Award Conditions for Critical Zone Observatories
August 16, 2007
Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs) are expected to go beyond conducting scientific studies by the CZO PIs to providing data and field sites for use by each other and by the broader community. From the beginning, management needs to develop observatories that also serve, within practical limits, the science and education objectives of the broader community. This service requires planned data-management efforts to provide: data access, data standardization, and site access. Needs for data management and for science that involves more than one observatory are to be pursued through annual meetings and through overview by a single external Steering Committee.
Data Access and Standardization: CZOs are required to enter data (whether directly measured by the CZO or obtained from elsewhere) into a public database that can be accessed through a common portal within a reasonable time after the measurements are taken. Some specialized data may be embargoed for up to two years by prior agreement between the Principal Investigator and the National Science Foundation. The CZO is to provide NSF information on the time lag from measurement to entry in its annual reports. Each CZO is also encouraged to appoint an IT person as its responsible data manager. On other issues CZOs are required to adhere to the EAR data policy as presented in
We expect CZOs to become true community resources. Science is best served by common measurement practices, by assembling data in a common format across observatories, and by explanatory supporting metadata. Variances in measurement practices may be granted by NSF where justified by the CZO. The CZO-PIs are strongly urged to build upon solid existing frameworks provided by CUAHSI (HIS), CZEN, and NCED and are required to develop a common community-wide data model that provides easy access to all archived data and associated documentation. The observatories are required to work with these and other relevant groups to establish a semantic dictionary (ontology) so that terms have the same meaning across observatories and the metadata are explanatory to users. The CZOs are required to submit a common data model and ontology with their first annual reports and to provide annual updates on additions.
Site Access:
Permission to gain access to a CZO is to be based on balancing objective evaluation of the science that could be achieved against impacts on work by others. Arrangements would normally be between the outside PI and observatory management with guidance from the Steering Committee in situations with differences. Land owners (public and private) will be informed when new parties are given access and may veto activities they feel inappropriate. The visiting project is expected to pay added costs to the observatory.
Annual Meetings:
To add value gained by having multiple Critical Zone Observatories, the CZO PIs are to meet annually to discuss and leverage both their scientific and data-management advances. The need to address infrastructure and data handling/archiving issues strongly suggests that the annual meetings occur at one of the CZO sites. At least one of the cognizant NSF program directors will attend the annual meeting.
Steering Committee (SC):
The CZO PIs are to work with NSF to form a Steering Committee to a) review the effectiveness of the data policies, b) synthesize scientific results, c) reduce duplication, c) appraise progress, and d) offer guidance for the future. The observatory Steering Committee should review observatory data policies and practices. The SC will submit an annual report to the CZO PIs and to the cognizant NSF program directors at least two weeks prior to when the CZOs submit their required Annual Reports, and each CZO Annual Report should include a response to the SC’s report. The SC should comprise a minimum of five independent, highly-qualified scientists whose expertise crosses the spectrum working at the CZOs. Initial and replacement members of the SC should be approved by the cognizant NSF program directors. The CZO PIs should explore the benefit to forming a similarly CZO-wide committee to address data, metadata, and interoperability issues.