Letter from the USAC Chair

March, 2012

Dear Colleagues,

I thank everyone who took time to complete the recent online survey of the U.S. ocean drilling community. The results were simply outstanding, with an impressive 433 responses representing 117 institutions. The large proportion of students (18%) and early career academics (25%) participating in IODP bodes very well for the future of ocean drilling research.

The survey results also show that 50% of you plan to submit drilling proposals for the next program. I strongly encourage you to consider submitting your proposal in time for the upcoming April 1st deadline. A large pool of high-quality and innovative drilling proposals is critical for achieving the goals of the science plan while scheduling efficient ship tracks. Drilling proposals submitted now will also assure that we are prepared for a smooth transition to a post-2013 program. The IODP-MI science managers can help you with the submission process.

Thank you again to those who participated in the community survey. A report on the results will be published in the next Core Discoveries newsletter and discussed in the Building U.S. Strategies for 2013-2023 Scientific Ocean Drilling workshop report.

All the best,

Anthony Koppers
Chair, U.S. Advisory Committee for Scientific Ocean Drilling