A range of pre-drilling activities will be supported by SODCO, including informational webinars aligned with NSF calls for drilling proposals, workshops on scientific drilling (broad and general or specialized, depending on community needs), and scientific drilling primers ("Drilling Proposals 101") to engage early-career researchers and provide opportunities to those new to scientific ocean drilling.

SODCO will also support projects that facilitate the implementation or enhance the outcomes of planned expeditions, including assembling newly acquired data from a region of interest, developing capabilities to carry out high-impact, non-routine measurements on a SODCO-implemented expedition, and developing community resources to increase the impact of an expedition. Funding will be available through an Innovation Grants Program for research projects that encourage advancements in science and technology, using cutting-edge scientific/engineering techniques and approaches to scientific questions, or creative methods to address other community needs.

Community-led workshops are instrumental in gathering ideas, developing strong drilling proposals, and promoting successful engagement in drilling planning. SODCO will work with the SODCO Advisory Board (SAB) to identify high-level workshop needs in response to U.S. priorities. SODCO will solicit proposals from the community for workshops that explore questions that can be addressed with SciOD, assess available data sets to identify sites for future drilling or gaps in data where site surveys may be required, or synthesize preliminary results to maximize the scientific achievements from previous drilling.

Training and career development opportunities are key priorities for the U.S. SciOD, to ensure that knowledge and expertise continue to be passed on. SODCO will develop a range of training courses and workshops that will take advantage of the resources available at the Texas A&M (TAMU) NSF Gulf Coast Repository (GCR) and at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO). Lab-specific training at the GCR (e.g., physical properties school, XRF training) will give early-career scientists the opportunity to learn from experts in the field. Additional community-driven training courses and workshops will be solicited through open calls for proposals.

Support and training for the next generation of scientists is a critical element of the U.S. SciOD program. SODCO will continue support for the Schlanger Ocean Drilling Fellowship Program, offering graduate fellowships on a competitive basis to meritorious U.S.-based students working on SciOD-related research. Graduate students enrolled in M.S. or PhD programs at U.S. institutions will be eligible to apply for one-year Schlanger Fellowships.

LDEO and TAMU offer summer internship opportunities each year for U.S.-based undergraduate students, providing hands-on experience working on cutting edge geoscience, science communications, or engineering development projects. Applications are managed separately for the LDEO and TAMU internship programs. Both programs open for applications from undergraduate students in December-January.

Communication and engagement play an important role in keeping the U.S. SciOD science community active. SODCO will maintain SciOD-related social media accounts and publish regular community newsletters to keep the SciOD community informed. As drilling proposals are developed, potential outreach plans will be discussed with proponents to determine the overarching scientific message and identify the skills needed to communicate it. For each expedition, SODCO-supported outreach officers will work with science party members to plan and implement communications projects to broadcast expedition accomplishments.

A collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History provides access to a large and varied audience and supports SciOD-themed exhibits, speakers, and both in-person and virtual engagement opportunities.