applying similar geochemical tools in much younger systems, studying how climate-forced nitrogen fluctuations affected coral reef health in the Pleistocene. My Schlanger Fellowship project will add phosphorus analyses as well, providing unique insights into nutrient fluxes and weathering that nitrogen alone cannot provide.
Interhemispheric ocean circulation and climate variability during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition
Abstract
Abrupt shifts in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a key driver of global heat distribution, are closely tied to Pleistocene rapid climate changes. The absence of a continuous high-resolution flow strength record from the eastern component of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT, ~1250–750 ka) limits our understanding of deep ocean circulation’s role in regulating Earth’s climate. This research will generate millennial-scale sortable silt grain size, ice-rafted debris, stable isotopic, and geochemical proxy data from Gardar Drift sediments (IODP Site U1564 near the Reykjanes Ridge south of Iceland) to reconstruct MPT bottom current flow strengths and iceberg discharge, clarifying the link and phasing associated with climate oscillations involving thermohaline circulation and ice sheet dynamics.
Biography
I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Geology in Nigeria before moving to the United States to pursue my PhD. At Ahmadu Bello University, my undergraduate research involved geological mapping and petrological analysis of sandstone outcrops, while my master’s thesis at the University of Lagos focused on sedimentary provenance using heavy minerals. After my master’s, I briefly explored a career in tech, working as a Project Manager, but soon realized my passion remained in geosciences and research. This led me to seek a PhD program aligned with my interests in sedimentary processes, climate, and environmental change, ultimately joining Dr. Molly Patterson’s research group at Binghamton University. My PhD focuses on reconstructing past climate, ocean circulation, and ice sheet interactions using proxy data from deep-sea sediment cores collected during two IODP Expeditions—one from the North Atlantic and another from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet margin. After my first year, I sailed on IODP Expedition 395 as a shipboard sedimentologist, an invaluable experience collaborating with researchers and technicians from diverse backgrounds. Supported by my advisor, USAC mentor, collaborators, and the Schlanger Fellowship, I am excited to advance this research and share its findings with the scientific community.
Reconstructing water exchange dynamics using salinity and temperature during the Messinian Salinity Crisis
Abstract
The Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) (~5.96–5.33 Ma) remains the subject of continued debate, particularly regarding the extent of Mediterranean isolation, the nature of water exchange through the Gibraltar Strait, and the mechanisms of reflooding—whether gradual or catastrophic. This study, using sediment cores from recent IODP Expedition 401, aims to provide critical data to help resolve these debates by reconstructing salinity gradients and temperature variability across the Atlantic- Mediterranean gateway. Proxies such as archaeol and caldarchaeol ecometric (ACE) and percentage of C37:4 alkenones for salinity, and TEX86 and UK’37 for sea surface temperature (SST), will provide high-resolution records spanning MSC stages of isolation, peak salinity, and reflooding. This study will examine the likelihood of an isolated lake-like western Mediterranean and whether salinity and temperature gradients support a two-step progressive reflooding or a catastrophic Zanclean flood. By addressing key MSC controversies, this research advances understanding of Atlantic-Mediterranean water dynamics, gateway closure, and the environmental impacts of one of Earth’s most extreme paleoceanographic events.
Biography
I developed a strong interest in paleoclimate research during my undergraduate studies at Lanzhou University, where I explored climate evolution using molecular biomarkers. This passion led me to the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, where I conducted multi-proxy reconstructions of past precipitation, temperature, and wildfire activity using hydrogen isotopes of leaf wax n-alkanes, GDGTs, and PAHs. My research focused on understanding paleoenvironmental changes on the Tibetan Plateau and their broader climatic implications. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in the Molecular Paleoclimatology and Organic Biogeochemistry lab of Dr. Melissa Berke at the University of Notre Dame. I am expanding my research to marine records, focusing on reconstructing past salinity variations during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. By applying biomarker-based approaches, particularly archaeal lipid indicators such as archaeol, I aim to enhance our understanding of paleosalinity dynamics during this critical period of Mediterranean desiccation. My research will contribute to refining interpretations of past oceanic conditions and their connection to global climate shifts.
