Accessing data shouldn’t be this hard. Scientists routinely struggle to find current, authoritative, and validated datasets across agencies and platforms. This session directly addresses those pain points by bringing together policy, technology, and community voices to focus on practical solutions that make data easier to find, access, and use.
We will connect science data and research into the geosptial ecosystem, governance, partnerships, nextgeneration OGC standards, and AI assisted data discovery and other emerging technologies to show how SDI's are evolving to better support Earth science. The session will provide an update on progress to date, outline the current status of the US National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), and—most importantly—invite direct input from the Earth science community through an open Request for Information (RFI). Participants will see concrete examples of how modern SDI approaches can reduce data wrangling time, improve metadata quality, and streamline cross-agency discovery workflows.
The NSDI is a foundational framework for linking Earth science data producers and consumers across organizational and jurisdictional boundaries. Modernizing the NSDI directly supports ESIP’s “Bridging Divides” theme by connecting people, data, technology, developing partnerships and community in ways that reduce friction, improve interoperability, and accelerate scientific insight and intelligence.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONParticipants will learn how the
NSDI 2035 Vision is transforming the data ecosystem—unlocking NOAA’s data and services to power insights and decisions on demand. As a bonus, attendees will gain hands‑on access to the first
transdisciplinary SDI Agent, designed to democratize data and bridge the digital divide.
SESSION HIGHLIGHTS- SDI for Science Discovery and Decision Making - Highlight multi‑sector, national and international collaboration—through OGC standards, testbeds, pilots, and ESIP partnerships—that are reducing barriers, connecting the data ecosystem, and enabling evidence‑based decisions under the US NSDI 2035 Strategic Plan and UNGGIM
- Breakthroughs from ESIP 2024 - See how the adoption of OGC API and STAC has accelerated at unprecedented scale, enabling AI‑ready data that powers insights and intelligence.
- 2024–2026 Progress: Connecting the Data Ecosystems - Under the OGC Local to Global SDI Modernization Initiative, we sourced contributions from more than 400 intergovernmental organizations—including federal agencies, all 50 states, over 300 county/local/academic/commercial providers, and 70 countries, plus the World Bank, UN, and others—to interconnect authoritative social, economic, and environmental data and services.
- Test Drive the First Local‑to‑Global SDI Agent - Participants will have direct access to the prototype SDI Agent integrating science data and research from NOAA, NASA, USGS, USDA, NSF; statistical data from Census; other federal and multi‑sector data and research from local to global providers to power evidence based insights and intelligence for decision making.
- Requirements Gathering for 2027–2035 - We will collect participant feedback, requirements, and ideas to help shape upcoming prototyping, piloting, partnerships, multi-sector contributions, facilitate additional data suppliers, interconnection of provider services and AI Agentics into the geospatial ecosystem and more.
RESOURCES- Open Geospatial Consortium | Home | SDI Modernization | Initiatives | Membership | OGC API |
- United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF) | Framework | Quick Reference Guide | SP5 Innovation | SP6 Standards | Global Survey 2024
- US National Spatial Data Infrastructure 2025-2035 | Geospatial Data Act of 2018 | FGDC | Strategic Plan | Goals and Objectives | Implementation Plan & (Coming Soon)
