Collaborative Research: EarthScope Geochronology Graduate Student Training Program

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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.