ConnectingGrassrootstoGovernmentthroughCitizenScience

LeaShanley,Co-ExecutiveDirector,SouthBigDataHub,andFormerCo-Chair,USFederalCommunityofPracticeonCrowdsourcingandCitizenScience

CitizenScience:LinkingPracticewithPolicy inWellington,NewZealand,23Feb2018

Ifyouhad100,000peopletohelpyouwithyourwork,

whatwouldyoudo?

WhatisCitizenScience?USFederalGovernment:“Contributionsofthepublictotheadvancementofscientificandengineeringresearchandmonitoringinwaysthatmayinclude:

§ Identifyingresearchquestions§ Designing/conductinginvestigations§ Designing/building/testinglowcostsensors§ Collectingandanalyzingdata§ Developingdataapplications§ Developingtechnologiesforscience§ Solvingcomplexproblems”

Definingresearchquestions

Datacollection

ObservationsPhotography Measurement

Dataprocessing

Imageanalysis Transcribingdata

Samples/specimencollection

Sampleidentification

Annotatetext

Dataanalysis

DataentryClassificationortagging

ProblemSolving

Geo-location

Manywaystoinvolvethepublicinscientific

research,engineering,andmonitoring.

Sensors

WhyConsiderCitizenScience?• Citizenscienceprovideshands-onSTEMlearningoutsideoftheclassroom,andincreasesscientificliteracyandawareness.

• Augmentandenhancetraditionalscientificresearchandmonitoringapproaches:- Increasespatialortemporalfrequency- Increasegeographicextentortemporalscale(e.g.,long-termmonitoring)

- Eyecanbebetterthanthealgorithm- Reducetimeandlaborcosts

• Theobaldetal.(2014)analyzed388English-languagebiodiversitycitizenscienceprojectsfromaroundtheworld,estimatingthat1.3to2.3millionpeoplevolunteeredeachyearandmadein-kindcontributionsworthuptoUS$2.5billion/year.

• Mackechnie etal.(2011)reportedthatterrestrialbiodiversityintheUnitedKingdominvolvedmorethan30differentorganizationstowhichvolunteercontributionshadanestimatedvalueof£20million(2007-08)foragovernmentinvestmentof£7million.

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Whyconsidercitizenscience?

PolicyforCitizenScience

• Silos

• Trust(Credibility,DataQuality)

• Administrative (PaperworkReductionAct,Anti-deficiencyAct)

• LegalandEthical(Privacy,Liability,IntellectualProperty,IRBs)

• Security(Cybersecurity,Safety)

• Sustainability(Volunteermotivations,incentives)

• DataSharingandCyberInfrastructuretosupportlong-termmanagementandsharingofcitizensciencedata,metadata,andrelatedmedia.

•ProjectEvaluationandImpact

• Valueofcitizenscience(social,economic)

WhyWeStarted:“theworries”

©2017LeaShanley

• Serveasabridge: Hostedmonthlymeetings,connectinggovernmentwithresearchers,practitioners,industry,andvolunteers.Establishedfederallistservfordirectexchangeofexpertise,resources,information.

• Identifyandencourageagencychampions/evangelists.

• Highlightbestpracticescasestudies.

HowWeDidIt

©2017LeaShanley

• EncourageHighLevelSupport(“topcover”):Soughtwritten/publicendorsementsforcitizensciencebygovernmentofficialsandchiefscientists,andexecutives.

• AlignwithNationalPriorities:Aligned citizenscienceandcrowdsourcingprojectswithOpenGovernment,OpenData,andOpenScience governmentinitiatives.

HowWeDidIt

©2017LeaShanley

WhatisOpenScience?

§ OpenAccess(e.g.,articles,labnotebooks)§ OpenData§ OpenSourceSoftware§ OpenSourceTechnology(e.g.,Makers)§ OpenCollaboration(e.g.,CitizenScience)§ OpenFunding(e.g.,crowdfunding)

OECD(2015),“MakingOpenScienceaReality”,OECDScience,TechnologyandIndustryPolicyPapers,No.25,OECDPublishing,

Paris.http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5jrs2f963zs1-en

USFederalCitizenScienceToolkit

Citizenscience.govDevelopedbytheUSFederalCommunityofPracticeon

CrowdsourcingandCitizenScience

WhiteHouseMemorandum• CollaboratedcloselywithObamaWhiteHousetoshapethememo AddressingSocietalandScientificChallengesthroughCitizenScienceandCrowdsourcing,issuedbythePresident’sScienceAdvisorDr.JohnHoldren onSept30,2015.

• ThreeCorePrincipals:-DataQualityandFitnessforPurpose-OpennessandTransparency-MeaningfulPublicParticipation

• Requirements:

- AgencyCitizenScienceCoordinators- Catalog ofFederalCitizenScienceandCrowdsourcingProjects

©2017LeaShanley

• IncreasedCompetitiveFundingOpportunitiesinCitizenScience• NSFCorePriorityAreafor2016• NASA,Nat’lAtmospheric&OceanicAdministration,Nat’lInstitutesofHealth,etc,establishednewgrantprograms• FY‘17WhiteHouseBudgetMemoforR&D

• IncorporatedintoFederalPolicies• OpenGovernmentNationalActionPlansII,III• President’sStrategyforAmericanInnovation• NationalClimateAssessment&USGCRPStrategy• NationalCivilEarthObservationStrategyandImplementationPlan

HowWeDidIt

©2017LeaShanley

EUCitizens’Observatories“Community-basedenvironmentalmonitoringandinformationsystemsthatbuildoninnovativeandnovelEarthobservationapplications”(EU)

• Fusessensordatawith“citizenassensor”.• Providesconsistentarchitecturesthatallow

sharingofdata,code,toolsandalgorithms• Supports2-waydatasharingbetween

scientists,citizensandpolicymakers.

Section402oftheAmericanInnovationandCompetitivenessAct

(6) DATA.—(A) INGENERAL.—AFederalscienceagencyshall,whereappropriateandtotheextentpracticable,makedatacollectedthroughacrowdsourcingorcitizenscienceprojectunderthissectionavailabletothepublic, inamachinereadableformat,unlessprohibitedbylaw.(B) NOTICE.—Aspartoftheconsentprocess,theFederalscienceagencyshallnotifyallparticipants—

(i)oftheexpectedusesofthedatacompiledthroughtheproject;(ii)iftheFederalscienceagencywillretainownershipofsuchdata;(iii)ifandhowthedataandresultsfromtheprojectwouldbemadeavailableforpublicorthirdpartyuse;and(iv)ifparticipantsareauthorizedtopublishsuchdata.

CrowdsourcingandCitizenScienceAct

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Success Stories

Nature’s Notebook volunteers have recorded nearly 2.5 million observations on plants and animals that scientists use to analyze environmental change.

USA Volunteer Water

Monitoring Network connects

about 1700 volunteer programs.

The Clean Air Coalition of Western NY and Tonawanda Bucket Brigade

detected high levels of benzene in the air, spurring an official investigation of

Tonawanda Coke that lead to prosecution and an 86% reduction in benzene.

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Dr. Lea Shanleyco-Executive DirectorSouth Big Data Innovation Hub, Renaissance Computing Institute,University of North Carolina at Chapel HillLShanley@renci.org@Lea_Shanley

The NSF South Big Data Innovation Hub builds public-private partnerships that advance and apply data science to real world challenges.Adaptation of J.M. Flagg’s 1917 poster by

Kathy Butterfield and Lea Shanley, Wilson Center (2013)