Richard Aster
2021-02-08 18:20:14
Dear IRIS and UNAVCO Community,
It’s now been a couple of months since the successful membership votes that approved the merger of UNAVCO and IRIS into the EarthScope Consortium. In our capacities as Board Chairs, we wanted to reach out to keep you updated on ongoing developments and progress by our community-governed organizations.
A Steering Committee consisting of UNAVCO and IRIS Board members and staff is designing the process and the overarching vision for organizing the EarthScope Consortium. The Steering Committee members are:
Rick Aster, Chair IRIS Board
Becks Bendick, UNAVCO President
Jerry Carter, IRIS Director of Data Services
Ronni Grapenthin, Chair UNAVCO Board
Glen Mattioli, UNAVCO Director of Geodetic Infrastructure
Brandon Schmandt, IRIS Board
Tonie Van Dam, UNAVCO Board
Bob Woodward, IRIS President
This group just charged four focused Planning Teams to assess scope and examine operations in the specific areas of Financial and Information Services, Human Resources, Programmatic Scope, and Community Governance. Throughout, the accessible, efficient, and community governed culture and operations of the EarthScope Consortium will be highly consistent with those of our present consortia, as codified in our recently approved bylaws.
We also issued a final call for participation in our Request For Information (RFI) related to future locations of the EarthScope Consortium, a key step in identifying collaborators for the recompetition of NSF’s geophysical facility. Responses are due by 5:00 PM MT February 26, 2021. Please see the original RFIhttps://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iris.edu%2Fhq%2Fnews%2Fstory%2Fgeophysical_facility_rfi&data=04%7C01%7CRick.Aster%40colostate.edu%7Cc7604559fa70491f00fb08d8cc5d6756%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637484048849887709%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=JTc6XlqkgZDO4SpgyTGLLirKMxomEHeOhXTFw%2BW4Ews%3D&reserved=0 for background information.
While taking steps towards plans for merging operations, and thus competitively positioning our community for NSF facility recompetition (with the RFP expected to be released before the second half of 2021, and proposals expected to be due in early 2022), IRIS and UNAVCO continue to be collaboratively engaged in serving our joint communities under the SAGE and GAGE awards. Recent and ongoing joint efforts, incorporating community partners and guidance, include initiatives in Cloud Data Storage and Data Distribution, Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure, and Education and Public Outreach.
A successful response to the upcoming next generation NSF facility call requires us to think deeply about the services and capabilities that will best serve the geophysics community with scientific exchange, research support, outreach, training, and technical innovation. This means designing a new EarthScope Consortium organization from the ground up to create a single, efficient, and optimal organizational structure that leverages the very best elements of IRIS and UNAVCO while continuing to serve our communities and missions under the SAGE and GAGE awards through 2023. Fortunately, these dual roles are as much an opportunity as they are a challenge as we draw on our deep community and staff expertise to determine ways to be more innovative, responsive, and efficient.
If you have questions or concerns about recompetition and merger planning, please reach out to any member of the Steering Committee and/or your IRIS and UNAVCO committees. We will strive to be transparent and engaged with our community regarding ongoing SAGE/GAGE efforts, the recompetition process, and the transition to EarthScope.
Sincerely,
Rick and Ronni
It’s now been a couple of months since the successful membership votes that approved the merger of UNAVCO and IRIS into the EarthScope Consortium. In our capacities as Board Chairs, we wanted to reach out to keep you updated on ongoing developments and progress by our community-governed organizations.
A Steering Committee consisting of UNAVCO and IRIS Board members and staff is designing the process and the overarching vision for organizing the EarthScope Consortium. The Steering Committee members are:
Rick Aster, Chair IRIS Board
Becks Bendick, UNAVCO President
Jerry Carter, IRIS Director of Data Services
Ronni Grapenthin, Chair UNAVCO Board
Glen Mattioli, UNAVCO Director of Geodetic Infrastructure
Brandon Schmandt, IRIS Board
Tonie Van Dam, UNAVCO Board
Bob Woodward, IRIS President
This group just charged four focused Planning Teams to assess scope and examine operations in the specific areas of Financial and Information Services, Human Resources, Programmatic Scope, and Community Governance. Throughout, the accessible, efficient, and community governed culture and operations of the EarthScope Consortium will be highly consistent with those of our present consortia, as codified in our recently approved bylaws.
We also issued a final call for participation in our Request For Information (RFI) related to future locations of the EarthScope Consortium, a key step in identifying collaborators for the recompetition of NSF’s geophysical facility. Responses are due by 5:00 PM MT February 26, 2021. Please see the original RFIhttps://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iris.edu%2Fhq%2Fnews%2Fstory%2Fgeophysical_facility_rfi&data=04%7C01%7CRick.Aster%40colostate.edu%7Cc7604559fa70491f00fb08d8cc5d6756%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637484048849887709%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=JTc6XlqkgZDO4SpgyTGLLirKMxomEHeOhXTFw%2BW4Ews%3D&reserved=0 for background information.
While taking steps towards plans for merging operations, and thus competitively positioning our community for NSF facility recompetition (with the RFP expected to be released before the second half of 2021, and proposals expected to be due in early 2022), IRIS and UNAVCO continue to be collaboratively engaged in serving our joint communities under the SAGE and GAGE awards. Recent and ongoing joint efforts, incorporating community partners and guidance, include initiatives in Cloud Data Storage and Data Distribution, Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure, and Education and Public Outreach.
A successful response to the upcoming next generation NSF facility call requires us to think deeply about the services and capabilities that will best serve the geophysics community with scientific exchange, research support, outreach, training, and technical innovation. This means designing a new EarthScope Consortium organization from the ground up to create a single, efficient, and optimal organizational structure that leverages the very best elements of IRIS and UNAVCO while continuing to serve our communities and missions under the SAGE and GAGE awards through 2023. Fortunately, these dual roles are as much an opportunity as they are a challenge as we draw on our deep community and staff expertise to determine ways to be more innovative, responsive, and efficient.
If you have questions or concerns about recompetition and merger planning, please reach out to any member of the Steering Committee and/or your IRIS and UNAVCO committees. We will strive to be transparent and engaged with our community regarding ongoing SAGE/GAGE efforts, the recompetition process, and the transition to EarthScope.
Sincerely,
Rick and Ronni
