Full Proposal: Environmental Data Science Innovation and Inclusion Lab (ESIIL): Accelerating Discovery by Fostering an Open and Diverse Earth Data Revolution

环境数据科学创新与包容实验室（ESIIL）是由科罗拉多大学博尔德分校领导的下一代国家科学基金会综合中心，与亚利桑那大学和奥斯陆大学的国家科学基金会CyVerse合作。ESIIL使全球环境数据科学家社区能够利用丰富的环境数据和新兴分析来开发基于科学的解决方案，以解决生物学和其他环境科学中的紧迫挑战。ESIIL将包容性作为多样化环境数据科学的核心原则和方法，因为社会需要所有视角，科学需要为所有人服务。ESIIL的研究社区通过以下方式产生发现和新方法：1)前沿团队科学，2)创新工具和协作网络基础设施，3)数据科学教育和培训，以及4)建立包容性参与和多元化群体。这些活动推动了环境数据科学的前沿，这是一门快速发展的学科，连接了计算科学、生物科学、环境科学和社会科学。ESIIL的开放式协作和可扩展环境（CASE）网络基础设施通过量身定制的用户体验、与关键数据源的无缝连接以及一流的云计算，降低了科学协作的障碍。ESIIL的教育项目促进了环境数据科学技能的广泛获取，并帮助培养下一代具有数据能力的劳动力。与部落学院和少数民族服务机构的伙伴关系提高了代表性不足群体的数据技能和知识共享。ESIIL网络是一个由2000多名研究人员和学生组成的多元化社区，是一个21世纪的团队，致力于产生数据启发的发现，增强社会和生态系统的复原力。ESIIL的愿景是培养一个多样化和包容性的实践社区，以产生环境数据科学的创新突破。创新峰会将探讨大陆生态、地球人工智能、环境正义和大数据等重大挑战，以及如何适应不断变化的世界。孵化器工作组、博士后和大型团队合作产生新的发现，跨部门的伙伴关系通过创新峰会和地球黑客马拉松促进了使用灵感的研究。ESIIL的合作包括工业、政府和非营利合作伙伴，促进具有环境政策、管理和技术应用的科学的共同生产。国家生态观测站网络（NEON）、长期生态研究网络（LTER）和关键区域协作网络（CZ Net）是战略数据合作伙伴。ESIIL促进团队科学的最佳实践，并在不同的科学团队中对科学生产力和创造力的相关性进行基础研究。ESIIL通过支持社区开发的高价值软件和数据立方体来加速科学探究，例如，来自不同观测站和平台的地面、机载和卫星数据。这些工具、精心策划的数据集以及可复制和可重用的工作流程部署在esil的开放式网络基础设施上。ESIIL Stars实习项目为来自促进STEM中代表性不足群体的机构的学生和教师提供支持，提供数据技能培训、研究经验和职业指导。最初的合作伙伴包括奥格拉拉·拉科塔学院、联合部落技术学院和丹佛大都会州立大学。ESIIL领袖项目通过培养环境数据科学和团队科学方面的领导技能，为来自代表性不足的社区的新兴科学家提供支持。文化相关的课程告知培训模块以及一个开放的教科书，介绍了新的分析环境数据。通过在现有的学习门户网站上托管开放教育资源，每月拥有超过20万用户，ESIIL教育扩展到全球受众。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Environmental Data Science Innovation & Inclusion Lab (ESIIL) is a next-generation NSF synthesis center led by the University of Colorado Boulder in collaboration with NSF’s CyVerse at the University of Arizona and the University of Oslo. ESIIL enables a global community of environmental data scientists to leverage the wealth of environmental data and emerging analytics to develop science-based solutions to solve pressing challenges in biology and other environmental sciences. ESIIL holds inclusion as a core principle and method for diversifying environmental data science at a time when society needs all perspectives, and science needs to serve all. ESIIL’s research community generates discoveries and novel approaches through: 1) cutting-edge team science, 2) innovative tools and collaborative cyberinfrastructure, 3) data science education and training, and 4) building inclusive participation and diverse groups. These activities advance the frontier of environmental data science, a rapidly evolving discipline bridging the computational, biological, environmental, and social sciences. ESIIL’s open Collaborative and Scalable Environment (CASE) cyberinfrastructure lowers barriers to scientific collaboration through tailored user experience, seamless connection to critical data sources, and premier cloud computing. ESIIL’s education program facilitates broad access to environmental data science skills and helps develop the next-generation data-capable workforce. Partnerships with Tribal Colleges and Minority-Serving Institutions increases data skills and knowledge sharing among underrepresented groups. The ESIIL Network, a diverse community of over 2,000 researchers and students, is a 21st-century team committed to generating data-inspired discoveries that enhance societal and ecosystem resilience. ESIIL’s vision is that cultivating a diverse and inclusive community of practice is needed to produce innovative breakthroughs in environmental data science. Innovation Summits explore Grand Challenges such as continental-scale ecology, artificial intelligence for the Earth, environmental justice and big data, and adapting to our changing world. Incubator Working Groups, postdocs, and large-team collaborations generate new discoveries, and cross-sector partnerships catalyze use-inspired research through Innovation Summits and Earth Hackathons. ESIIL collaborations include industry, government, and non-profit partners, facilitating the co-production of science that has environmental policy, management, and technological applications. The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) network, and the Critical Zone Collaborative Network (CZ Net) are strategic data partners. ESIIL facilitates best practices in team science and conducts basic research on the correlates of scientific productivity and creativity within diverse scientific teams. ESIIL accelerates scientific inquiry by supporting community-developed and high-value software and data cubes bridge, for example, ground, airborne, and satellite data from diverse observatories and platforms. These tools, curated datasets, and reproducible and reusable workflows are deployed on ESIIL’s open cyberinfrastructure. The ESIIL Stars internship program supports students and faculty members from institutions that promote underrepresented groups in STEM, providing data skills training, research experience, and career mentorship. Initial partners include Oglala Lakota College, United Tribes Technical College, and Metropolitan State University of Denver. The ESIIL Leaders program supports emerging scientists from underrepresented communities by fostering leadership skills in environmental data science and team science. Culturally-relevant curricula inform training modules along with an open textbook that introduces novel analytics for environmental data. By hosting open education resources on an existing learning portal, with a following of over 200,000 users per month, ESIIL education scales to a global audience.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.