The Global Change Data Center (GCDC) supports a number of initiatives to encourage collaboration to enable the communication, interchange and reuse of technology, data and services among developers and users.

Earth Science Data Systems Working Groups

The Earth Science Data Systems Working Groups were established to engage the science community in defining concepts for future data systems to improve interoperability, reduce costs, and increase scientific productivity. Point-of-contact: Dr. Frank Lindsay, ESDSWG Manager

• The Metrics Planning and Reporting Working Group reviews and recommends program-level performance metrics and collection tools that measure how well each data activity supports the NASA Science Mission Directorate’s Earth science, application, and education programs.
• The Software Reuse Working Group is chartered to oversee the process that will maximize the reuse potential of NASA ESE software components and addresses technical issues required to enable and facilitate reuse of software assets within NASA ESE to in order to: drive down the cost and time of system development, and reduce/eliminate expensive redundancy and duplication in system development; increase flexibility and responsiveness; and increase effective and accountable community participation.
• The Standards Process Group Group welcomes (and seeks out) submissions of potential standards that would be of value to the NASA Earth Science community to: enable data and service providers to easily join NASA's Earth Science network of data systems; facilitate interoperability between components of NASA's Earth Science network of data systems; facilitate data stewardship and preservation; and promote effective processes for standards recommendation, adoption, and approval.
• The purpose of the Technology Infusion Working Group is to enable NASA's Earth Science community to reach its research, application, and education goals more quickly and cost effectively through widespread adoption of key emerging information technologies. To accomplish this, the working group: defines and implements community-based processes to identify needed capabilities and technologies; and establishes approaches and processes to infuse new technologies into the evolving Earth science data systems.