Why do we have the Community for Data Integration Request for Proposals?

The purpose of the CDI RFP is to build USGS capabilities in data integration and management.

CDI projects.... are short-term | leverage existing resources | demonstrate scalable solutions | improve access to data and tools | develop best practices | share lessons | involve interdisciplinary teams | can be modified for reuse | communicate their value to the wider USGS.

The CDI RFP increases communication across boundaries and creates opportunities to work with people outside of your normal program.

The proposals process involves .... commenting and voting from your peers | new collaborations | communicating without disciplinary jargon | community-building.

How does the proposals process work?

The CDI RFP is a community-driven, two-phase process.

Phase 1: Community commenting and voting on short statements of interest
Phase 2: Full proposals evaluated by a formal review panel and the CDI sponsors

Timeline: The entire process is completed within one fiscal year.
Funding: Maximum $50,000 request for salary, travel, and other expenses. Projects must specify in-kind funds of at least 30% of the request to demonstrate commitment to effort.

What kind of projects are successful?

Not all ideas are in scope for this short-term opportunity. However, discussion with experienced CDI members can help you to frame your idea in a way that fits the evaluation criteria.

Some key concepts to keep in mind:

• Building: It's not just about building apps, but building knowledge and networks. Success includes sharing important lessons with the wider community.
• Integrating: A recent USGS priority is advancing our Integrated Predictive Science Capacity - this involves the creation and connection of modular, reusable tools and processes across different disciplines.
• Collaborating: The CDI looks for interdisciplinary collaborations and generally does not support projects that could be funded by a single USGS program.
• Communicating: Communicate about your idea - before, during, and after the project. Communicate to non-specialists so that they see the value of your idea. For better or for worse, if you have an idea, you need to convince others that it is valuable.
• Opening possibilities: Whether funded or not, ideas in the proposals process may be picked up by CDI Collaboration Areas for further discussion and work. Don't hold back on sharing your ideas, because you don't know what connections may be initiated.

Some examples of previous CDI projects

Data Management Website: Met the need for a resource that allows people to share practices in data management and meet policy.

Workshops on Deep Neural Networks: Building the knowledge base of USGS in new, widely applicable analysis techniques.

Legacy Data Projects to Preserve and Release Historical USGS Data: Helping the effort to inventory, prioritize, and rescue existing legacy data.

Exploring the USGS Science Data Life Cycle in the Cloud: Testing the implementation of new technologies within the USGS ecosystem.

DRIP - Dam Removal Information Portal: Demonstrating how research data from varied resources can be standardized, accessible, and easily updated.

See all previous projects at the CDI ScienceBase site.