Management and Operations of the JOIDES Resolution as a Facility for the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP)

国际海洋发现计划（IODP）旨在推进海洋地球科学的基础研究，由美国国家科学基金会（NSF）和超过26个其他国际合作伙伴提供支持。IODP建立在科学海洋钻探的传统之上，例如深海钻探项目（1969-1983）、海洋钻探计划（1985-2003）和多钻井平台综合海洋钻探计划（2003-2013）。海洋钻探被用来研究从地球气候变化到大陆的裂谷和漂移等过程。钻探是对地球上70%的沉积物和地壳岩石取样的主要工具。这是唯一一种能够对比海底深几米的物体进行采样的技术。新的IODP于2013年10月1日开始，利用新的科学计划照亮地球？“过去、现在和未来”（http://www.iodp.org/Science-Plan-for-2013-2023/）是由600多名国际科学家共同策划的。该计划确定了新IODP最初强调的四个主题：1)气候与海洋变化：解读过去，告知未来2)生物圈前沿：深层生命、生物多样性和生态系统的环境强迫3)地球联系：深层过程及其对地球的影响？美国国家研究委员会的报告《科学海洋钻探：成就与挑战》（2011）（http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13232#toc）回顾了以前海洋钻探项目取得的科学成就，以及这一新的科学计划所设想的未来科学发现的潜力。NRC发现“科学计划中的四个主题中的每一个都确定了具有潜在变革性科学的引人注目的挑战，这些挑战只能通过科学的海洋钻探来解决。”报告指出，综合海洋钻探计划的研究范围和方法是国际科学合作中最佳实践的一个例子。2006-2009年，通过MREFC账户对JOIDES Resolution进行了改装，大大提高了该船的钻井能力，随后创造了许多新的钻井深度记录，并大幅提高了岩心采收率和质量。钻探船在岩芯中获得高分辨率气候记录的深度增加了一倍，扩大了详细研究地球气候历史的能力。科学能力也得到了增强，增加了一个新的微生物实验室，一个新的数据管理基础设施，具有重大的网络基础设施升级，核心处理区域和泊位增加了25%，每个船上实验室都有新的或增强的科学分析仪器。船舶和钻机的可靠性已被证明是强大的，在作业期间几乎100%的设备可用性。JOIDES Resolution、Chikyu和Mission-Specific Platform （MSP）钻井平台将继续分别由NSF、日本和欧洲海洋研究钻井联盟提供给IODP。新的科学计划吸取了以往项目的经验教训，以合作而不是整合为基础，建立了一个精简的多平台国际项目。IODP的JOIDES Resolution作业计划由设施委员会进行，JOIDES Resolution作业的管理和资金将独立于IODP的其他钻井平台。JOIDES分辨率设施委员会（JR FB）由科学界的一名成员领导，由参与JOIDES分辨率操作的国家的科学家和政府代表以及JOIDES分辨率科学运营商的代表组成。设施委员会由科学评估和环境保护及安全小组提供建议。JR FB及其顾问小组将用于IODP中其他科学运营商的提案审查，并根据与加州大学圣地亚哥分校斯克里普斯海洋学研究所的合作协议，由新的IODP科学支持办公室提供支持。该合作协议（CA）将为国际海洋发现项目钻井船JOIDES Resolution的运营管理提供资金支持，并将于2014年7月1日开始为期5年。使用CA的原因是：1)在预算紧张的环境下，NSF希望与获奖人及其主要次级获奖人和分包商在管理设施运营方面的参与程度有所提高；2)希望将设施管理转移到标准的NSF模式；3)国家科学基金与得奖者之间的主要关系是为了执行公共目的，而不是为了政府的直接利益而获取财产或服务。JOIDES Resolution将根据德克萨斯a&m研究基金会和船东海外钻井有限公司（ODL）之间的租赁分包合同运营。ODL由Siem Offshore全资拥有，该公司成立于开曼群岛。对于2015财年，该分包合同规定了科学运营商延长8年的条款，只需提前6个月通知即可续签一年。这些年度延长期间的日费率是固定的，仅根据美国劳工统计局确定的2005年6月1日的消费者价格指数-所有城市消费者指数（CPI-U）和就业成本指数（ECI）的平衡来增加。这种合同结构和较低的日费率（截至2005年6月1日为60,950美元/天，而商业钻井船目前约为300,000- 700,000美元/天）大大降低了NSF的财务风险，并允许每年以低成本终止钻井分包合同。NSF的技术和预算风险将通过以下方式进一步降低：(1)在已知船舶租赁成本的现有钻井合同下使用经过验证的设施；(2)通过非约束性备忘录从国际合作伙伴那里获得定期的年度项目捐款；(3)鼓励受奖人与支付船舶使用费的私人实体开展第三方合作，以及(4)由外部小组对受奖人的整体表现进行年度审查。NSF将保留宝贵的、实际的岩芯和岩芯样品的所有权，以确保科学家将来使用的适当管理。JOIDES决议将根据现有的2008年6月《项目环境影响声明》（有效期至2028年6月；http://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/envcomp/IODP_USIO_Final_PEIS.pdf和http://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/envcomp/IODP_USIO_Final_PEIS_Appendices.pdf）和2008年6月30日《关于美国实施组织参与综合海洋钻探计划的国家科学基金会决定记录》(联邦公报，第73期，第126期，第36919页；http://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/envcomp/IODP_USIO_PEIS_RODv3.pdf)。JOIDES解决方案将根据42 U.S.C. 1887和10 U.S.C. 2354获得赔偿，视受奖人是否保持高水平的保险范围而定。在初始阶段结束之前，将进行项目评审，评审结果将指导重新竞争或续签第二个五年期证书的决定。本次审查的基础是在国家研究委员会的主持下进行的海洋科学十年调查，预计将于2015年5月提交报告。该调查将确定未来十年的优先事项，包括对当前基础设施和科学投资组合的分析。这些优先级将在重新竞争、续签或终止CA的任何决定中考虑。

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) serves to advance basic research in the marine geosciences and is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and more than 26 other international partners. IODP builds on a legacy of scientific ocean drilling exemplified by the Deep Sea Drilling Project (1969-1983), the Ocean Drilling Program (1985-2003), and the multi-drilling platform Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (2003-2013).Ocean drilling is used to examine processes ranging from changes in the Earth's climate to the rifting and drifting of continents. Drilling is the primary tool for sampling sediment and crustal rock from the 70 percent of the Earth?s surface covered by oceans, and is the only technique for sampling anything more than a few meters deeper