Memorandum of Understanding

Memorandum of Understanding On the execution of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) between the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, as a governmentally funded, Public Law Foundation of the State of Brandenburg, Germany, 2022 icdp 1 1  ICDP Memorandum of Understanding The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications (hereinafter “MEAC”) and the Heimholtz Centre Potsdam, GFZ, German Research Centre for Geosciences (hereinafter 1) recognizing that scientific drilling 15 an indispensable tool in modern Earth Science research as It provides a unique means of obtaining exact, fundamerital and giobaily significant knowiedge of the origin, evolution, structure, composition and processes of the Earth’s crust and of many parts of System Earth; ii) further recognizing that an international Continental Scientific Drilling Program, involving both shallow and deep drilling at sites carefuily chosen throughout the world, is criticaiiy needed for a better understanding of such diverse probiems with societai reievance as: O the physical and chemicaI processes responsible for earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landsiides, and optimal technologies for mitigating their adverse effects O the manner in which Earth’s climate has changed in the recent past and the reasons for such changes O the effects of meteorite impacts on life and environment o the nature of the deep biosphere and its role in material cycles and the evolution of life on Earth O the formation and evolution of sedimentary basins O the fundamental physics of piate tectonics and heat, mass and fluid transfer through Earth’s crust O the distribution and formation of mineral deposits and hydrocarbon resources in diverse geologic settings; III) considering the common interest amongst geoscientists worldwide to work together in joint projects where scientific drilling is a critical technology; IV) stressing the objectives and goais defined in the Science Pian developed at the International Conference ‘Unravelling the Workings of Pianet Earth’ (held in Potsdam in 2013) and focusing on the R&D themes O Active Faults and Earthquakes O Giobal Cycles and Environmental Change O Heat and Mass Transfer O The Ubiquitous Hidden Biosphere O Cataciysmic Events impacts Craters and Process — do, therefore, understand as foiiows:  ICDP Memorandum of Understanding Article 1 - Purpose and Multinational Participation The “Charter for Scientific investigation” of the international Continentai Scientific Driiiing Program (1CDP) is given in Annex A. Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of Estonia supports ICDP and both parties encourage additionai international participation in ICDP through MoUs with other national or international organizations, funding agencies, and countries. Article 2 - Organizational Structure and Management (1) The constituent bodies of ICDP are - the Executive Committee (EC), - the Assembly of Governors (AOG) and - the Science Advisory Group (SAG). (2) The GFZ serves as the Executive Agency for ICDP and provides the Executive Director (ED). The Executive Agency will provide operational and administrative support for the ICDP through the Operational Support Group (OSG). It is formed and iocated within, and managed bythe GFZ. Responsibilitiesofthe OSG are defined in Annex B. (3) Expenditures of ICDP funds by the Executive Agency should be approved by the Assembly of Governors (AOG) through an Annual Program Pian and budget elaborated by the Executive Committee (EC). The Science Advisory Group (SAG) is charged with the task of reviewing proposais and recommending pursuant actions to the Executive Committee. Details concerning the role of each body are iaid out in Annex C. Article 3 - Participation Rights (1) Each participant (country or group of countries and / or other institutions) may appoint one representative to the Assembly of Governors (AOG) as wefl as to the Executive Committee (EC). AOG and EC wiIl meet at ieast once annually. (2) Operational activities of the ICDP base on unsolicited scientific proposais submitted by scientists from participating countries. To faciiitate iong-term planning and encourage others to join the ICDP, the AOG may also authorize consideration (but not funding) of 3  ICDP Memorandum of U ndersta nding proposais from scientists of countries not having bilateral MoUs if the AOG believes these countries are giving serlous consideration to participation in the ICDP. Article 4 - Funding and Financial Issues (1) MEAC intends to provide funding for the overail scientific planning, operation, and management of the ICDP in the amount of 30,000 Euros per annum, subject to availabiiity of funds. The annual financial contribution 15 to be paid to the Executive Agency and wiII be comminged to provide the base funding for the ICDP. The annual contribution is expected to be paid in Euros for an initial period of three years. Payments should be made against yearly invoices. (2) Either Participant may agree to provide equipment, facilities and / or other assets to the ICDP in addition to the above contributions. The contributing Participants wiII retain ownership of