CASC Data Managers

Preserving Scientific Data and Products for Future Use 

The U.S. President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) states that: 

“Scientific research supported by the Federal Government catalyzes innovative breakthroughs that drive our economy. The results of that research become the grist for new insights and are assets for progress in areas such as health, energy, the environment, agriculture, and national security. 

The direct results of federally funded scientific research [must be] made available to and useful for the public, industry, and the scientific community. Such results include peer-reviewed publications and digital data." (Memorandum from the OSTP, "Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research [PDF]) 

In compliance with these policies, the National CASC supports Data Stewards to “maximize access, by the general public and without charge, to digitally formatted scientific data created with [CASC] funds." 

Each Data Steward works with regional CASCs to help ensure all CASC-funded data and products are made publicly available and follow USGS policies. Data Stewards work directly with funded researchers to develop Data Management Plans for each project and help transition resulting data and information products into the CASC data repository (USGS Science Base). They also answer questions related to data management, metadata, and data file and formatting systems.  

Support During Every Stage of the Project 

NCASC Data Stewards contribute to data management across the entire lifespan of each CASC-funded project, from the initial project solicitation to final project close-out. They help researchers meet USGS data standards and ensure that federal data repositories are kept up to date with all project information and products. 

Data Stewards serve a role: 

1. Before the Project is Selected: NCASC Data Stewards review submitted Data Management Plans (DMPs) in project proposals to support regional CASC staff in their decisions about which projects to fund. 

2. Once the Project is Selected: Once regional CASC staff have selected projects to award funding to, NCASC Data Stewards meet with funded researchers (“Principal Investigators”, or “PIs”) to review CASC data management processes and to refine their Data Management Plans. 

3. During the Project: Data managers have regular meetings with PIs across the lifespan of a project, including annual check-ins and DMP updates. During this time, they add resulting products (including publications, data sets, and reports) to the ScienceBase repository. 

4. After the Project is Completed: Once the funded project is completed, the Data Stewards ensure all products are properly catalogued in the ScienceBase system with correct metadata and DOI records and mark the project status as “Complete.” Data Stewards also ensure that any publications that come out after a project is completed are catalogued in ScienceBase.  

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details