In the Filed

Planning a science expedition takes time and effort. This document outlines the steps, considerations and timeline for planning a successful expedition with an integrated team, a clear safety plan and the appropriate gear. Some steps are done pre-proposal, or before funding is secured for an expedition, others are undertaken during a planning phase before departure. The planning phase can be time consuming, and stressful if rushed. It is far more effective to spread out the planning phase over a few months. 

Expedition planning tasks 

This is a non-exhaustive list of tasks the expedition leadership team must undertake before an expedition. Tasks are divided into management and logistics for clarity. If there are multiple people planning an expedition, the field lead takes the management tasks, and the logistics lead takes on the logistics tasks. For larger or more complex expeditions, a deputy helps with both categories.  People in each role work together on many of the tasks, in practice. 

Management

Pre-proposal tasks

1. Assemble a management team, if applicable. A larger management team is necessary when trip complexity increases (see below).
2. Assess the science potential of the site and recruit potential sub-team (i.e., science investigation) leads who might lead individual instrument or science investigations.
3. Explore permitting and identify landowners / operators in the field area.
4. Explore lodging / camping options and transportation needs to build a fieldwork budget.
5. Identify group equipment needs (safety, camping, charging).
6. Reach out to local experts and potential collaborators.

Post proposal selection

1. Revise field safety plan to tune it for the field site. 
2. Revise a suggested gear / packing list for participants.
3. Submit research permit application for science investigations. 
4. Follow up on permit application and ensure it is in order pre-departure.
5. Run regular meetings with the field team to inform the team about logistical details and to foster team integration across investigations. 
6. Identify local collaborators and in the wider community that are complementary to the team’s work.
7. Develop an organizational chart that includes the science teams and any collaborators that will be integrated into field activities. 
8. Hold a team-wide safety meeting pre-departure.

Logistical

Logistical tasks can be divided into four categories of pre-trip work, many of which require in-trip or post-trip follow up.

Shipping

1. Reach out to the shipping office.
2. Relay shipping conventions to field team.
3. Facilitating boxing and shipping deadline.
4. Arrange for return shipment.

Travel arrangements

1. Encourage travel authorization and booking on a timeline.
2. Facilitate invitational travel.

Lodging

1. Identify lodging options.
2. Make lodging reservation.
3. Interface with lodging management.
4. Identify camp / group gear needs.
5. Help arrange pre-trip camp / group gear purchases.

Resource documents

1. Administer field team intake survey.
2. Tabulate emergency contact information.
3. Assemble field packet containing important expedition information.

Time for expedition planning

The effort planning an expedition increases with expedition complexity. Two major ways an expedition can become more complex are location and size; these are described separately. 

Expedition complexity increases by location (in increasing complexity):

1. Local (drivable)
2. Domestic (a flight or two)
3. Remote (camping or backpacking)
4. International
5. International remote

Expedition complexity also increases by size (in increasing complexity):

Expedition field team sizes

1. Scouting Team 1 or 2 trucks (3- 8 people)
2. Force 9 to 15 people
3. Array 15 to 30
4. Conference 30 plus

As complexity increases more time is needed for many of the management and logistical tasks listed above. Putting numbers (number of days) on these tasks is complicated because some vendors / partners are quick to respond, others are slow. To make suggestions for planning future expeditions, the time it took to plan a few past expeditions are summarized [Table 1] and then generalized suggestions are made of some end-member scenarios [Table 2], based on experience planning expeditions.  

	Iceland Highlands	Flagstaff, AZ	Sleepy Creek, WV
Kind of Expedition	15- 30 people / international / remote	15- 30 / people / domestic	9-15 / people / local
Pre-proposal Tasks	January	April	N/A
Research Permit outreach begins	February	May	N/A
Detailed planning begins (reaching out to vendors, build budget etc.)	March	June	May
Departure	July	August	June
Planning phase	7 months	5 Months	1 month

	Expedition 1	Expedition 2	Expedition 3
Kind of Expedition	15- 30 people / international / remote	15- 30 / people / domestic	9-15 / people / local
Pre-proposal Tasks	1+ months pre-proposal	1+ months pre-proposal	1+ months pre-proposal
Research Permit outreach begins1	6 months pre-departure	4 months	2 months
Detailed planning begins (reaching out to vendors, build budget etc.)	5 months pre-departure	3 months	1 month
Planning phase	7 months	5 Months	2-3 months

¹ Research permit approval time is very site specific and outreach to permitting organizations should be started in the first planning phase.  Even some domestic field sites require 6 months lead time for research permits. 

Planning a science expedition takes a good team, time and patience. In the field, “Murphy’s law” applies, where if it can go wrong, it does (e.g., bad weather, equipment malfunctions, locked gates, flat tires). Backup plans and plan “C” s need to be thought through in the planning phase. However, no expedition plan includes all possible challenges and fixing problems that have not yet happened is time and effort wasted. A successful science expedition relies on 1) an expedition plan that is flexible and can adapt to the reality in the field, and 2) expedition leadership that is prepared, anticipates challenges and adapts to them as they arise. A thorough planning phase is essential for both.

The key finding is that to enable a thorough planning phase, some pre-proposal work needs to take place (on the order of a month) and  the [international/domestic/local] site and its expedition leadership team must be identified [six /four /two] months before departure, and expedition investigations and participants must be firmly defined [five /three /one] month(s) before departure.

The content is based on lessons learned planning expeditions for NASA’s Goddard Instrument Field Team, GEODES, and RISE and was first written for a White Paper “Planning a Science Expedition” to NASA Goddard Instrument Field Team, on December 11, 2023 by:

Patrick Whelley, University of Maryland College Park/ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Caela Barry, ADNET Systems/ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center