The Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) and the Ice Drilling Design and Operations group (IDDO) were established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) effective October 2008 to coordinate long-term and short-term planning in collaboration with the greater US ice science community, and to be the principle supplier of ice drilling and ice coring support and expertise for NSF-funded research.
The IDPO is led by Mary Albert at Dartmouth College with collaboration by Mark Twickler at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). The IDPO provides scientific leadership and oversight of ice coring and drilling activities funded by NSF and also oversees the IDDO. In addition, the IDPO convenes a Science Advisory Board for the purpose of forming and updating a Long Range Science Plan that articulates the direction of U.S. ice coring and drilling science and identifies the drills and drilling technology required to enable the science.
The IDDO, led by Charles Bentley at UW, provides engineering design support for new drilling systems as well as the operation and maintenance of existing drill systems now under the purview of IDDO at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Space Science and Engineering Center (UW-SSEC). Once a year the IDDO updates the Long Range Drilling Technology Plan, which provides an overview of the multifaceted system of drills and technology needed to advance the science that is outlined in the IDPO Long Range Science Plan (see above).
Many of the staff and familiar engineers and drillers who worked with the ICDS group under the previous NSF contract to UW now provide the support for IDDO, with IDPO oversight. In addition, in order to have the best available advice in regard to drill innovation, design, and operation, IDDO has established a Technical Advisory Board of experts who meet regularly and are available for occasional specific technical tasks.
For more information about IDPO and IDDO, read the Eos article A New Paradigm for Ice Core Drilling 
(Eos Trans AGU, vol 91(39), 2010, p. 345-346).
Goals |
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To produce and maintain long-term and short-term integrated science and drilling technology plans in collaboration with the U.S. ice coring and drilling research communities |
To identify new technology needs, seek funding for technology development, and acquire new technology |
To provide the drills, equipment, and drilling expertise needed by the science |
To enhance communication and information exchange related to ice coring and drilling science and technology |
Organization |
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