Data Management Collaboration Team

Scope of Activities

Arctic data, including physical and biological samples and Indigenous Knowledge data, are irreplaceable. Often stemming from difficult and remote conditions, Arctic data are valuable in a time of rapid environmental change driven primarily by climate change. Data management is critical to basic research, monitoring, and applied research in the Arctic. It follows a cycle of data discovery, collection, and sharing; ideally, each step in the data lifecycle contributes to maximizing return on investment in data management. There is great care, review, and often standardization or harmonization in preparing, producing, and publishing data products which allow for their reuse. Nevertheless, customization of global or national tools is often necessary for Arctic applications. As data volumes increase, computational infrastructure and software management are both inextricably part of data management.

A National Academies study outlines best practices related to open, searchable, and rapidly accessible data; there is a need for centralized discovery and access to Arctic data across institutions and agencies. IARPC encourages the adoption of open data collections, development of intelligent data management tools and practices, and use of existing data and metadata platforms to achieve interdisciplinary and interagency coordination. In order to reflect the complexity of Arctic data and knowledge systems, data management for Arctic research must be responsive to a range of partners. Arctic research, participatory research, and data management now operate in an environment of FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) data management principles and CARE (collective benefit, authority to control, responsibility, ethics) Principles of Indigenous Data Governance. While working toward open and accessible data, it is important to recognize these nuanced approaches that protect private and sensitive data, and to respect Indigenous data sovereignty and governance.

Continued international joint cooperation, innovation, and learning in all aspects of data management are integral to facilitating Arctic research. Working with international partners to implement harmonized standards and practices will make Arctic data more readily available and will improve U.S. Arctic research. Innovations in data collection, curation, discoverability, and use, such as new advances in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and cloud computing, will be essential to fully use Arctic data.

IARPC will share best practices, innovative ideas, lessons learned, and networking opportunities as it works towards discoverability, understanding, and interoperability of Arctic data and tools. IARPC will help strengthen data management literacy and expertise by proactively connecting federal agencies, local partners, early career scientists, established researchers, Indigenous Knowledge holders, and others. IARPC is in a position to develop a culture around thoughtful data management (i.e., FAIR and CARE) and encourage the development of skills and knowledge related to advancing data management in the Arctic. IARPC is able to facilitate access to Arctic data by being a forward-looking space that can stimulate dialogue between diverse sectors to embrace actionable science.

As agencies work towards sharing data across the government and with the public, IARPC will be a strong partner and bridge towards achieving their Arctic research goals. Data management is rooted in federal policy and mandated for federal research agencies. Data sovereignty and CARE principles need to be considered in the context of federal data policies. Clear guidance, aligned with FAIR and CARE, on how to manage data compliant with these broad federal mandates can benefit those who enable Arctic insights and can support data users, providers, and managers in achieving their aims. federal agencies should aim to make data more discoverable, connected, and useful, emphasizing meaningful new Arctic insights. Therefore, this plan pursues responsive, responsible, and well-resourced application of best practices in Arctic data management.

Deliverables from the Arctic Research Plan

DATA 1 Encourage and implement FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and CARE (Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, and Ethics) data management principles through enhanced coordination and collaboration across multiple levels in Arctic research.