than the ocean floor. The new IODP commenced October 1, 2013, utilizing the new science plan Illuminating Earth?s Past, Present, and Future (http://www.iodp.org/Science-Plan-for-2013-2023/) based on planning by over 600 international scientists. The plan identifies four themes for initial emphasis in the new IODP: 1) Climate and Ocean Change: Reading the Past, Informing the Future 2) Biosphere frontiers: Deep Life, Biodiversity, and Environmental Forcing of Ecosystems 3) Earth Connections: Deep Processes and Their Impact on Earth?s Surface Environment 4) Earth in Motion: Processes and Hazards on Human Time Scales Scientific accomplishments in the previous ocean drilling programs and the potential for future scientific discoveries envisioned in this new Science Plan were reviewed in the National Research Council report Scientific Ocean Drilling: Accomplishments and Challenges (2011) (http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13232#toc). The NRC found that "Each of the four themes within the Science Plan identifies compelling challenges with potential transformative science that can only be addressed by scientific ocean drilling." The report noted the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program's scope and method of research as an example of best practices in international scientific cooperation.The refit of the JOIDES Resolution through the MREFC account in 2006-2009 greatly improved the drilling capabilities of the vessel, with a number of new drilling depth records subsequently set and substantial improvement in core recovery and quality. The depth to which the drillship can obtain high-resolution climate records in core has doubled, expanding the ability to examine Earth's climate history in detail. The scientific capabilities have also been enhanced, with addition of a new microbiology lab, a new data management infrastructure with significant cyber-infrastructure upgrades, a 25% increase in core processing area and berths, and new or enhanced scientific analytical instruments in every shipboard laboratory. Vessel and drill rig reliability have proven robust, with virtually 100% facility availability during operations.The JOIDES Resolution, Chikyu, and Mission-Specific Platform (MSP) drilling platforms will continue to be provided to IODP by NSF, Japan, and the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling, respectively. The new science plan draws upon lessons from previous programs to build a streamlined multi-platform international program based on cooperation rather than integration. IODP planning for JOIDES Resolution operations is conducted under a Facilities Board, and management and funding for JOIDES Resolution operations will occur independently of the other IODP drilling platforms. The JOIDES Resolution Facilities Board (JR FB) is led by a member of the science community and made up of scientists and governmental representatives of nations contributing to JOIDES Resolution operations, as well as representatives of the JOIDES Resolution science operator. The Facilities Board is advised by the Science Evaluation and Environmental Protection and Safety Panels. The JR FB and its advisory panels will be utilized for proposal review by other science operators in IODP, and are supported by a new IODP Science Support Office under a Cooperative Agreement to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.This Cooperative Agreement (CA) provides financial support for Operations Management of the Drilling Vessel JOIDES Resolution for the International Ocean Discovery Program to the Texas A&M