Long Range Science Plan

Request for Community Input — DRAFT 2026 Long Range Science Plan

Each year in the spring, the U.S. National Science Foundation Ice Drilling Program (IDP) works with its Science Advisory Board and the research community to update the Long Range Science Plan. This Plan identifies the science in the coming decade that will require the use of ice drilling technology and expertise for the community. This also drives the formation of other plans, for example, the Long Range Drilling Technology Plan. The plans provide the basis for multi‐annual planning for the actions and drill development projects of IDP and others, and the plans give the funding agencies advance notice of upcoming community science needs.

If you need an ice core or a hole drilled in a glacier or ice sheet in the coming decade or a rock core from under shallow glacial ice, please make sure that the high‐level articulation of your science is captured in the current draft update of the Long Range Science Plan!

Please read through the draft Long Range Science Plan and send corrections, updates, or additions (SEE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW) to Icedrill@Dartmouth.edu at your earliest convenience and before June 6, 2026. 

Instructions for sending corrections/updates/comments:

1. Write your corrections/updates/comments in your own Word document that you create; please don't send an annotated version of the draft plan.
2. For each correction/update/comment, please reference the appropriate line number in the draft Long Range Science Plan where the correction/update is needed
3. Email the Word document to Icedrill@Dartmouth.edu before June 6, 2026

Submission deadline: At your earliest convenience and before June 6, 2026