Local versus remote controls on the nitrogen cycle in the Indonesian Throughway over the past 500 ka
Abstract
The feedback between the biological conversion of inert atmospheric N2 to organic nitrogen (nitrogen fixation) and the biological reduction of nutrient species of nitrogen to N2 (denitrification) controls the budget of bioavailable nitrogen, essential to primary productivity and carbon export in the world’s oceans. Nutrient delivery from coastal runoff stimulates nitrogen fixation and may disrupt this feedback, but not much is known about this mechanism. The Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) is the gateway where Pacific and Indian Ocean waters exchange and is an ideal location to study the interaction of multiple geochemical triggers. In the ITF, IODP Site U1483 sits nearby the northwest Australian upwelling zone and downstream of coastal runoff controlled by a highly variable hydroclimate. Pacific waters flowing through the ITF carry the signal of remote pelagic denitrification, also influencing the geochemistry at U1483. Each of these factors varies with global climate change, yet with distinct pacings. I will leverage the temporal differences within a newly generated 500 kyr record of foraminiferal bound nitrogen isotopes to examine the dominant controls on productivity and nitrogen cycling in the ITF from the mid Pleistocene through to the Holocene.
Biography
I grew up on the New Jersey coastline playing in the marshes and mud, inspiring me to learn as much as I could about the natural world. I completed a B.S. in Environmental Science at the University of Rochester, where my interest in geochemistry and paleoclimate ignited while taking classes and conducting independent research on carbon isotopes from foraminifera in Arctic methane seeps. My growing love of forams led me to work with Dr. Rebecca Robinson at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. My dissertation work focuses on nitrogen cycle changes in the southwest Indian Ocean on different geologic timescales. I am excited for my work with the Schlanger Fellowship to take me to the other side of the Indian Ocean, where I will examine nitrogen fixation and productivity at another ocean gateway and work on creating a more complete picture of the Indian Ocean nitrogen cycle. I look forward to connecting with other geochemists as I complete the program.
Viral communities as potential modulators in carbon and sulfur metabolisms in sediment from a young Tyrrhenian basin
Abstract
Viruses are the most abundant entities in the ocean and play important roles in controlling microbial populations by lysis, which releases dissolved organic carbon and other nutrients back to the environment. Viruses have therefore the potential to be important modulators in biogeochemical cycles. I propose to characterize the diversity of viral communities to identify their functional roles as potential modulators of biogeochemical cycles of carbon and sulfur in sediments of the Tyrrhenian basin using a metagenomic approach. The results of this study will provide the characterization of novel viruses inhabiting sediments. It will elucidate virus–host interactions and their impact in the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and sulfur.
Biography
Deep-ocean exploration was a subject that always appealed to me. I was born in Arequipa, Peru, where I earned my BS in Biological Sciences. Though I was landlocked and surrounded by volcanoes, I had a great interest in marine life and sciences, particularly in the most ancient known organisms. I went to graduate school to delve into the field of geomicrobiology, looking for life beneath the ocean floor. I study bacteria and archaea but also viruses, which people often fear, despite their ecological impact. I am pursuing a PhD in marine biology at Texas A&M University at Galveston under the guidance of Dr. Jessica Labonté at the Viral Ecology Lab. My research focuses on the diversity and interactions of marine microbial communities of deep-sea sediments and how they contribute to the biogeochemical cycles that modulate our planet. I’m studying how microbial interactions drive biogeochemical cycles under different geological settings, how viral activity and diversity play a role in biogeochemical cycles, and the adaptations that allow the survival of microbes under stress conditions. I also sailed as a microbiologist on IODP Expedition 402 (Tyrrhenian Continent–Ocean Transition) and I will use the sediment samples collected during this expedition as part of the Schlanger Fellowship project.