such equipment, facilities or other assets unless they indicate otherwise. It is understood that, the ICDP wifl use and manage the assets. (3) Each Participant wiII bear the costs of its own scientific and administrative activities conducted under this MoU. (4) The Executive Agency should provide an annual audited report to the AOG, which shall provide an accounting of the funds provided by the Parties. (5) This MOU is not intended to be legally binding under domestic or international Iaw. Article 5 - Duration and Discontinuation (1) Cooperative activities pursuant to this MoU are expected to begin July 1, 2022 and continue for an initial period of three years. (2) Either Participant may discontinue its participation in the cooperative activities outlined in this MoU and should endeavor to provide one year’s written notice to the other Participant. Article 6 - Amendment This MoU can be modified or amended only by mutual written consent. 4  ICDP Memorandum of Understanding Article 7 - Resolution of Conflicts The Participants will attempt in good faith to resolve any controversy or claim arising out of, or relating to, this MoU. Signed in two originais (English language) For the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam For the Ministry of Economic Affairs GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and Communications Prof. Dr. Susanne Buiter Mr. Ahti Kuningas Scientific Executive Director Deputy Secretary General for Transport in the capacity of Secretary General and and i Dr. Stefan Schwartze Administrative Executive Director Date ...:... Date For e DP Pr f. r/ Maro Bohnhoff Ex cu ve Director Date:..! 5  ICDP Memorandum of Understanding Annex A: Charter for Scientific Investigation Scientific driliing retrieves the otherwise inaccessibie rock record of tectonic, climatic, and bioiogicai cycies from the present day back into deep time. The international Continental Scientific Drilling Program (1CDP), organized by an international consortium, provides infrastructure for scientific driiiing on the Earth’s contirients including their continentai sheives. it welcomes proposais from international teams of scientists to investigate sites of giobai significance and socio-economic relevance. Proposais undergo confidentiai review of scientific merit and are selected on the basis of their scientific quaiity and impact. Through these activities ICDP puts excellent scientific ideas into practice to better understand the workings of pianet Earth, natural hazards, and the resources that sustain humanity. 1. 1CDP consortium memberships are established through Memoranda of Understanding that form partnerships between the Heimhoitz Centre Potsdam and nations or institutions woridwide, thus committing funds that help form the basis of ICDP activities. 2. 1CDP promotes equai opportunity and participation in ali of its activities regardiess of extraneous criteria (inciuding race, sex, age) not directiy reiated to the ability to carry out tasks and duties within the 1CDP program. 3. ICOP encourages the submission of project proposals from the geoscientific community (bottom-up approach) on topics which address the objectives described in the program’s guiding documents, the ICDP Science Pian. The current science pian is entitled Unraveliing the Workings of PianetEarth, Science Pian for2OI4-2019. 4. iCDP support of a project is not one of fuli sponsorship, instead foliowing the principle of comingled funding. it encourages and assists scientists in gathering additional financiai support. 5. In practice, proposais to ICDP are normally submitted in two phases: a workshop proposai, and a driiiing proposai. Workshop proposais seek financial support to assemble an international team, refine the scientific objectives, and prepare engineering and management pians. Driiiing proposais contain the fuil research pian for the driliing project. 6. The proposais are reviewed by three ICDP paneis: the Science Advisory Group, which is an independent body that provides a thorough review of the science and makes recommendations to the Executive Committee, responsibie for financiai and iogisticai affairs, which then recommends a course of action to the Assembiy of Governors, which provides governance and fina ncial approvai. 7. A proposal that receives support (financial and! or iogisticai) by 1CDP is considered to be a viable project within the 1CDP program and must foilow the guidelines outiined in the document ICDP Primer: Pianning, Managing, and Executing Continentai Scientiflc Driiiing Projects, to be found on the 1CDP website. For exampie, driiling campaigns supported by iCDP must be environmentally compatible, and carried out in accordance with accepted protocois. 8. Foilowing approvai of a driiling proposai, the Operationai Support Group negotiates a funding agreement for each funded proposai and jointiy deveiops a scheduie for the driiiing program. 9. iCDP poiicies, procedures, summaries of funded projects, and documentations of events and procedures are openly availabie to the public within the Iimits of the program’s confidentiaiity policies for proposais, sampies, and data. ICDP wiii provide open access to ali project samples and data once the project participants have had a reasonabie opportunity to complete their initiai studies within an established moratorium period. 