• DATA 1.1 Identify verified points of contact (e.g., agency champions, data practitioners, Arctic residents, Indigenous organizations) and their areas of expertise and interests, and encourage them to join the Data Management Collaboration Team on IARPC Collaborations. As part of developing the points of contact, identify and track representation across many axes (disciplines/sectors, IARPC experience, career stage, for example) to ensure a representative group of contributors.
• DATA 1.2 In order to build community buy-in and promote sustained efforts, regularly update and maintain the activities and progress related to data management on IARPC Collaborations. These efforts will ensure transparency, continuous engagement, and alignment with the FAIR and CARE data principles.
• DATA 1.3 Convene quarterly seminars, discussions, and training sessions on FAIR and CARE data management in collaboration with other IARPC collaboration teams and communities of practice. These sessions will address data-related topics that are of interest across different teams or specific to a few teams, with the goal of advancing and supporting the data-related deliverables within this implementation plan. Ensure that presenters and contributors provide a broad range of perspectives and expertise. Develop a common format and structure (e.g., questions, prompts) for team meetings to help elicit and articulate perspectives on all aspects of FAIR and CARE to support work towards the community summary/synthesis products.
• DATA 1.4 Develop and share communication products such as summaries and public-facing one-pagers of perspectives on implementing FAIR and CARE in Arctic contexts. These concise communication products will be designed to inform and educate a broader audience, including users, researchers, decision-makers, and the general public.
• DATA 1.5 Develop an end-to-end Arctic data management system that includes data submission, metadata curation, data archival, and data access. Overall, these data management services will improve Arctic data FAIR compliance and interoperability, as well as streamline long-term data preservation and archival. This four-year project is supported by the Inflation Reduction Act and will be implemented by the NOAA Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing - Arctic Research Program.
• DATA 1.6 Support the development of an Integrated Arctic Ecosystem Toolkit that leverages existing data servers to allow for the synthesis of public hydrographic and satellite-derived environmental measurements with a diverse array of biodiversity data. Building the tools to connect these datastreams will shorten the time required for each ecosystem health assessment, enabling rapid management response for climate resilience. By including publicly available observations from NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA ‘Omics, and academic-led ocean observatories, as well as publicly available observations derived from open-source community science platforms, this toolkit will provide a critical holistic integration platform for the Arctic region. By further developing tools to foster the integration of non-public datastreams alongside the integrated biodiversity observations, this toolkit will serve a diverse array of federal, state, local, and Indigenous partners. This two-year project is supported by the Inflation Reduction Act and will be implemented by the NOAA Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing - Arctic Research Program.
• DATA 1.7 Support a catalog of systems (a registry of polar observing networks) that conduct or coordinate polar observation and monitoring. This resource will advance beyond a proof of concept through an iterative process with outreach, community engagement, collaboration, metadata curation, and web usability testing. In concert, software design and development will enable a scalable technology architecture, resulting in a fully operational, inclusive, and encompassing tool for discovery. This project will also include a polar observing site discovery tool: an innovative demonstration of aggregating documentation for thousands of research and monitoring sites, stations, facilities, observatories, supersites, buoys, moorings, and community-based observations with a view to interoperability. The end result will be a single-window search for the discovery of observing assets within and across a multitude of networks. This two-year project is supported by the Inflation Reduction Act and will be implemented by the NOAA Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing - Arctic Research Program.
• DATA 1.8 Convene a series of webinars on the incorporation of Indigenous data sovereignty principles into Arctic data management. These sessions will aim to embed CARE data principles in the data management plan process and to explore and learn about the possibility of establishing tribally managed CARE-structured data centers. The goal is to ensure that Indigenous communities have authority and control over their data, with an eye on future implementation plans and the Arctic Research Plan.
• DATA 1.9 Actively engage with and support expert and advisory panel work through the US Arctic Observing Network (US AON), the Sustaining Arctic Observing Network (SAON)’s Arctic Roadmap for Observing and Data Systems (Arctic ROADS), and the Arctic Data Committee in developing Arctic observing and data systems plans. Additionally, support U.S. engagement in and the implementation of data-related recommendations from the Arctic Observing Summit. These efforts will ensure that the United States contributes to and benefits from international coordination and collaboration on Arctic data management.

Accomplishments

Under the Arctic Research Plan 2017-2021, the Data team:

• Shared information about federal agency data science projects that supported data management capabilities for Arctic researchers.
• Advanced tools developed to help Alaska Arctic communities understand and adapt to climate change.
• Shared information about mapping the marine environment, ground ice content, and other parts of the cryosphere.
• Shared information about data that support Arctic operators, such as data on icebreaker efficacy and research on artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to satellite based measurement of sea ice and coastal change.

For a full summary of the Data team's accomplishments under the 2017-2021 Arctic Research Plan, see the 2021 Performance Element Summary Statements.