Collaborative Research: EarthScope Geochronology Graduate Student Training Program

地质年代学使用多种化学、物理和分析方法来估计岩石、矿物和有机物质在广泛地质时间范围内的年龄。地质学家、考古学家和其他科学家使用地质年代学来研究各种各样的主题，从地球上最古老的岩石的年龄（利用自然发生的铀的放射性衰变变成铅），到这个星球上生命的发展，以及我们的祖先对火和农业的掌握（使用可能是最著名的方法，碳14测年法）。EarthScope地质年代学研究生培训计划是一项新的倡议，旨在通过培养不同机构的研究生、科学家和实验室之间的新关系，促进跨学科和创新科学，同时使下一代地球科学家了解最先进的地质年代学工具，这些工具对开展现代地球科学研究非常重要。该计划为学生、导师和实验室提供支持，为互惠互利的出版物生成关键的高质量数据集；寻找未来的研究合作；使多学科科学成为可能。该计划是由EarthScope短期课程发起的，该课程汇集了地质年代学界的专家，进行一系列讲座和讨论，涵盖了不同地质年代学工具的理论和实际应用背后的基础知识。在节目结束时，在一次全国会议上召开的地球观测会议将集中讨论北美大陆的演变。S的结果，并允许评估其整体成功。该计划的基本结构使研究生能够申请高达10,000美元的资金，用于资助分析费用，样品制备，前往主办实验室的旅行，住宿和其他费用，以推进地球范围科学目标的某些方面。这些资金允许学生参观实验室一周或更长时间，参与分析和样品制备，并学习现代分析设备中使用的方法、技术和理论的基本方面。学生可以申请资金，使用任何最适合他们提出的研究项目的方法，包括但不限于，U-Pb, Argon-40/Argon-39, Lu-Hf, Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr， u系列，裂变径迹，(U-Th)/He，碳14，宇宙成因暴露和发光测年。美国或其领土上的任何实验室都可以参加。希望参加该计划的实验室必须简单地提供一份简短的（1-2页）书面总结，描述学生参观实验室时应该期待的研究和学习经历。撰写提案的学生有责任与地质年代学实验室的工作人员联系，讨论他们的项目、时间表，以及为什么这种特殊的技术将有助于解决他们研究提案中的基本问题。如果实验室主任认为这是一个互利的机会，他们会提供一封支持信，帮助学生完善和澄清他们提出的研究。该项目提供了许多潜在的变革性成果，包括：1)在不同机构的研究人员和实验室之间培养新的关系和跨学科的创新科学；2)在地质年代学专家的指导下，为学生提供新的机会，获得地质年代学数据采集和解释的实践经验；3)实施低成本机制，为学生、导师和实验室互惠互利的项目和出版物生成关键数据，同时为未来的提案和合作奠定基础；4)促进科学发展，为EarthScope的核心科学目标——研究北美大陆的地质历史——提供重要贡献。

Non-technical Summary Geochronology uses multiple chemical, physical, and analytical approaches to estimate the ages of rocks, minerals, and organic materials over a wide range of geologic time. Geologists, archeologists, and other scientists use geochronology to study topics as diverse as the ages of the oldest rocks on earth (using radioactive decay of naturally occurring uranium into lead), the development of life on this planet, and our ancestors' mastery of fire and agriculture (using perhaps the most well-known method, Carbon 14 dating). The EarthScope Geochronology Graduate Student Training Program is a new initiative designed to promote interdisciplinary and innovative science by fostering new relationships between graduate students, scientists, and labs at different institutions, while simultaneously equipping the next generation of Earth scientists with an understanding of state-of-the-art geochronology tools that are profoundly important for conducting modern geoscience research. The program provides support to generate key, high-quality datasets for publications of mutual benefit to students, advisors, and labs; to found future research collaborations; and enable multidisciplinary science. The program is being launched by an EarthScope short course bringing together experts in the geochronology community for a series of lectures and discussions covering the fundamentals behind both the theory and practical uses of different geochronologic tools. At the end of the program, an EarthScope session convened at a national meeting and focused on North American continent evolution will synthesize the program?s results and allow evaluation of its overall success.Technical Description The basic structure of the program enables graduate students to apply for up to $10,000 to fund analytical costs, sample preparation, travel to the host lab, lodging, and other expenses for a project that advances some aspects of EarthScope science goals. These funds allow the students to visit the lab for a week or more, participate in the analysis and sample preparation, and learn fundamental aspects of the methods, techniques, and theory used in modern analytical facilities. Students can apply for funds to use whichever method is most appropriate for their proposed research project, including, but not limited to, U-Pb, Argon-40/Argon-39, Lu-Hf, Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr, U-series, fission-track, (U-Th)/He, Carbon-14, cosmogenic exposure, and luminescence dating. Any lab in the United States or its territories can participate. Laboratories wishing to participate in the program must simply provide a brief (1-2 page) written summary that describes the research and learning experiences a student should expect when visiting the lab. Students who are writing proposals are responsible for initiating contact with geochronology lab staff to discuss their project, timelines, and why this particular technique will help address the fundamental questions in their research proposal. If the lab director feels that this is a mutually beneficial opportunity, they provide a support letter and help the student refine and clarify their proposed research.This project is providing a number of potentially transformative outcomes, including the 1) fostering of new relationships and interdisciplinary, innovative science between researchers and labs at different institutions, 2) generation of new opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience with geochronology data acquisition and interpretation while being mentored by geochronology experts, 3) implementation of a low-cost mechanism for generation of key data for projects and publications of mutual benefit to students, advisors and labs, while laying the foundation for future proposals and collaborations, and 4) promotion of science that provides an important contribution to EarthScope's core science goal to investigate the geologic history of the North American continent.