Appendix A

Committee Statement of Task

The Decadal Survey will advise the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) on forward-looking approaches to guide investments in research, infrastructure, and workforce development. The committee will develop a compelling research and infrastructure strategy to advance understanding of the ocean’s role in the Earth system and the sustainable blue economy. The report will recommend ways that NSF OCE could develop the capacity to respond nimbly as priorities change and new opportunities emerge over the 2025-2035 decade.

The committee will produce an interim report to provide advice to NSF OCE on the resources and infrastructure available to address high-priority research questions requiring scientific ocean drilling. The interim report will cover the following:

1. Based on previous reports, assess progress on addressing high-priority science questions that require scientific ocean drilling and identify new, if any, equally compelling science questions that would also require scientific ocean drilling.
2. Of the unanswered scientific questions, which could be addressed through the use of existing scientific drilling assets including sediment or rock core archives and existing platforms, and which questions would require new infrastructure or sampling investments?

The final report will address the following:

1. Identify novel opportunities regarding ocean-related, use-inspired, solutions-oriented research and innovation. This assessment will include specific examples of opportunities for the Division to make substantial contributions to and develop collaborative and complementary research efforts with NSF’s Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP).
2. Identify opportunities and strategies to promote innovative multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral approaches to address complex science challenges arising from the intersection of natural processes, societal needs, and human-driven environmental change. This will include strategies for training the next generation of ocean scientists and incorporating the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, environmental justice, and access into these scientific endeavors.

3. Develop a concise portfolio of compelling, high-priority, scientific questions that have the potential to transform scientific knowledge of the ocean and the critical role of the ocean in the Earth system. Identification of the scientific questions will update the priorities identified in Sea Change: Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences 2015–2025, drawing from recent reports and community input, including recent National Academies reports and activities such as the U.S. National Committee for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The selection may be based on timeliness, societal benefits, technological advances, or other criteria as identified by the committee.
4. Identify the research infrastructure needed to advance the high-priority ocean science research questions identified in Task # 3, including an assessment of current facilities and the potential for future investments and development of new technologies to meet the needs of the research community. The assessment will include the committee’s perspectives on the relative need for continued funding of specific infrastructure and mechanisms to evaluate the contributions of major infrastructure to the research enterprise.
5. Develop a framework that OCE can apply to leverage and complement the capabilities, expertise, and strategic plans of its partners (other NSF units, federal agencies, private sector—such as ocean industries and foundations, and international organizations). The framework will include approaches to encourage greater collaboration and maximize shared use of research assets and data.
6. In undertaking these tasks, the committee will engage the ocean science community and other relevant fields to gather ideas and develop recommendations informed by broader community perspectives. The final report will include assessment of challenges and identification of metrics for progress in achieving the vision of the decadal survey. The DSOS 2025-2035 committee will address these tasks within the context of the current OCE budget while identifying aspirational goals that NSF could implement with growth in the OCE budget over the decade.