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IOs Meeting #1 Agenda Print E-mail
The Roles of Implementing Organizations in IODP
A First Look at Cross-Platform Integration in a Multi-Platform Scientific Ocean Drilling Program

Gallatin Gateway Inn, Bozeman, MT
Convenor/Host: James A. Austin, Jr., Interim Director, IODP (UTIG)

Premise: The primary objective of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is to deliver the science summarized in IODP’s Initial Science Plan in a cost-efficient, seamless fashion, using multiple drilling capabilities. IODP will provide two primary drilling and sampling capabilities, the riser-equipped Chikyu and a non-riser capability (in two phases) to replace the JOIDES Resolution. In addition, mission-specific (MSP) drilling and sampling will be supplied on an as-needed basis for geologic environments not easily accessed by IODP’s primary capabilities, as science prioritization by the international community dictates.


Goal of this meeting: The immediate and continuing challenge will be to integrate the operations and output of these various drilling assets efficiently, for the ultimate benefit of the international science community. This meeting, perhaps the first of many, will assemble representatives from designated Implementing Organizations (IO’s), along with selected representatives from IMI, iSAS/SAS and the Lead Agencies, to begin to discuss such integration, hopefully in an informal and non-intimidating atmosphere. This meeting will provide an initial opportunity to get everyone "on the same page", to establish lines of communication, and to identify those issues that have to be resolved by IMI and SAS, as well as MEXT/NSF, over the next 1-2 years, in order to realize the primary objective stated in the premise above.

Agenda

Day 1: August 19 (Conference Room)

8:00-8:30 - light refreshments

8:30 - Austin - meeting logistics and introduction
(Note: a powerpoint projector will be used for all presentations at this meeting, and the convenor will request a copy of all .ppt presentations as a record of the meeting.)

  • CMO tasks and responsibilities - the role of CMO in cross-platform integration
  • Timeline of envisioned IODP start-up - implications for IO relationships
Remainder of Day 1: presentations by IO representatives

The goal of these presentations is (1) to begin to establish an informal dialog among drilling operators as to the operational and engineering capabilities each will supply on a routine (i.e., day-to-day) basis, which should lead to a general follow-on discussion relating to: (2) how cross-platform integration can best be achieved, and (3) which drilling, sampling and monitoring capabilities are most likely candidates for program-wide engineering development (to be contracted and supervised by IMI/CMO).

9:00-10:30 - CDEX (Taira et al.)

  • Platform operation
  • Science support (marine techs, lab, core repository, logging, etc.)
  • HSE (health, safety, environment) and legal issues
  • engineering development
10:30-10:45 - coffee break

10:45-12:15 - the JOI Alliance (Fox et al.)

12:15-1:45 - Lunch (on your own)

1:45-3:00 - Discussion, moderated by the convenor

  • What are the optimal pathways for the IO’s of IODP’s primary drilling and sampling capabilities to interact (e.g., regular meetings, perhaps in addition to SAS meetings [i.e., OPCOM], other?)
  • What areas are the most productive for attempts at cross-capability integration (e.g., technician pool(s), joint platform database strategies, integrated contracts for specialized services, other?).
  • How will IO’s interact with the CMO to assure that program-wide engineering development is carried out properly (e.g., regularly scheduled, platform-specific engineering tests, external oversight, other?) (Note: This will also be discussed specifically on Day 2.)
3:00-3:15 - Coffee break

3:15-4:45 - ESO (Falvey et al.)

4:45-5:30 - Discussion, moderated by the convenor

Given that: (1) MSP capability may not be provided to IODP continuously, and (2) when such a capability is provided, it may be supplied by different IO’s:

  • What is the best strategy for developing an integrated MSP product to the international community?
  • How best should the MSP IO(s) and the primary IOs interact?
5:30 (approx.) - Adjourn for the day.

Day 2: August 20, Golden Gateway Inn, Bozeman, MT (Conference Room)

8:00-8:30 - light refreshments

8:30-8:45 - summary by the convenor of Day 1 discussions. (Note: Lead Agency representatives will be asked at this time for their input.)

8:45-10:00 - Continued general discussion on matters arising from Day 1 presentations. (Note: Please be advised that the convenor will expect a series of resolutions to arise as a result of this meeting, which can be presented to iPC/SPC at their meeting in September.)

