The Operational Support Group ICDP

ICDPs Executive Committee (EC) is served by the so-called Operational Support Group (OSG) who provides the EC with the operational capabilities to manage the program and to support individual ICDP projects as determined by the terms of the funding contract "Joint Research Venture".

The OSG is has the following support functions:

• Develop Joint Research Ventures for each project authorized by EC,
• Provide technical and scientific liaison to SAG and EC,
• Management and support of Secretariats for AOG and EC,
• Assistance in contracting and permitting,
• Support for scientific and engineering drill-site operations,
• Support for field facility for core and sample description and management, 
• Provide all data collected during each project through a readily accessible data management system for ICDP projects, the Drilling Information System,
• Prepare - through this Drilling Information System - Initial Reports that describe drilling, engineering and sample and core description and procedures for each projec,
• Provide training courses in scientific drilling as “training on the job” or in preparation of other future drilling projects,
• Develop, purchase, and maintain an ICDP Equipment Pool comprising scientific-technical instruments and tools for on-site use in ICDP projects,
• Provide management support for individual ICDP projects,
• Provide and operate ICDP equipment.

The GFZ Potsdam currently finances from its own budget this group of six scientists, engineers and technicians who compose the core of the ICDP Operational Support Group and who are based at the GFZ. This group is a separate organizational unit at the GFZ (a not for profit organization under german law).

The OSG comprises the following expertise and respective duties: 

• Drilling Engineering (two drilling engineers)
  Support for drilling contracting, technical design of drilling projects and drill-site operations, drilling engineering developments, on-site drilling and financial supervision of individual projects, drilling tool supervision of ICDP Equipment Pool etc.
• Instruments & Training (one scientist)
  Organisation of on-site technical and scientific instruments of the ICDP Equipment Pool, organization and execution of training courses. 
• Downhole-logging (one scientist/engineer)
  Advice, organisation and exectuion of downhole-logging campaigns, logging data control, development, purchase and maintenance of logging tools, organization of “Downhole” equipment pool of ICDP.
• Downhole-logging (one technician)
  Maintenance and repairs of downhole instruments, winches, and related tools, logging data acquisition and storage.
• Data Management (one scientist)
  Set-up and operations support of the Drilling Information System (DIS) and data management for ICDP, website organization and update.
• Program management, scientific coordination, liaison to IODP, DOSECC (one scientist)
  Secretariat for the EC and AOG, Proposal handling, JRV negotiations and other contractual issues, financial project management and budgeting, GFZ in-house liaison to administration

On an “as-needed basis” other scientists and technicians of the GFZ Potsdam provide additional support for the ICDP for a limited time period, e.g. during downhole-logging campaigns, on-site repair of tools or to support the ICDP data management. Should additional technical or scientific expertise be needed, the OSG can, upon approval of the EC, employ further staff for limited time periods through ICDP funds.