The
Sediment Experimentalist Network (SEN) is sponsoring a data-utilization contest
for graduate-student and early-career geoscience modelers who feel passionate
about advancing science through experimental data sharing and reuse. The top
five winners of the data-utilization contest will have all travel and
registration costs paid for their participation at the 2018 joint CSDMS (Community
Surface Dynamics Modeling System) - SEN annual meeting in Boulder, CO, on May
22-24, 2018.
The
Sediment Experimentalist Network (SEN) is funded by the U.S. National Science
Foundation (NSF) EarthCube program as a Research Coordination Network (RCN).
SEN integrates the efforts of sediment experimentalists to build a knowledge
base for data collection and management. The network facilitates
cross-institutional collaborative experiments and communicates with the
research community about data and metadata guidelines for sediment-based
experiments. This effort aims to improve the efficiency and transparency of
sedimentary research for field geologists and modelers as well as
experimentalists. More information is available here: http://earthcube.org/group/sen
The
purpose of this contest is to advance utilization of the SEN Knowledge Base (www.sedexp.net) as a tool for
collaboration between modelers and experimentalists toward achieving science
goals. In particular, how can sediment experimental data be utilized to
inform, test, and refine models and predictions for earth surface processes and
geohazards? This will be a major goal of this year’s joint CSDMS-SEN
annual meeting on “Geoprocesses, geohazards.”
Applicants
will be judged primarily on the basis of a brief (1 page max) proposal
describing how items in the SEN Knowledge Base can help to answer a science
question of interest. We particularly encourage contest entrants to try
to track down data and existing experimental facilities and their capabilities
listed on the SEN Knowledge Base. If data can be found, we encourage
descriptions of preliminary analyses in the proposal. If data cannot be
found or are difficult to use, please explain the problems you encountered and
ways these problems might be addressed in future development of the SEN
Knowledge Base. If data do not exist but potential experimental
collaborators can be found, please describe a collaborative project that can be
coordinated through SEN. (Please note that we will be highlighting the
proposals of successful applications during the CSDMS / SEN meeting.)
Eligibility
This
contest is open to current graduate students and early career scientists
(within 5 years of graduating) who are interested in advancing science through
data sharing and reuse.
Requirements
- If
you have not already, sign up for the SEN Newsletter: Monthly SEN News
- If
you have not already, create a Knowledge Base account at www.sedexp.net
- Start
browsing entries containing experimental data, set-ups,
methods, and equipment relevant to your science question.
- Think
of an earth-surface science and/or geohazard question to be answered using
experimental data and/or new collaborations with experimentalists and
prepare your proposal as described above.
- Prepare
an abstract for the SEN / CSDMS that mentions your proposed data
utilization idea, and include this in your presentation at the meeting.
The data utilization idea does not need to be a central feature of
your CSDMS presentation, but it should be included.
- Write
a brief (one paragraph) professional biography.
- Deadline
for submissions is March 15, 2018. When registering for the CSDMS
meeting, be sure to check the box to indicate that you are applying for
the SEN / CSDMS travel grant. Then, send your application materials
(proposal, professional biography) to sedimentexp@gmail.com
by March 15, 2018.
Selection of Winners
Winners
will be selected on the following criteria:
- Originality
of proposal.
- Depth
of engagement with the SEN Knowledge Base.
- Applicability
of proposal to planned presentation at CSDMS.
- Feasibility
of proposal and qualifications of applicant toward proposed idea.
Winners
will be notified via email and will be given instructions on the funding
process. Names of winners will also be featured in the SEN Newsletter. Winners
should acknowledge funding from NSF SEN when presenting their work at the CSDMS
meeting.
Timeline
~Feb 22nd: Contest opens
Deadline Extended! March 29: Deadline for CSDMS abstract submission, registration, and
SEN travel grant application
April 1st: Notification of winners
May 22-24: CSDMS meeting (Boulder, Colorado)
Questions? Please contact SEN at sedimentexp@gmail.com.
