Datanet

This article is about the U.S. National Science Foundation Office of Cyberinfrastructure . For the ISP, Datanet please visit Datanet (ISP).

On September 28, 2007, the U.S. National Science Foundation Office of Cyberinfrastructure announced a request for proposals with the name Sustainable Digital Data Preservation and Access Network Partner (DataNet)^[1]. The lead paragraph of its synopsis describes the program as:

Science and engineering research and education are increasingly digital and increasingly data-intensive. Digital data are not only the output of research but provide input to new hypotheses, enabling new scientific insights and driving innovation. Therein lies one of the major challenges of this scientific generation: how to develop the new methods, management structures and technologies to manage the diversity, size, and complexity of current and future data sets and data streams. This solicitation addresses that challenge by creating a set of exemplar national and global data research infrastructure organizations (dubbed DataNet Partners) that provide unique opportunities to communities of researchers to advance science and/or engineering research and learning.

The introduction in the solicitation^[2] goes on to say:

Chapter 3 (Data, Data Analysis, and Visualization) of NSF’s Cyberinfrastructure Vision for 21st century Discovery presents a vision in which “science and engineering digital data are routinely deposited in well-documented form, are regularly and easily consulted and analyzed by specialists and non-specialists alike, are openly accessible while suitably protected, and are reliably preserved.” The goal of this solicitation is to catalyze the development of a system of science and engineering data collections that is open, extensible and evolvable.

There will be up to five awards of $20 million each for five years with the possibility of continuing funding. Awards will be given in two rounds. In the first round, for which full proposals were due on March 21, 2008, two DataNet proposals were awarded: DataONE^[3] , covering ecology, evolutionary, and earth science, and the Data Conservancy, focusing on astronomy, earth science, life sciences, and social science. For the second round, preliminary proposals were due on October 6, 2008 and full proposals on February 16, 2009. Awards from the second round have yet to be announced.

References

1. ^ "Sustainable Digital Data Preservation and Access Network Partners (DataNet) Program Summary". National Science Foundation. September 28, 2007. http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503141. Retrieved October 3, 2007. 
2. ^ "Sustainable Digital Data Preservation and Access Network Partners Program Announcements & Information". National Science Foundation. September 28, 2007. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf07601. Retrieved October 3, 2007. 
3. ^ Michener, William; Vieglais, Dave, Vision, Todd, Kunze, John, Cruse, Patricia, Janée, Greg (2011). "DataONE: Data Observation Network for Earth — Preserving Data and Enabling Innovation in the Biological and Environmental Sciences". D-Lib Magazine 17 (1/2). doi:10.1045/january2011-michener. http://www.dlib.org/dlib/january11/michener/01michener.html. 

External links

• NSF DataNet Group on Nature Network
• DataONE
• Data Conservancy