COTELCO Contributes at NSF EarthCube Charette

Dr. Derrick L. Cgoburn, COTELCO/IDPP executive director, and Ms. Lauren Burke, COTELCO strategic communications associate, were invited to participate in the second annual NSF Earth Cube Charette from 12-14 June 2012.

The NSF Charette - a word that typically applies to art and design - is in this case, used to describe a gathering of researchers who draft solutions to a series of proposed research questions or problems. This particular Charette focused on a combination of cyberinfrastructure and geoscience.  The goal of the meeting was to create robust drafts of community-derived roadmaps for funded research organizations, and to discuss and provide input into the roadmaps for those groups who are looking to apply for awards.

Each day of the Charette consisted of an opening general session, where each breakout group reported on their progress. The breakout groups were encouraged to pose at least 50 research questions and possible ways to address those questions. While the Charette was incredibly labor intensive, the results were dozens of road maps that will help the research community address common barriers that every organization may eventually encounter.

This Earth Cube was an opportunity for COTELCO to contribute the lessons it has learned from its own research initiatives, particularly with the development of the ASSANA methodology and the design and implementation of the Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP).

The final versions of the community group road maps will be made public in mid to late summer in preparation for continued funding opportunities. Roadmaps, deemed by NSF to be representative of community input and addressing guidance provided, will form the basis of additional funding opportunities in late 2012 or early 2013.

View and Like our pictures from the Charette on Facebook!

Follow COTELCO and Dr. Cogburn on Twitter to read the conversation surrounding the Earth Cube Charette, and by searching @NSF and @EarthCube hastags!