ESIP Update: We are hiring, Schema.org Cluster Kickoff, and more

ESIP is looking for a Meetings Director. This person will support the organization of at least two national ESIP meetings per year, as well as several smaller convenings. This is an outstanding opportunity to be a connector, enabling Earth science informatics through collaboration at meetings and events. Therefore, first and foremost, the Meetings Director must be committed to the mission of ESIP. Further details on the position and instructions for applying are on the website here. We would be grateful if you could share this opportunity with your colleagues.

From one exciting announcement to another – this week the brand new Schema.org Cluster will host their kickoff telecon and you are invited to join. Tune in this Wednesday 8/28 at 2 pm ET (details in the More ESIP News section below).

Looking for a good read this week? Check out this delightful blog post by ESIP Community Fellow, Ellie Davis, about her takeaways from the session Epic Fails in Earth Science Informatics at the recent ESIP Summer Meeting.

Are you or do you know a graduate student or post-doc interested in bridging the gap between informatics and Earth science? Please consider applying for or share the call for applications for the 2020 ESIP Community Fellows Program.

Finally, if you have something you would like to be shared in a future Monday Update, please let me know.

Have a wonderful week,
Megan

Megan Carter Orlando
ESIP Community Director
megancarter@esipfed.org

Job Opportunity: ESIP Meetings Director
ESIP is seeking applicants to join our core team in the position of ESIP Meetings Director. The ESIP Meetings Director will support the organization of at least two national ESIP meetings per year. as well as several smaller convenings. The Meetings Director is expected to be passionate about the Earth science informatics community, self-motivated, and able to operate independently and effectively in a work environment based largely on the use of communications technology, rather than daily face-to-face interactions. Learn more about responsibilities and duties, qualifications, and how to apply here. Applications will be reviewed immediately, with those received by 8/30 receiving first consideration. The position will remain open until filled. Please share with your colleagues!

Join the New Schema.org Cluster
The brand new Schema.org Cluster will work to support improved search and discovery of scientific resources through publishing structured data on the web based around the core schema.org vocabulary. Activities will include the development of best practices for publishing and harvesting structured data, education and outreach on the value proposition of web accessible structured data, and the advancing of domain-specific needs for improving precision and recall of scientific search capabilities. The cluster is being led by Adam Shepherd (Chair) and Doug Fils (Co-Chair). If you're interested in joining, mark your calendars for the group's first telecon (info below). You can also join the Schema.org Cluster mailing list to keep up-to-date on activities.

What: Schema.org Cluster Kick-off Telecon
When: Wednesday August 28th, 2019 at 2:00 pm ET
Join: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/231615469
You can also dial in using your phone: +1 (312) 757-3121) (Access Code: 231-615-469)   

Please Share: Call for ESIP Community Fellow Applications
ESIP Community Fellows are graduate students and post-docs (<2 yrs since graduation) interested in bridging the gap between informatics and Earth Science. This fellowship provides fellows with a chance to work closely with professionals in an interdisciplinary, cross-sector group (ESIP collaboration area) on current Earth Science problems. Community fellows become engaged in ESIP collaboration areas as rapporteurs, documenting group activities on monthly telecons and at ESIP’s semi-annual meetings. As fellows become more familiar with collaboration-area activities, they may choose to integrate their own research, which can result in publication and additional funding opportunities. Fellows receive a stipend of $2000 and paid travel to the 2020 ESIP Winter (Jan. 7th-9th in Bethesda, MD) and Summer (July 2020, TBD) Meetings. Fellows must be able to attend both meetings to participate in the fellowship. You can learn about the 2019 Class of Community Fellows here. Learn more about the opportunity and apply by 10/7 here.

Epic Fails: the not-so-secret reality of science
In a new ESIP Community Fellow blog post, Ellie Davis discusses her takeaways from the ESIP Summer Meeting breakout session on Epic Fails in Earth Science Informatics. View the full post here.

News from Around the Community
Upcoming Webinar: Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS): Future Data Access & Analysis Architecture Initiative
The CEOS Future Data Access and Analysis Architecture (FDA) initiative has resulted in a range of
new approaches for EO data access and analysis being deployed globally by CEOS Agencies. Many of
the pilot activities are now practical implementations with new standards for Analysis Ready Data,
advanced user-programmable Exploitation Platforms and vast amounts of data readily available on
Cloud platforms with open source analytics tools like the CEOS Open Data Cube. Many of these
components allow user algorithms to be brought to the data, rather than having to download and run
locally thus opening new opportunities for researchers, industry and government use. The FDA
ecosystem is still evolving and a challenge to navigate and the CEOS Working Groups are
collaborating closely to make is simpler to not only discover EO data but to also exploit it using the
various elements of FDA. This webinar will cover:

• Short history and elements of FDA, elements of FDA
• Discovery, Access, Analytics: Cloud, Data hubs/Exploitation platforms, Service providers (DIAS,AWS), DataCubes (ODC, ESA Cubes, Pangeo)
• Interoperability & Use: ARD and Computer Ready data formats (Zarr, netcdf Cloud, etc)
• Communication and collaboration: CEOS WG/VC, ARD Strategy, WGISS, OGC
• CEOS plans for next steps

Webinar: CEOS Future Data Access & Analysis Architecture Initiative
Speakers: Rob Woodcock (CSIRO) & Chris Lynnes (NASA)
When: Sept. 4th 11:30a – 1:00p AEST/Sept. 3rd 6:30p – 8:00p PDT / 9:30p – 11:00p EDT 
Join: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7371713492777714178

NASA ESDSWG on Search Relevancy and User Characterization Publishes Technical Note
The NASA Earth Science Data System Working Groups (ESDSWG) on Search Relevancy and User Characterization recently published their final report (a Technical Note) on “Search Relevance Recommendations for Earth Science Data.” This report was the culmination of four years of work and leadership by the ESDSWG members, and provides significant and substantial contributions to improving the discovery, search and access of earth science data products served via NASA science data systems. It has wider applications to any search or discovery service for earth science data.

