Collaborative research: disciplinary improvements for past global change research: connecting data systems and practitioners

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure provides $159,341 to support the Alexandria Archive Institute in developing interoperable data systems and best practices for the geoscience community. Funded under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070), the award period is from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025.

Specifically, the Institute will improve the interoperability and reproducibility of community curated data resources in paleoecology, contemporary ecology, paleoclimatology and archaeology. This includes developing guidance for interoperability among specialized databases, promoting adoption of common metadata standards and FAIR data principles, and fostering data curation and stewardship best practices. The Institute will also support equity in science by promoting CARE principles in disciplinary data resources and developing communities of practice through symposia, workshops and webinars. The overall goal is to better connect researchers across disciplines and boundaries through coordinated data systems and standardized practices.

Abstract

The geoscience community bridges a variety of research areas which use a wide variety of paleoclimatic, geochemical, paleobiological, and archaeological records. This research coordination network supports groups of investigators to communicate, innovate, coordinate, and standardize research practices, training, and educational activities across disciplinary, organizational, geographic and international boundaries. Community curated data resources (CCDRS) in the paleoecological, contemporary ecological, paleoclimatic, and archeological disciplines will be improved through three aims: 1) improving interoperability and reproducibility by developing guidance for interoperability among long-tail CCDRS and promoting adoption of common metadata standards and fair (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) data principles, 2) fostering data curation and stewardship by promoting best practices in data science, curation, and stewardship, particularly for early-career researchers, 3) supporting equity and improving democratization and access to science by promoting the learning and implementation of care (collective benefit, authority to control, responsibility, and ethics) principles in disciplinary data resources. Communities of practice will be developed to further these aims through annual in-person symposia and project activities including workshops, working group meetings, and webinars. This award by the office of advanced cyberinfrastructure is jointly supported by the directorate for geosciences. 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.