Getting the Most Out of DataNet: A Panel Discussion of the NSF Funded DataNet Partnerships

Constellation B: Tuesday, November 1, 8:30 – 10:00AM

This presentation will feature leaders from five of the DataNet organizations funded through the National Science Foundation’s Sustainable Digital Data Preservation and Access Network Partners (DataNet) solicitation (National Science Foundation, 2007, 2009). The projects are The Data Conservancy: A Digital Research and Curation Virtual Organization, based at Johns Hopkins University, DataONE: Observation Network, based at the University of New Mexico, SEAD: Sustainable Environments-Actionable Data, based at the University of Michigan, the DataNet Federation Network based at the University of North Carolina, and Terra Populus: A Global Population/Environment Data Network (TerraPop) based at the University of Minnesota.

Following a brief overview of NSF’s DataNet vision and goals, each funded project will be introduced and positioned within the context of NSF’s vision for the DataNet Partners. The next part of the panel will describe how each of their organizations are developing their own methodologies to integrate library and archival sciences, cyberinfrastructure, computer and information sciences, and domain science expertise to:

• provide reliable digital preservation, access, integration, and analysis capabilities for science and/or engineering data over a decades-long timeline;
• continuously anticipate and adapt to changes in technologies and in user needs and expectations;
• engage at the frontiers of computer and information science and cyberinfrastructure with research and development to drive the leading edge forward; and
• serve as component elements of an interoperable data preservation and access network.

The final part of the panel will discuss collaboration between the DataNet partners and the next overall timeline from each organization in terms of deliverables for the community in order to serve as “elements of an interoperable data preservation and access network for science.

Session Leaders

Robert McDonald, Panel Moderator, SEAD (NSF DataNet), Associate Dean for Library Technologies and Digital Libraries and Associate Director Data to Insight Center at Indiana University.

Sayeed Choudry, Data Conservancy (NSF DataNet), Associate Dean for Library Digital Programs and Hodson Director of the Digital Research and Curation Center in the Sheridan Libraries at Johns Hopkins University.

Richard Marciano, DataNet Federation Consortium (NSF DataNet), Professor and Director of Sustainable Archives and Leveraging Technologies (SALT) and Co-Director of the Digital Innovation Lab in the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

William Michener, DataOne (NSF DataNet) – Professor and Director of e-Science Initiatives for University Libraries at the University of New Mexico.

Margaret Hedstrom, SEAD (NSF DataNet), Professor and Associate Dean in the School of Information at the University of Michigan.

Steven Ruggles, Terra Populus (NSF DataNet) – Regents Professor of History and Population Studies and Director of the Minnesota Population Center at the University of Minnesota.