Scientific Data Management (SDM) for
Government Agencies: Workshop to Improve SDM

June 29 – July 1, 2010

Environmental Protection Agency
1201 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20460
Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

“Data are not consumed by the ideas and innovations they spark. . .
but are an endless fuel for creativity”

The report “Harnessing the Power of Digital Data for Science and Society” published by the Interagency Working Group on Digital Data to the Committee on Science of the National Science and Technology Council made two recommendations that require community input:

“.  .  . appropriate departments and agencies lay the foundations for agency digital scientific data policy and make the policy publically available. .  .”

“.  . . all agencies promote a data management planning process for projects that generate preservation data. . .” 

A workshop is scheduled to gain community input on how federal agencies can best implement these recommendations to better manage data as a national resource.

Goals

The major goals of the workshop include: 

• Provide a forum for S&T Agencies to share how they manage scientific data with respect to the key areas outlined in the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) report Harnessing the Power of Digital Data for Science and Society, 2009, and to build on the findings and recommendations of the NSTC report and work of other groups;
• Assist Agencies in outlining a comprehensive framework of SDM policies and guidance that meets the needs of researchers, science managers, policy makers that conforms to current Federal information and science policies;
• Lay the foundation for the development of an implementation plan for policies and plans for agencies;
• Explore if and what kinds of differences there are in requirements across various domains and disciplines.

Emphases of the workshop will focus on how agencies can:

• Manage scientific data as an enterprise asset or liability
• Develop a scientific data management plan that covers the full data life cycle
• Identify scientific data with metadata to enable needed business operations (e.g., access control, discovery, linking to products, understanding, and usage)
• Manage scientific data for appropriate level of control and openness (e.g., intellectual property, data rights, and proprietary data)
• Retain data commensurate with its value
• Ensure that scientific data management processes integrate with knowledge management issues

Outcomes

Anticipated outcomes of the workshop include:

• Best practices worth emulating in S&T Agencies
• Potential next steps for future inter-Agency collaborations regarding SDM 
• Highlights of the meeting to be published

Who Should Attend?

Participants at this workshop will include researchers, science managers, operational users, policy analysts, and data managers.  Representatives from each of these categories, who are either federal employees (or contractors at the discretion of a federal sponsor) would contribute most to and benefit from this workshop.  Break out groups will be formed during the conference based on the categories of users. Attendees should be interested in working together to develop a tangible product that can be used at the agency level in the development of data policy and data management planning.

Workshop Agenda (PDF format)

Maps, Directions, and Hotel Information ( PDF format)

"If you need to register, please contact J. R. Candlish "
( Please register as soon as possible.)

Note that this workshop is only for Federal employees and invited guests. If you are not a federal employee and did not receive an invitation to this workshop, please do not register. For more information contact Bonnie C. Carroll bcarroll@iiaweb.com

For Further Information:

Planning Committee Co-Chairs: