May, 2011

Dear Colleagues,

As emphasized in the article on page 8 of Core Discoveries, community input is vital to the new drilling program. The new Science Plan outlines where we want to go. Drilling proposals provide the road map to achieve our goals. The scientific community should begin proposing ideas in all disciplines for future scientific drilling. The new IODP, if approved, will continue immediately after the end of the existing program. Scientifically, it is excellent news that there will not be a lengthy hiatus; however, this means that as a community we must continue to submit competitive, outstanding proposals for the new program. It is important to have enough science to not only fill the schedule, but also to optimize ship tracks.

The next deadline for drilling proposals will be October 1, 2011. In addition to writing new proposals, I encourage you to volunteer to serve on the new Science Advisory Structure (SAS) and the U.S. Advisory Committee for Scientific Ocean Drilling (USAC). The U.S. Science Support Program will soon issue a call for new SAS and USAC participants.

Best regards,

Liz Screaton, USAC Chair
screaton@ufl.edu