Science Planning

As directed by the National Science Foundation, the CSD Facility coordinates the development of long-range science plans through community engagement and prioritization.

The Science Plan is similar to those for ocean drilling and ice drilling communities, and builds on past community white papers and reports, including:

The Science Plan identifies the compelling scientific questions in the coming decade requiring drilling or coring activities, and the infrastructure (drilling tooling, downhole survey equipment, lab instrumentation, cyberinfrastructure, etc.) required to meet the scientific goals. The plans prioritize resource development by the CSD Facility, and give funding agencies a roadmap for upcoming community scientific needs.

Download the current draft of the Community Science Plan here. This file is updated periodically with revisions and new content.

If you plan to core or drill on Earth's continents (including in lakebeds) in the next 10 years, regardless of the scope of your project, your ideas should be included in the Science Plan, and your target sites should be defined. We encourage you to contact Facility staff to discuss your plans, or submit your abstract(s) for conceptual project(s) using this webform, for inclusion in new versions of the Science Plan. Multiple submissions by a single investigator are welcome.

These plans support long-term planning and resource allocation by NSF and the CSD Facility. Be sure your science is represented!