The ICSU World Data System: From Concept to Reality

The ICSU World Data System (ICSU-WDS) was created in October 2008 by the 29th General Assembly of the International Council for Science (ICSU). WDS replaces the ICSU World Data Center system and the ICSU Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical data-analysis Services. The WDS primary goals are to ensure the long-term stewardship of quality-assessed data for research and education, and the provision of such data and related data services to the international science community and other stakeholders. The WDS aims to incorporate scientific data activities into a common, globally interoperable, distributed data system, building on interconnections between disciplinary and interdisciplinary scientific applications. With a broad disciplinary and geographic base, WDS strives to become a worldwide ‘community of excellence’ for scientific data. The WDS Scientific Committee (WDS-SC) was appointed by ICSU to implement and administer the activities of the WDS. An initial worldwide survey of organizations that manage scientific data and data services was conducted over the last year. The survey inquired about their interest in joining the new WDS. Approximately 100 such organizations have responded so far. Recently the WDS Constitution has been drafted and is awaiting final ICSU approval; a draft data policy based on GEO/GEOSS data sharing principles is also ready for approval; operating criteria for WDS members have been crafted and circulated for evaluation; and a new WDS web site has been developed and can be found at http://icsu-wds.org/. Further, ICSU has issued a tender offer for an International Program Office. Selection of the sponsoring organization should be completed by the end of 2010. In addition, WDS collaborates with the International Polar Year Data and Information System (IPY-DIS) to solve long-term data stewardship issues and will use this experience to contribute to the new CODATA-sponsored Polar Information Commons (PIC). This poster will report on progress achieved in developing the WDS