10:00-10:15 - Coffee break.

10:15-10:45 - IODP databases - a primary link between the IO’s and the CMO - Divins

Dave Divins, an employee of the U.S. National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), is a member of iSciMP and co-chair of a recent iSAS Working Group on Databases. Dave will summarize that report and entertain questions, which should lead to a general discussion on the provision of integrated database services within IODP.

  • What are the specific IO database-related responsibilities?
  • Where should the CMO take over?
10:45-11:30 - General discussion (moderated by the convenor) - databases and cross-platform integration.

11:30-12:00 - Ocean Observatories and IODP - Becker

Keir Becker, chair of ODP SCICOM and member-designate of SPC, will summarize results from the recent international workshop on the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), a large part of which dealt with the installation and monitoring of observatories as part of IODP. After his report, we will have a general discussion on the role that observatories will play in IODP:

  • How will/should IOs interact optimally with SAS and the community to install and maintain such observatories?
  • What role should the CMO play?
  • How much of observatory maintenance over time should be considered a "third party" (i.e., external to IODP) activity, and how much of it constitutes a fundamental legacy of multi-platform scientific ocean drilling?
12:00-1:30 - Lunch (on your own)

1:30-2:15 - General discussion (moderated by the convenor) - installation and monitoring of observatories in IODP.

  • How are these tasks most efficiently accomplished?
  • What are the best ways to interact with "third parties", e.g., observatory-centered programs external to IODP?
2:15-3:15 - Relationship(s) between the CMO and the IOs

This will be a general discussion, lead by the convenor. There are a number of clearly overlapping activities within the mandates of both the CMO and the IOs, in addition to provision and maintenance of databases and installation/monitoring of observatories - e.g., education and outreach, publications, and perhaps others. The convenor’s view is that the integrated output of IODP is the sole responsibility of centralized management, supported by SOCs supplied each year to the CMO by the Lead Agencies, in consultation with the IOs and the SAS. This view has been codified in the management principles of IODP ratified by IWG. However, the specific relationships of the various IOs with the CMO are somewhat vague, beyond provision of the annual program plan. The fundamental question is the following one:

  • How best can IODP, the IOs working with the CMO, provide the community with an integrated set of "internal" (e.g., databases) and "external" products (publications, education and outreach materials) for the optimal execution and dissemination of the science proposed by that community?
3:15-3:30 - Coffee break

3:30-4:30 - Engineering Development in IODP - all

How should IODP move forward with 1) identifying, 2) executing and 3) field testing of program-wide engineering development projects?

4:30-5:30 - Developing a series of joint resolutions.

As mentioned above, the convenor would like to leave this meeting with a series of joint resolutions, representing the unanimity of the IOs and the CMO on provision of an integrated set of services to the IODP scientific community. The convenor will prepare such a set of resolutions for discussion and potential ratification.

5:30 (approx.) - Consider the next meeting of this kind? If so, attempt to set a date and determine a venue. Adjourn.

Participants

From Japan - CDEX (Center for Deep Earth Exploration) - Operator, Chikyu:

  • Asahiko Taira, Director
  • Yoshi Kawamura
  • Shinichi Kuramoto
From the U.S. - SIC ("Systems Integration Contractor") - Operator, Non-riser capability:
The "JOI Alliance":

  • Jeff Fox, Director, TAMU (Texas A&M University)
  • Jack Baldauf, TAMU
  • David Goldberg, BRG, L-DEO (Borehole Research Group, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory)
  • Steve Bohlen, President, JOI, Inc. (Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc.)
From Europe - ESO (European Science Operator) - Operator, likely MSP ("mission-specific platforms") programs, ’04 and ’05:

  • David Falvey, Director, BGS (British Geological Survey)
  • Alister Skinner, BGS
  • Dan Evans, BGS
  • Catherine Mevel, EMA (European Management Agency)
From iSAS/SAS:

  • Ted Moore, co-chair - iPC, designated member - SPC
  • David Divins, member-iSciMP - representing databases
  • Keir Becker, designated member-SPC - representing the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI)
From the Lead Agencies:

  • NSF: Bruce Malfait, Jamie Allan
  • MEXT: Kenji Kimura
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