In 2023, NASA, in collaboration with the White House and other federal agencies, embarked on a Year of Open Science, a year-long celebration dedicated to recognizing the advantages and achievements arising from the transparent dissemination of data, information, and knowledge. Open science serves as the bedrock of NASA’s Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program, facilitating the acceleration of scientific research and the expansion of our understanding of the cosmos.
While NASA had been adhering to a policy of open data sharing for several years, the year 2023 witnessed a deliberate effort to instill the values and ethics of open science into a broader community of data users and to foster greater utilization of this valuable data. The Transform to Open Science (TOPS) mission by NASA unfolded a multitude of open activities, events, funding opportunities, and training initiatives throughout the year, all designed to underscore the advantages of making data openly accessible and to demonstrate how significant scientific achievements can be realized through this process.
A useful starting point for those interested in open science is the TOPS Guide to A Year of Open Science, which provides insights into the latest open science events, readily available on the TOPS GitHub page. Additionally, the federal government’s Open Science website is another invaluable resource for those seeking to explore this realm.
NASA eagerly anticipated witnessing the remarkable contributions and discoveries that individuals and the scientific community would make with their data, not only during the Year of Open Science but also in the years that lay ahead.