Research Foundation, and is intended to cover an initial five year period beginning on July 1, 2014. A CA is being used because of 1) the increased level of involvement NSF expects to have with the Awardee and its principal subawardees and subcontractors in managing facility operations in a tightly constrained budgetary environment; 2) the wish to move facility management to the standard NSF model; and 3) the principal relationship between NSF and the Awardee is to carry out a public purpose, rather than acquiring property or services for the direct benefit of the Government. The JOIDES Resolution will operate under a leasing subcontract between the Texas A&M Research Foundation and Overseas Drilling, Limited (ODL), the vessel owner. ODL is owned entirely by Siem Offshore, incorporated in the Cayman Islands. For FY2015, this subcontract has provisions for 8 one-year extensions by the science operator, requiring only 6 months of advance notice to renew for another year. The day rate during these yearly extensions is fixed, increasing only by a balance of the Consumer Price Index- All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the Employment Cost Index (ECI) indexed to June 1, 2005, as determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This contract structure and low indexed day rate ($60,950/day as of June 1, 2005, when commercial drill ships are currently about $300,000- $700,000/day) substantially reduces financial risk to NSF, and allows for yearly opportunities to terminate the drilling subcontract at low cost.Technical and budgetary risks to NSF will be further reduced by (1) using a proven facility under an existing drilling contract with known vessel lease costs, (2) obtaining regular, annual program contributions from international partners through non-binding Memoranda; (3) encouraging the Awardee to pursue third party work with private entities that would pay for the use of the vessel, and 4) conducting annual reviews by external panels of the Awardee's overall performance.NSF will retain ownership of invaluable, actual core and core samples to ensure proper stewardship for future use by scientists. The JOIDES Resolution will operate under the existing June, 2008 Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (valid through June, 2028; http://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/envcomp/IODP_USIO_Final_PEIS.pdf and http://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/envcomp/IODP_USIO_Final_PEIS_Appendices.pdf ) and the June 30, 2008 NSF Record of Decision regarding the United States Implementing Organization's Participation in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (Federal Register, v. 73, n. 126, p. 36919; http://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/envcomp/IODP_USIO_PEIS_RODv3.pdf ). JOIDES Resolution operations will be indemnified under 42 U.S.C. 1887 and 10 U.S.C 2354, contingent on the Awardee maintaining high levels of insurance coverage.A Program Review will be held prior to completion of the initial period and the results will guide a decision to re-compete or renew the CA for a second five year period. Fundamental to this Review is the Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences, being conducted under the auspices of the National Research Council, with delivery of its report expected in May, 2015. This Survey will define priorities for the next decade, including an analysis of the current portfolio of investments in infrastructure and science. These priorities will factor in any decision to re-compete, renew, or terminate the CA.