A successful School of Ice took place at Dartmouth College from June 23 to 28, 2025. The School of Ice is an advanced professional development meeting for faculty at 2- and 4-year colleges and universities. Advanced Placement high school educators also benefit from the experiential activities and resources.
Thirteen participants representing nine states came from 13 different institutions to experience ice core science through hands-on classroom labs, field trips, and interactions with ice core researchers and engineers. Participants built background knowledge and gained resources and confidence in their skills to incorporate cutting-edge ice core research into their existing courses.
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2025 School of Ice participants learn to use different techniques for dating ice cores. Credit: Louise Huffman.
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2025 School of Ice field trip to observe evidence of the last glacial maximum. Credit: Bill Grosser.
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Group photo of the 2025 School of Ice participants wearing “Big Red” jackets. Credit: Bill Grosser.
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The School of Ice celebration video illustrates the packed week of collegiality, learning, and fun.
The NSF Ice Drilling Program (IDP) convenes a Science Advisory Board (SAB) to form and update the Long Range Science Plan (LRSP) that addresses multiple aspects of ice core and other ice science and associated technology. The annual SAB meeting was held virtually on April 17, 2025. Topics included updates from IDP, the NSF Ice Core Facility (NSF-ICF), englacial and subglacial science updates, Englacial and Subglacial Access Working Group (ESAWG) plans for the future, SAB assessment of ESAWG community needs and IDP alignment, ice core science updates, Ice Core Working Group plans for the future, IDP personnel allocation and development priorities, and SAB prioritization of drilling technology development for the Long Range Science Plan. The agenda and presentations from the meeting are available on the IDP website.
The members of the SAB are:
T.J. Fudge, Chair (University of Washington)
Joel Harper (University of Montana)
Matthew Siegfried (Colorado School of Mines)
Sarah Shackleton (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Successful 2025 Technical Assistance Board Meeting Held in Madison
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The NSF Ice Drilling Program (IDP) convenes a Technical Assistance Board (TAB) of experts on the subject of drill innovation, design, and operation. The TAB meets in-person biennially but are available regularly via email for ongoing assistance with specific technical tasks as needed. The biennial TAB meeting was held on March 5-6, 2025, in Madison, Wisconsin (WI). Discussions included updates regarding recent and upcoming IDP fieldwork, discussion of IDP drill system electronics and shallow wet drill development, an update regarding IceCube upgrade activities, an open discussion of many drilling topics (e.g., pumps/chip transport/fluids, drill tents, driller staffing issues), drilling and technology updates from the TAB members, and a tour of the IDP-WI facility. Twenty-five people participated in-person and three joined via Zoom. As with each TAB meeting, IDP gained very valuable feedback from board members on equipment development projects, ideas regarding new technologies in ice drilling and other fields, as well as input on field project logistics. The agenda and notes from the meeting are available on the IDP website.
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Images of IDP engineers/drillers (Barb Birrittella (top, left), Elliot Moravec (top, right), Jay Johnson (bottom, left), and Tanner Kuhl (bottom, right)) presenting at the 2025 Technical Assistance Board (TAB) meeting held March 5-6, 2025, in Madison, WI. Discussions during the meeting included updates regarding recent and upcoming IDP fieldwork, discussion of IDP drill system electronics and shallow wet drill development, an open discussion of many drilling topics (e.g., pumps/chip transport/fluids, drill tents, driller staffing issues), and drilling and technology updates from the TAB members.
If you are preparing a NSF proposal that includes any kind of support from IDP, you must include a Letter of Support from IDP in the proposal. Researchers are asked to provide IDP with a detailed support request six weeks prior to the date the Letter of Support is required. Early submissions are strongly encouraged.
The U.S. National Science Foundation Ice Drilling Program (IDP) is a NSF-funded facility. IDP conducts integrated planning for the ice drilling science and technology communities, and provides drilling technology and operational support that enables the community to advance the frontiers of science.
