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Welcome to the Data Help Desk

We connect Earth science researchers and data experts to enhance research and make data and software more open and accessible.

overview of a body of water with a question mark formation
Data Help Desk logo

Where are we next? Join us at the AGU Open Science & Data Help Desk!

AGU Annual Meeting – 15-19 December, 2025

The Data Help Desk is a program that provides researchers with opportunities to engage with informatics experts. Seek us out in the Open Science Pavilion in the Exhibit Hall to ask data questions and see demos on key software and data tools.

AGU25 Schedule & Demos

Monday Dec 15

  • 3:00 PM – TBD
    Walid Ouret – University of Maryland
  • 4:00 PM – Repositories of Laboratory Analytical Data (EarthChem Library, Astromat Data Archive)
    Kerstin Lehnert – Columbia University

Tuesday Dec 16

  • 10:00 AM – TBD
    Jeff Pu – Large Lakes Observatory at University of Minnesota Duluth
  • 12:00 PM – Repository Crisis Scorecards, AGU Impactful Datasets
    Joseph Gum – Earth Science Information Partners
  • 2:00 PM – A Free, Open-Access Tool for Remote Sensing Field Campaign Planning Using Satellite Overpass and Calibration Site Data
    Sandeep Kumar Chittimalli – NSF / SMDI
  • 4:00 PM – Bridging Agriculure With Soil Spectral Data fro Organic Mattter Prediction
    Ibrahim Kabore – Daki Koobo

Wednesday Dec 17

  • 10:00 AM – The US Antarctic Program – Data Center (USAP-DC) guidance for submitting and finding data
    Frank Nitsche – Columbia University
  • 12:00 PM – Repositories of Laboratory Analytical Data (EarthChem Library, Astromat Data Archive)
    Kerstin Lehnert – Columbia University
  • 2:00 PM – Bridging Agriculure With Soil Spectral Data for Organic Mattter Prediction
    Ibrahim Kabore – Daki Koobo
  • 4:00 PM – Repository Crisis Scorecards, AGU Impactful Datasets
    Joseph Gum – Earth Science Information Partners

Thursday Dec 18

  • 10:00 AM – A Free, Open-Access Tool for Remote Sensing Field Campaign Planning Using Satellite Overpass and Calibration Site Data
    Sandeep Kumar Chittimalli – NSF / SMDI

DATA HELP DESK panel

What is the Data Help Desk?

Bringing people together is what ESIP does. The Data Help Desk specifically connects domain scientists and data experts to share knowledge, tools, and workflows.

Data Help Desks are held at various Earth science conferences, including the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the European Geophysical Union (EGU), American Meteorological Society (AMS), and Geological Society of America (GSA).

Often housed in the Exhibit Hall, the Data Help Desk is led by volunteer data experts who share their time and wisdom with students, domain scientists new to data management, and anyone interested in learning more about leading practices in open science.

Many volunteers contribute demos, one-pagers, and recordings to help make Earth science data more findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR). Many volunteers and their topics of interest are connected to the ESIP Lab and ESIP Collaboration Areas.

We Connect Data Experts & Researchers

>20

Total Data Help Desks have taken place at conferences including AGU, EGU, AMS, and GSA.

100+

Volunteer experts in ESIP’s Slack answer data and software questions during and beyond events.

$2500

The average cost of a booth at most scientific conferences is one of the biggest program costs.

The impact of the Data Help Desk is more than the sum of dollars or number of tools. Its power is connection and advice that is free to those who seek it.

Help us keep the Data Help Desk running.
Become a sponsor and let’s grow the program together.

Past support for the Data Help Desk

The Data Help Desk is currently unfunded and a volunteer-driven effort, operated as an ESIP Cluster. We think it can be much bigger. Here are some of the organizations and agencies who have supported past Data Help Desks.


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