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Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) |
The following major issues/tasks were identified in the BAA to which we responded:
- The VHOHub is to be part of a data collection/distribution system for the
US -- "Planning and implementation of a 'Virtual Ocean Data Hub' (VODHub)
activity as a key element of the full community-based 'system' to broaden and improve access to
ocean data described in the September 1997 NOPP Data Center Workshop Report available on the
NOPP Websites."
- Access to data should not depend on where or how the data are stored. --
"The key to success of the VODHub will be the ability of a user to
easily access certain data types in specified locations/times, regardless of data source, and
without special efforts or insights on the part of the user about the data source(s)."
- Data should be delivered to the user's application. --
"Ideally, the data would readily transfer into the user application via developed
or commercially available software/shareware."
- A community based data access protocol should be developed and implemented. --
"To achieve this, it will be critical to develop or establish community wide
conventions for data access and to develop/promulgate the transaction software to do so.
- To achieve this the effort funded should:
- assemble a group to define the DAP
"identify individuals/organizations that will take the lead to foster development
of community-based conventions for specific data types;"
- partner with data providers to provide access to their data via the DAP
"partner with local institutions (public and private) to improve access to coastal
and regional data via community-based conventions;" and "enhance connections to existing national
and international archives of ocean data as well as the program offices of major ocean programs
(e.g. WOCE, JGOFS) via developed community based data conventions;
- partner with those developing an ocean data dictionary
"partner with international groups to foster a world-wide 'ocean data dictionary'
to further commonality of access for all sources of ocean data; and
- partner with those developing use and search metadata standards
"work with national and international user standards groups (e.g., International
Hydrographic Organization and their Electronic Navigation Charts) to foster access to ocean data
via a growing number of user interfaces."