Investigating the Mysterious Early Miocene Pelagic Shark Extinction: Insights from Marine Barite and Planktic Foraminifera
Abstract
Shifts in the biological pump and carbon export impact climate and marine ecosystems. During the early Miocene, the drivers of an identified pelagic shark extinction in the Pacific Ocean, remain unknown. In this study, I propose to couple foraminifera-bound organic δ15N (FB-δ15N, denitrification proxy) and barite accumulation rates (BAR; carbon export proxy), to investigate shifts in nutrient dynamics that may be influencing the dramatic shift in the pelagic ecosystem. I will combine FB-δ15N records and BAR records from the Pacific and Atlantic to develop a global understanding of any major biogeochemical shifts during this time.
Biography
Growing up in the Bronx, New York, my first hands-on experience with Earth science was a high school internship at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Secondary School Field Research Program. I was drawn to paleoclimate and paleoceanography as a first-year student at Barnard College. I was fascinated that we could understand past climate through archives in marine sediment which could inform future changes. Through the Science Pathways Scholars Program, I conducted paleoclimate research at the American Museum of Natural History. I completed my undergraduate thesis reconstructing CO2 outgassing in the Southern Indian Ocean using planktic foraminifera. I am currently a Ph.D student at The Ohio State University advised by Dr. Elizabeth Griffith. I am interested in understanding changes in the paleo-ocean and carbon cycle that have led to abrupt and extreme changes. The Schlanger Fellowship will allow me to investigate biogeochemical shifts during the early Miocene to understand ecosystems’ response to major perturbations and how they might respond in the future. I am grateful for the mentors who have shaped my passions in paleoceanography and paleoclimatology through their constant encouragement and guidance in my journey.
Evaluation
USSSP convenes a multi-disciplinary panel of scientists to evaluate research proposals and award fellowships. However, keep in mind that the panel may not consist of researchers with specific expertise in your field; thus, proposals should be written for non-specialists. The selection process is based heavily on an evaluation of research potential and quality; applicants are therefore encouraged to propose innovative and imaginative research that can be accomplished in one year. The number of fellowships awarded depends upon the availability of funds, but three to five awards are typically made each academic year. Applicants are permitted to resubmit a rejected proposal in a subsequent year. Financial need is not considered during the evaluation process.
Obligations
Fellows must implement their research plans over the one-year period of the award and abide by the conditions of the award; major program changes must be approved by both USSSP and the fellow’s faculty advisor. During the award period, fellows are considered guest investigators and not employees of USSSP, IODP, or associated organizations.
Application Materials
The following materials are required for a Schlanger Fellowship application:
1. Application Form: This form includes contact information for the applicant, plus the proposed project title, relevant DSDP, ODP or IODP expedition(s), geographic region, and scientific problem(s) of interest.
2. Recommendation Letters: Two letters of recommendation are required, one from the applicant’s faculty advisor and one from a second reference.
3. Research Proposal: Each research proposal must include a short title, an abstract (about 100 words), and a description of the proposed research (statement of the problem and hypothesis, background and relevance to previous work, discussion of methodology and procedure to be followed, explanation of new or unusual techniques, and discussion of expected results, significance, and application). Research proposals must not exceed four (4) pages of text, not including references or figures. Figures should be included separately at the end of the proposal and should be limited to two (2) pages.
4. Proposal Implementation Form: Applicants are asked to respond to specific questions about other funding sources, their research facilities, and the timeline of their proposed research.
5. Curriculum Vitae: CV should include relevant educational history (degrees and dates awarded); fellowships, scholarships, and awards received; academic honors received; society membership(s); employment experience (including any internships); and any authored or co-authored journal articles, abstracts, or other publications related to your proposed research.
6. Demographic Information Form: This information may be shared with reviewers. If you do not wish to disclose any of the information (excluding your name), please check the appropriate box.
Previous Schlanger Fellows
For a list of previous Schlanger Fellowship winners, please click here.
Questions?
Contact [email protected] for more information.
