[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 236 (Wednesday, December 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76590-76591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30929]


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OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY


Request for Input on the United States Group on Earth 
Observations Draft Common Framework for Earth-Observation Data

ACTION: Notice of Request for Information (RFI).

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Group on Earth Observations (USGEO), a Subcommittee 
of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on 
Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability (CENRS), requests 
comment on the draft Common Framework for Earth-observation data 
(referred to in this document as ``the Common Framework''). The draft 
Common Framework will be posted at https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/library/shareyourinput. Comments of 
approximately five pages or less in length (up to 20,000 characters) 
are requested and must be received by 8 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), 
January 15, 2016 to be considered. The public input provided in 
response to this Notice will inform USGEO as it works to develop the 
Common Framework.

DATES: Responses must be received by 8 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), 
January 15, 2016 to be considered.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     On-line form: To aid in information collection and 
analysis, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) encourages 
responses to be provided by filling out the on-line form located at 
https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/library/shareyourinput.
     Fax: (202) 456-6071. On the cover page, please state 
``Draft Common Framework for Earth Observation Data, attn: Timothy 
Stryker''.

[[Page 76591]]

     Mail: Office of Science and Technology Policy, 1650 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC, 20504, attn: Timothy Stryker. 
Information submitted by postal mail should be postmarked by January 
15, 2016.
    Response to this RFI is voluntary. Respondents need not reply to 
all questions listed; however, they should clearly identify the 
questions to which they are responding by listing the corresponding 
number for each question. Each individual or institution is requested 
to submit only one response. OSTP may post responses to this RFI 
without change, online, at www.usgeo.gov. OSTP therefore requests that 
no business proprietary information, copyrighted information, or 
personally identifiable information be submitted in response to this 
RFI. Please note that the U.S. Government will not pay for response 
preparation, or for the use of any information contained in the 
response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Stryker, Director, U.S. Group 
on Earth Observations Program, 202-419-3471, [email protected], 
OSTP.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On behalf of USGEO, OSTP is seeking public 
comment on a draft Common Framework for data scientists, users of 
Earth-observation data, and others, both inside and outside the 
government.
    The Common Framework originated as the ``Big Earth Data Initiative 
(BEDI) Common Framework'' to provide guidance to agencies on what 
standards and protocols to use when managing data under the OMB/OSTP 
Big Earth Data Initiative. In the course of BEDI implementation, USGEO 
data-management practitioners identified a set of effective practices 
for managing Earth-observation data that had value beyond BEDI and 
would be a useful resource for many data managers in the Federal 
government. The Common Framework encourages standard protocols for 
finding, accessing, and using Earth-observation data. USGEO agencies 
expect the Common Framework will make it easier to obtain and assemble 
data from diverse sources for improved analysis, understanding, 
decision-making, community resilience, and commercial uses. To ensure 
that a recommended set of shared standards across agencies results in 
greater discovery, access, and use of data, OSTP is seeking public 
comment on the Common Framework, which may be accessed at https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/library/shareyourinput.
    OSTP seeks comment from the public on the following questions:
    1. How would adoption of this set of recommended standards by 
Federal agencies affect your discovery, access, and use of government 
Earth-observation data and data catalogs, if at all?
    2. Do you agree that Common Framework-recommended standards are 
current, appropriate, and valuable practices for civil Earth 
observation agencies within the Federal Government? Why or why not?
    3. Do you wish to share specific examples of how the use of Common 
Framework-recommended standards have aided or hindered the use of 
government Earth-observation data or the development of products such 
as data portals, visualizations, or decision-support tools?

Ted Wackler,
Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant Director; OSTP.
[FR Doc. 2015-30929 Filed 12-8-15; 8:45 am]
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