“THE” Arctic Observing Network:A perspective from program to international

Erica KeyNational Science FoundationArctic Observing Network Program

Deadline for NSF AON proposals: October 21, 2014

New language in the solicitation is two-fold:

Draws off of input at OSTP / OMB meeting in January and governance webinars

Allows for development of value-added products- leveraging existing NSF-AON catalog and other agency contributions- supports interoperable, intercomparable measurements- builds capacity for integrated, interdisciplinary, or system measurements- increases connectivity with PLR CI program through co-review

Encourages long-term vision for network design- spurs proposers to consider scales and targets for observing- integrates project and risk management concepts into design- furthers “science of measurement” as opposed to maintenance- develops metrics to evaluate return on investment

NSF-AON Competition Status

Current observing-related strategic activities

Use-inspired science / Return on investmentAll: Arctic Observing AssessmentNational: US GEO Assessment, USGCRP Our Changing PlanetAgency: TPIO Visualization (NOAA)

Governance and planningAll: Arctic Observing ViewerIARPC: Master ScheduleNSF-AON: Webinar series and distributed input

Coordination and communicationAll: ArcticHub, Arctic Observing Viewer, Arctic Observing AssessmentInternational: Belmont Forum Arctic CRA, French Arctic Strategy

Operation (awareness, partnership)All: Arctic Observing Viewer, ArcticHub, Arctic Observing AssessmentInternational: Belmont Forum Arctic CRA, Canadian Observing InventoryIARPC: Agency/Organization Webinars, Cross-Cut WebinarsNSF-AON: Outreach materials

Outputs and potential uses

Arctic Observing AssessmentDemonstrate gaps/strengths in:

- documented user needs- interoperable information- available data integration tools and accessible formats- observing, monitoring, inventory, assessment of requested fields

Arctic Observing ViewerVisualize and document available observations to:

- showcase coverage and link to archives- encourage “neighbor” interchanges within/between sciences- provide information for out-year, shortfall planning and coordination- identify interdisciplinary or system nodes or hotspots- provide accessibility to a range of users

ArcticHubConnect a broad observing community by:

- highlighting available online resources and tools for observing- hosting Arctic Observing Assessment build-out and web interface- providing tailored communication and workspaces for thematic groups- enabling user input to site functionality

Considerations and conversations for the future for NSF-AON and the broader AON universe

Grids, nodes, hotspots, and realizing a “design”- What is the return on investment in science and management of remote deployments?- Does place-based design encourage more integrated, system-type measurement?- How do we maximize the constellation and varying time coverage we have?- Who benefits from an institutionalized observing suite?

Balancing global with local- Is there value in aggregating large volumes of questionable quality data?- Can we quantify relative change (amplitude and frequency) using

non-traditional information from personal devices or off-the-shelf sensors?- How is this balanced against high accuracy information held to global standard?

Exceeding original intentions- How is “fundamental” observing re-purposed?- Where is the line between research and management when it comes to observing?- Should areas where user needs are defined receive top priority?