The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), an international scientific research group, is building what it believes to be the largest scientific research vessel in the world to carry out investigation of the earth system using multiple drilling platforms and new technologies. The organization calls its science plan "the most ambitious program of ocean drilling and exploration ever conceived."

A new vessel will enable the organization to carry out its plan. It will be able to perform deeper drilling than the Ocean Drilling Program's current ship, the JOIDES Resolution. It will also be able to operate more safely in shallower and environmentally sensitive areas than the present vessel. The existing vessel, JOIDES Resolution is 143 meters long and can work in up to 6 km water depth, with a gross tonnage of 9,719. By comparison, the upgraded drillship will be 192 meters long and will have a gross tonnage of 57,500 tons. The latter will be capable of riserless drilling at 7,000 meters and will have onboard laboratories and storage facilities.
The cost of the upgrade is approximately $500 million. The ship will be the most sophisticated vessel of its type in the world.