Launched in July 2009, the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) is approximate 40 percent into its planned decadal span of research. Much of the original vision of the DCO came from geologist Robert Hazen. Hazen and his colleagues have effectively set in motion many streams of observation and analysis. The unusual scope of the DCO—from diamonds to life—presents great challenges for integration and synthesis. This grant provides three years of support for the hiring of one full-time postdoctoral researcher and one graduate student to assist DCO Executive Director Hazen as he initiates this process of synthesis and integration.