Coordination Funds

EarthShape优先计划定义了四个可测试的假设，重点是量化生物群对地球表面过程的影响。我们通过为跨学科研究创造一个独特的机会，跨越地球科学、生物学、地貌学和土壤科学之间的传统界限。这一协调项目提供了假设检验所需的行政骨干，并为德国未来的地球表面过程研究培养了一个跨学科的研究氛围。所涉及的挑战包括：a)维护和提供许多EarthShape分项目所需的必要仪器、钻探活动和数据集；b)协调智利偏远地区的实地工作、许可证和国际合作；c)确保青年科学家的发展和流动、性别平等措施和项目会议；d)通过综合出版物整合项目。协调员和指导委员会已将使EarthShape项目成为成功的优先方案的关键目标确定为第二个三年阶段的重要组成部分。这些目标是从第一阶段研究中产生的，并通过对生物圈、地球物理和浅层和深层地下临界区过程的新研究来补充其发现。特别是，EarthShape的这一阶段包括在四个主要研究地点更深的临界区进行协调钻探活动。我们还强调我们请专家小组审议的个别项目的基本要求，以便成功完成EarthShape项目。这些要求包括：(A)参与者需要处理最初的EarthShape科学提案中概述的研究分组和时间尺度衔接；(B)来自明显不同学科的研究人员相互联系，以促进跨学科研究；(C)参与者需要在(或非常接近)所有选定的重点研究领域内工作，以便能够对不同项目的结果进行交叉比较和整合；(D)智利科学界的参与。

The EarthShape priority program defines four testable hypotheses centered on quantifying the influence of biota on Earth surface processes. We do this by creating a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary research that spans traditional boundaries between the geosciences, biology, geomorphology, and soil science. This coordination project provides the administrative backbone required for hypothesis testing, and fostering an interdisciplinary research atmosphere for future Earth surface processes research in Germany. The challenges involved include: a) maintaining and providing essential instrumentation, drilling activities, and data sets required for many EarthShape subprojects; b) coordinating field work, permits, and international collaborations in remote field areas in Chile; c) ensuring the development and mobility of young-scientists, gender equality measures, and project meetings; and d) project integration through synthesis publications. Key goals to make the EarthShape project a successful Priority Program have been identified by the coordinators and steering committee as important ingredients for the second three-year phase. These goals have emerged from phase 1 research, and complement its findings with new studies of the biosphere, geophysics, and critical zone processes in the shallow and deeper subsurface. In particular, this phase of EarthShape includes a coordinated drilling campaign of the deeper critical zone in the four primary study sites. We also also emphasize essential requirements for individual projects that we request the panel consider for the successful completion of the EarthShape project. These requirements include: a) the need for participants to address the research clusters and timescale bridging that are outlined in the original EarthShape scientific proposal; b) linking of investigators from distinctly different disciplines to foster interdisciplinary research; c) the need for participants to work within (or very near) all selected focus study areas to enable a cross comparison and integration of results from different projects; and d) the involvement of the Chilean scientific community.