OOI Program Update

Construction has started!

Program timeline

Program office staff increases

OOI issues

Cooperative Agreement(5.5 yrs of construction, 2 years of

operations)

Cooperative Support Agreements(for each of the 3 types of funding)

These are the binding agreements between NSF and Ocean Leadership that set the terms and conditions for managing and implementing the OOI infrastructure.

Initial award is for 5.5 years of construction, then another 2 years of full-time operations.

System consists of high latitude moorings, coastal moorings, cabled sea-floor systems, all connected via sophisticated cyber-infrastructure.

Thanks to ARRA $$, the OOI officially started on September 1.

Year 1 Funding

ARRA: $105.93 M

MREFC: $20.19 M ($5.91 M from FY08 + $14.28 M from FY10 (pending))

O&M: < $400 K

Accelerated start

Timeline

OOI Program Office

Director of Science Communication

Sarah Saunders

Senior management

OOI Program Office

Director of Science Communication

Sarah Saunders

Project management

OOI Program Office

Director of Science Communication

Sarah Saunders

Project controls

O & M

OOI Program Office

Director of Science Communication

Sarah Saunders

Science, Environ, EPE

Challenges and Opportunities

Design changes & funding delays led to considerable cynicism and disillusionment in the community

First steps in mitigating misconceptions: Science Workshop Nov 11-12 in Baltimore Science Workshop ~ April, Western US Defined proposal process Science scenarios for future proposals

Science Workshop - Baltimore, Nov 11-12

Town Hall meeting - SF AGU, Dec 2009

Town Hall meeting - Ocean Sciences, Feb 2010

Special Observing Session - Ocean Sciences

Science Workshop - west, April

Enhanced web presence - implementing communciation plan

Increased engagement by OOI Program Advisory Committee

Connecting to our community

Challenges and Opportunities

Other steps in generating excitement about ocean observing:

encourage dialogue at your institutions, particularly in the context of

- long-term implications of facilities - new approaches for conducting research