International Ocean Discovery Program

21st Century Drilling workshops

Building capacity in the digital domain using scientific ocean drilling legacy material

Workshop dates

  • Workshop 1: Monday 8 April 2024 - Friday 12 April 2024 – Applications now open.
  • Workshop 2: mid-late 2024 (exact dates tbc)

Both workshops will be held at the BCR and MARUM (University of Bremen), Germany.

Applications have now closed for Workshop 1. They will reopen in due course for Workshop 2.

Download the workshop flyer (PDF, 8.2mb)

Workshop aim

The success of 50+ years of scientific ocean drilling through the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and its predecessors has resulted in a wealth of legacy material stored in the IODP repositories and databases. It is now possible to generate digital representations of cores (e.g., through software packages like CODD) and use these as a primary data source. Integrating these digitally-derived core records with re-analysis of the physical legacy cores offers scope to increase the capacity and utilisation of legacy material. We will explore best practices for enhancing this capacity during two linked 5-day MagellanPlus ‘21st Century Drilling’ workshops at the BCR and MARUM. The workshops will be linked together to advance our understanding of the extent of Miocene ice rafted debris (IRD) in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean.

We are looking for experienced scientists and early career researchers (ECRs, including PhD students) to form teams in Core description, Biostratigraphy and Geochemistry-Physical Properties (~10 participants per workshop).

Participants will combine new digital core data with reassessment of physical cores from two Miocene ODP sites in the South Atlantic (e.g., Sites 704 and 1090/1092). Online syntheses will develop best practices for digital drilling of legacy materials while aiming to advance our understanding of Miocene IRD.

Application process

Applications for Workshop 2 will open at a later date. 

We are looking for ~10 participants interested in joining either workshop as part of teams in Core Description, Biostratigraphy and Geochemistry-Physical Properties (3-4 people per team). We invite application from experience scientists and ECRs alike, both those with prior (shipboard) experience or those who have not had the opportunity to participate in an IODP expedition. PhD students are especially invited to apply, as these workshops are also aimed at training ECRs (PhD, postdocs) in digital competencies and shipboard methods.

Expected time commitment

  • Participation will involve joining the full 5-day in-person workshop.
  • Prior to the workshop, there will be one full-participant online meeting to outline the workshop structure.
  • There will also be 1-2 online meetings for each group to collate information and agree strategies ahead of the in-person workshop.

Applications for Workshop 1 are now closed. Applications for Workshop 2 will open at a later date.

ECORD and USSSP travel support

There are some MagellanPlus travel support grants (up to ~€700) available for ECORD scientists, with preference given to ECRs and those without existing funding. MagellanPlus funding can only be used to support researchers from ECORD members. USSSP funding may be available for US-based participants. 

Organising committee

For any queries, get in touch at 21CenturyDrilling@leicester.ac.uk. 

  • A.J. Drury
  • B. Christensen
  • G. Auer
  • T. Westerhold
  • U. Röhl

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