Funds from this grant provide two years of continued support to the international secretariat of the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) as it pursues its 10-year mission to transform our understanding of the sources, forms, and properties of deep Earth carbon and its relation to hydrocarbons and the origins of life.  As the governing body of the DCO, the international secretariat coordinates and oversees the activities of the DCO’s four scientific communities, keeps the larger project on track, sets priorities and standards, helps allocate resources, and aids in project fund raising.  Grant funds provide general support for these activities for the next two years.