Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) is soliciting Expressions of Interest (EOI) for collaborative, multidisciplinary research at any time and for any location and year identified as an area of operation for R/V Falkor (too). EOIs and full proposals are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed twice per year. Investigators may request R/V Falkor (too)’s full berthing allotment for science in an EOI or may be partnered with additional projects at the full proposal stage to maximize the use of the vessel.

SOI’s Strategic Framework describes seven topical areas for support aboard R/V Falkor (too):

• Mapping the Seafloor: Including systematic mapping of uncharted regions, plate boundaries, deep sea floor environments and seamounts.
• Frontiers of Biodiversity: Including discovery and preservation of life, extreme environments, deep sea biodiversity, and microbiology.
• Stability of Ocean Health: Including research into poorly monitored marine gases and nutrient cycles, ocean carbon cycle, deoxygenation, and microplastics.
• Power of Nature: Including boundary layer dynamics, dynamical features, fine-scale physical processes, and vertical mixing.
• Exploring the Deep: Including full ocean depth exploration, trench and back-arc basins, volcanoes and hydrothermal vents, seamounts and deep-sea coral.
• Technologies for the Future: Including autonomous, remotely operated, coordinated robotics, biorobotics, biomimicry, brain-computer interface, smart, miniature, efficient technology, virtual and augmented reality, and intelligent use of data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
• Human Effect: Including characterization of the high-seas and deep-ocean, research and mitigation of marine pollutants, scientific study of deep sea resources, and solutions for mitigation of extreme anthropogenic climate impacts.

Application Deadline: Ongoing, but proposals seeking operations in 2024 must be received by May 15, 2023.

Announcement: https://schmidtocean.org/expression-of-interest-2023/