4,, S’tf /t,p6a & t 6 1 ICDP Memorandum of Understanding Annex B: Operational Support Group Subject to the avaliability of funds, the GFZ expects to provide operational support for the ICDP through the Operational Support Group (OSG) which s to be formed and located within, and managed by, the GFZ. The costs for the OSG are expected to be distributed as fo ii ows: o GFZ wiii cover aH costs for the staffing, salaries, benefits and direct and indirect expenses for OSG personnel O GFZ wili provide funds for office accommodation and OSG organizational overhead and general administrative expenses O GFZ wiii provide funds for travel for OSG personnel conducting the general support functions for ICDP O Costs for projects authorized by the AOG through the Long-range Pian and Annuai Program Pian shouid be charged through the respective projects to ICDP commingled funds O Costs for services for the PIs before acceptance of a project by the AOG are to be charged to commingled funds The OSG expects to provide broad iogisticai support for the ICDP that incorporates the foliowing support functions: General support functions: O Support the EC in carrying out the programmatic goals of the ICDP O Provide secretariat functions for ED, EC, SAG, AOG O Assist Pi’s in proposal preparation O Provide technicai and scientific ilaison to SAG and EC Project support functions O Deveiop funding agreements for each project authorized by AOG O Support developing the technicai specifications for ICDP supported projects, including driil hoie specifications, and specifications for driihng equipment and methods and the down-hoie scientific equipment, tools and methods needed to accomplish the objectives of individual projects O Support awardng and management of contracts for driliing services and operations, core recovery and provision of scientific equipment, toois or services for down-hole measurements O Support for scientific and engineering driii-site operations and management O Support for fieid faciiities for core and sampie description and management 7  1 iCDP Memoraridum of Understanding O Provide a minimal set of down-hoie faciiites and services O Deveiop and construct essential down-hoie Iogging not avaiiable commercially O Provide assistance in contracting and permitting O Provide ali data coilected during each project through a readily accessibie data management system for ICDP projects O Maintain databases that provide access to ali data, sampies and cores coiiected in ICDP projects 8 a ICDP Memorandum of Understanding Annex C 1. Executive Committee (EC) The EC consists of one representative of each participatiing Country or organization. The By-Iaws and procedures of the EC are to be subject to the approvai of the AOG. To carry out its responsibilities the EC expeCts to: O seiect a Science Advisory Group (SAG) composed of international experts for fundamental R&D themes so that it can provide EC with a scientifiC and teChnicai review of competing proposais and reCommend priorities based primarily on sCientifiC criteria; O assess the feasibility of the individual proposais; O assembie SAG’s prioritized recommendations into a Long-range Pian implemented through an Annual Program Pian; O provide the AOG with a Long-range Pian and Annuai Program Pian w[th associated budgets Considering in particuiar feasibiiity and the overaii funding situation; O monitor the annual expenditure and performanCe for the AOG; The EC, on its own initiative or when requested by the AOG, may make recommendations to the AOG conCerning any matter requiring the approvai or action of the AOG. 2. Assembly ofGovernors (AOG) The AOG consists of one representative of each participating Country or organization The AOG generally oversees activities undertaken by ICDP. In particuiar, the AOG O must approve aii Iong-range pians and the Annual Program Pian and associated budget; in doing so the AOG 15 to take into account the decisions of the EC; O may estabiish a program of Corporate affiliates to ICDP under which affiiiates may be entitied to participate in ICDP pianning aCtivities, to have access to materiais and data coiiected by the ICDP, or to have other return for payment of an annual participation fee as the AOG considers appropriate. Any such participation fee 15 to be used for the same purpose asthe annual contributions of the Parties; 9  4 1 ICDP Memorandum of U nderstanding exercise such other authority or responsibihties. Decisions of the AOG are made through a consensus process guided by the Chair who wiII be elected from the AOG representatives. 3. Science Advisory Group (SAG) The SAG wiII be composed of internationally renowned scientists elected by the EC. SAG members wiII rotate through serial appointment for a period of 4 years. Proposais submitted to ICDP wiII be reviewed by the SAG. Reviews wiII be conducted in accordance with procedures and criteria defined by the EC and approved by the AOG. The scientific priorities recommended by SAG to the EC wiII be the primary input into the dev&opment of both the ICDP Long-range Pian and the Annual Program Pian. 10