Arctic data center: driving scientific discovery and amplifying impacts of arctic research through open data services

The National Science Foundation Division of Polar Programs awarded a $944,443 Cooperative Agreement to the University of California, Santa Barbara on May 1, 2026, to operate the Arctic Data Center under the Polar Programs assistance listing (CFDA 47.078).

The Arctic Data Center serves as the primary data and software repository for Arctic research projects funded by the NSF's Office of Polar Programs. The center preserves, documents, and openly shares research data spanning multiple disciplines including geological sciences, biological sciences, and social sciences, along with diverse data types such as satellite observations, field experiments, laboratory analyses, surveys, and computer models. Over the five-year period of performance through April 30, 2031, the center will maintain reliable, secure computing systems and services for preserving and sharing Arctic research data according to FAIR principles—findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. Activities focus on three integrated priorities: advancing cyberinfrastructure to accommodate large datasets, model outputs, and complex observational collections; providing high-quality support services; and deepening engagement with the research community. By ensuring long-term access and utility of NSF-funded Arctic research products, the Arctic Data Center extends the impact of NSF investments beyond individual project lifecycles, enabling validation, collaboration, and practical applications of research results.

Work is performed in Santa Barbara, California.

Abstract

Research in the arctic generates vast amounts of valuable scientific information about land, water, oceans, ecosystems, technology, infrastructure, and human communities. These data come from many disciplines, including the geological sciences, biological sciences, social sciences, and others. Data also span many types such as satellite observations, field experiments in marine, terrestrial, and aquatic systems, laboratory analyses, surveys, and computer models, among many others. The arctic data center serves as the primary data and software repository for arctic research projects funded by national science foundation?s office of polar programs and ensures that these research products are securely preserved, carefully documented, and openly shared to ensure long-term access and utility. Preserving and disseminating scientific data and results is fundamentally important to scientific research advances, enabling researchers and the broader society to understand, validate, and build upon these scientific results. By maintaining data archival services and high standards for data quality and organization, the arctic data center extends the impact of NSF investments by enabling new research, discovery, collaboration, and practical applications of NSF-funded research well beyond the life of individual projects. Over the next five years, the arctic data center will maintain reliable, secure computing systems and services for preserving and sharing arctic research data that meets fair principles: findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. The center will continue expanding its archive to accommodate large datasets, model outputs, and complex observational collections. Activities will focus on three integrated priorities: advancing cyberinfrastructure, providing high-quality support services, and deepening engagement with the research community. Cyberinfrastructure research will expand interactive data portals, cloud-ready datasets, and AI-ready data to enable more efficient analysis and broader reuse of arctic research. Support services will assist researchers in organizing, curating, and preparing their data for publication, helping maximize the usability and impact of research outputs. Community engagement efforts will focus on translating data for impact, providing accessible information and resources, teaching effective data science skills through short-courses that build capacity for researchers, and gathering feedback to guide ongoing improvements to the center?s infrastructure and services. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.