The report underwent an extensive review process under the auspices of the NASA ESDIS Standards Office (ESO) and can be found here: https://earthdata.nasa.gov/files/ESDS-RFC-037v1.0.pdf.

EarthCube Early Career Travel Grant Deadline Extended to 8/30
The EarthCube Early Career Travel Grant provides reimbursement funds to individuals ($500) or underrepresented minorities ($1000) to present or discuss their EarthCube-related work at professional meetings, workshops or conferences held in the United States. The Early Career Travel Grant program is intended to promote EarthCube activities and work products and to cultivate the next generation of EarthCube participants.

The upcoming Geological Society of America Annual Meeting would be a great place to use a travel grant to attend. In addition to the regular program, check out the Short Courses. Of particular interest to EarthCube are: 1) Strabospot and 2) Your Thesis is Software: Tools for the Geoscientist to Help Write Better Code, from Version Control to Test-Driven Development.

Research!America Announces Call For Proposals for Science Student Groups Civic Engagement Projects
Research!America is announcing a request for proposals from graduate student- and postdoc-led science policy groups for the alliance’s civic engagement initiative. Started in 2018, the Civic Engagement Microgrant Program supports activities developed by students to connect directly with public officials and community leaders regarding the importance of scientific discovery and research. Research!America, supported in part by a grant from the Rita Allen Foundation, is funding graduate student groups’ nonpartisan activities of their design focusing on civic engagement and elevating the importance of scientific research, innovation and public health. These programs encourage dialogue between young scientists and local leaders about the roles science and research play in issues important to their communities. Groups are also encouraged to expand their efforts through partnerships with social science and communications students as part of the new Science Meets Science Microgrant Program. Learn more and apply by 9/20 here.

LTER Network Call for Working Group Proposals
The data produced at LTER sites are an extraordinary scientific resource that can inform a wide variety of questions. Among-site comparisons interrogate the generality of effects observed at particular sites. Modeling efforts employ long term observations and experiments to formulate and test rigorous descriptions of theory. Scaling exercises get at the continental or even global impacts of documented effects. LTER synthesis working groups organized through the LTER Network Office (LNO) are intended to support collaboration on these and many other types of questions. In the 2019 competition, the LNO expects to award 2-4 synthesis working groups at a funding level of up to $55,000 per year for up to two years. Proposals must use LTER data, involve LTER people, and involve multiple sites. Proposals may address LTER core themes and be led by non-LTER researchers. Learn more, find out about upcoming informational webinars (8/22 and 9/17), and submit your full proposal by 10/23 here.

SEDAC Invites Community Submissions of Human Dimensions Data
The NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by CIESIN has begun accepting submissions of scientific data related to human-environment interactions that are of high utility to the human dimensions research and applications communities. In light of increased recognition of the importance of open access to research data by universities, scientific publishers, funding organizations, and other organizations, SEDAC seeks to increase the accessibility and utilization of important global- or regional-scale spatial data, especially those derived from or complementary to remote sensing data from NASA or other sources. SEDAC will also consider other types of data that meet its acquisition criteria. Priority topics of interest for data acquisition and dissemination include administrative boundaries and other reference layers, population dynamics, human settlements and infrastructure, land use/land cover change, economic development, environmental health, and policy-relevant environmental and sustainable development indicators.

Submission of candidate data sets is a two-step process. In the first step, SEDAC requests basic information on the data (e.g., nature of the data set and its primary purpose) that will help evaluate suitability for SEDAC archiving and dissemination. If the data appear appropriate, a copy of the data will be requested along with additional information for review by the SEDAC User Working Group (UWG). If feasible and appropriate, SEDAC will work with data authors and journal publishers to coordinate data release with publication of a peer-reviewed article. SEDAC will also consider valuable older data sets that may be at risk of loss if not properly archived, as well as national or sub-national data for key countries or regions, on a case-by-case basis. Learn more here.
  
Job Opening: Web Developer for USGCRP
The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is looking for a web developer to work on the Global Change Information System and build information management technology to support the National Climate Assessment and other important reports on climate change. Learn more and apply here. Contact Reid Sherman (rsherman@usgcrp.gov) if you have any questions.

AGU Data Visualization and Storytelling Competition
Powerful visuals can often evoke excitement and emotion, driving a deeper level of engagement with the audience and the data and subject matter being presented. The AGU Data Visualization and Storytelling Competition is a contest that encourages creativity and data sharing in a new way. It is open to undergraduate students and graduate students who are legal U.S. residents. Competition winners will receive travel grants funded by AGU, complimentary registration to the AGU Fall Meeting, and the opportunity to present their visually-based story on the NASA Hyperwall. This AGU competition is funded by a generous grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Learn more and apply by 9/4 here.