NPN Workshop
Funding Breakout group Wednesday morning
How to herbarium collections contribute to the NPN effort? Are these part of data sets that we want to continue?
Need to have operational budget and on-going base data. Role for the need to communicate to the various audiences.
Is there a funding source for each various application? Need to have a link in order to make a case.
Propose to look at several levels. Need to consider degree of collocation. Various levels citizen science, no collocation, detailed observations at a few intensive sites, then COOP sites with intermediate levels of complexities.
Need to look for Foundations that might be willing to support citizen science efforts?
Perhaps we should start with some premises/assumptions of a proposed structures.
Can use the same system for gathering information for multiple levels.
NERON is in transition, so the desired linkage is important.
Backbone set of stations, link with existing/developing monitoring stations
Three levels:
1. Citizen science with essentially an observations of opportunity
2. Backbone set of stations linked to existing networks (NERON/MESONETs) with a small set of fixed observations
3. “Professional” intensive sites (NEON, LTER, etc.) that would do fixed observations plus additional observations because of availability of permanent staff, etc. Other networks like stream gauge sites, Ag. Exp. Stations, Orgaization of Biological Field Station
Use a model of a small base group that then leverages funding for other organizations by noting being part of NPN.
What is the role of Agr. Exp. Stations and USDA in the process? That group will be engaged and has been approached initially.
MODIS phenology products and other vegetation index time-series summaries are being produced. (1 km to 250m spatial resolution).
Need a way to connect the various existing networks to NPN objectives in order to obtain funding.
Need funding for recruitment and instruction of observers (materials production and training costs), as well as feedback.
Need operational funding for the base operations of the program.
Internal operations level.
Leverage funding from various organizations.
May be specific organizations that would be willing to provide specific parts of the operational budget, like the reporting system as part of their cooperative agreement.
UK system for citizen science has programs available to deal with data ingest and feedback. This would allow easy connection to other national systems.
How do deal with paperforms (60%internet/40% paper).
Lilac network have not done explicit quality assessment/control on the data except when specific analyses were done. Past networks need to be assessed.
Need to be concerned with cost of observer feedback and structure to accomplish this.
Reporting/distribution, there will be a tremendous amount of questions.
UK and Dutch network have small staffs of 3-5.
National office, but need to have regional/state offices.
Base organizational structure (central staff supported by a consortium).
Existence of NPN provides structure for sources of funding
NGOs or foundations will be needed to provide leverage to ask government agencies for support.
Need to look at funding for gathering and digitizing of historical observations, in support of research.
Need to have a links to applications in order to target funding. Difficult to get funding for on-going operations like web support from organizations interested in specific organizations.
What authority is needed to have a federal agency collect a particular data?
What about the NEON model? Question of scale. Levels of organization.
American Institutes of Biological Sciences (lobbiest, Bioscience)
Might provide support to start, could also scale-up or create a separate society.
Funding for:
Marketing
Recruiting
Materials (instructions to obsevers)
Data ingest and access (web page/images/meta data base)
Reporting/distribution
Quality (expert assessment and control)
Feedback to observers (web, meetings, sponsors)
Central (base) observations- state (state climatologist) coordinator to make the above work.
Supporting research-digitize historic data bases (climate database modernization program)
Need a multiple funding sources, with one part identified as core/base funding.
Need to have the core/central offices defined.
Possible Funding Agencies
Federal
USDeptAgriculture-USForestService (Forest Inventory Analysis),
Agriculture Research Service
DOI-USGeologicalS, NParkS, BLM, Fish Wildlife Service-hosting
NScienceF-meeting support, proof of concept
Approach with and logistics, operational funding proposals (longer term funding also)
EnvironmentalProtectionAgency-support sites
NASA-Phenospectral network, possible funding for development
Research program
Applications program-need to show that other agencies or organizations will use
the data
remote sensing products, proof of concept grants
NOAA-NWS,NEnvSatelliteDIS
NIHealth
DOEnergy
NEON-multiagency
Individual States-case by case basis (about a one-third of states have these have mesonets) contact State climatologists
Foundations—recommend for initial core funding
Need to review web pages to see what their specific requirements are
Kellogg Foundation
Heinz Foundation
Pew Trust
Bill Gates-science literacy and health
Moore Foundation-interested in NW Salmon
Google Foundation
Anna E. Casey Foundation
Arthur Daniels Midland Foundation
MacArthur Foundation
Ducks Unlimited
Private Companies
Diagnostic Products Company (allergy related)
Pharmaceuticals
The Weather Channel
CNN
Accuweather
Expedia
Travelocity
Arthur Daniels Midland Company
Shell Oil (risks for conflicts)
British Petroleum (risks for conflicts)
Agricultural chemical companies (great risks for conflicts)
Core Funding (4 FTEs minimum)
Central Office
Manager
IT Support (web site/data base contract)
Observer support
Instruction and materials
Analyst/reporting/QC&QA
Physical
Hardware/software
Printing/materials
Contract for web support