Call for participation (CFP)

Grant Applications Open for Pilot Project to Bridge Land and Sea Data

Fifth phase of OGC’s multi-year Federated Marine SDI project will explore mechanisms for dynamically transferring data between land and sea paradigms with as little loss as possible.

Request Open: September 26, 2024 9:00 am — November 10, 2024 11:59 pm (0 days left)

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is excited to offer our members a pool of funding to participate in the fifth phase of the Federated Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure (FMSDI) Pilot, which aims to support the seamless integration of geospatial data about the land and marine environments. Apply now. Applications close November 10, 2024. A Q&A webinar is scheduled for October 22, 2024, at 09:00 EDT. A Q&A session occurred on October 22, 2024. If you were unable to attend, please see the Q&A meeting recording here. The Q&A are also documented in the Call for Participation. Any further questions can be addressed by filling out this form.

Not an OGC Member? Join here to qualify for this and other upcoming opportunities. 

The initiative is sponsored by OGC Strategic Members, the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).The grants provided by the Sponsors are designed to help defray some of the costs for organizations, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), that would like to participate extensively in this work. 

The Challenge: 

The intertidal zone, also known as the “white ribbon,” presents unique challenges for data integration. Different agencies and communities across land and sea use different semantics, perspectives, data models, scales, and resolutions—and the differences can run as deep as their geographical foundations. 

The OGC FMSDI pilot initiative tackles these challenges with two leading questions: 

  1. What needs to be captured and defined in best practices so that inter-agency interoperability for “white ribbon” data can be ensured in the future? 
  2. How can existing data sets be integrated dynamically, i.e., at runtime with minimal information loss across land-sea & sea-land boundaries? 

To address the first question, the Pilot will develop a framework for a future best practice document. In addressing the second question, the Pilot will produce software demonstrators that illustrate data integration across communities and agencies. 

Critically, the Pilot does not attempt to harmonize the different perspectives of these communities. Instead, the Pilot seeks to explore mechanisms for transferring the data from one community into the other’s conceptual model with as little loss as possible, and then making it available at the application level. 

The Opportunity: 

This is a chance to make a real-world impact on coastal management, urban and regional planning, economic development, and environmental science. The Pilot offers different ways for interested organizations to participate: there are the defined work items and deliverables, but organizations may also give time to help in the design process, or provide funding, in-kind contributions, paid services, or resources such as data sets or access to infrastructure, and more. Learn more in the Call For Participation document

Key Focus Areas: 

  • Semantic understanding and transformation of object models. 
  • Dynamic mapping and transformation of data across communities.
  • Analysis of data usability, quality, and resolution. 
  • Creation of spatially consistent and interoperable data at scale. 
  • Development of international best practices for data integration. 

Why Participate? 

  • Access to funded research & development. 
  • Reduced development costs, risks, and lead-time of new products or solutions. 
  • Build close relationships with potential customers. 
  • First-to-market competitive advantage on the latest geospatial innovations. 
  • Influence the development of global solutions and standards. 
  • Partnership opportunities within OGC’s member community. 
  • Broader market reach via the recognition that OGC Standards bring. 

How to Apply: 

OGC welcomes proposals to participate in its Initiatives from any organization or individual. You do not need to be a member of OGC to propose to participate. However, if your organization’s proposal is selected, you or your organization must become an OGC member if not already one.  

Interested parties are encouraged to submit their proposals through this website. Before applying, you can find out more information, including ways to participate, the technical objectives, how to apply for funding, and more, in the Call For Participation document and on the OGC Federated Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure Pilot, Phase 5: Data Integration at the Land-Sea Interface webpage. Applications for participation close November 10, 2024.

A Q&A webinar is scheduled for October 22, 2024, at 09:00 EDT. A Q&A session occurred on October 22, 2024. If you were unable to attend, please see the Q&A meeting recording here. The Q&A are also documented in the Call for Participation. Any further questions can be addressed by filling out this form.

Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to a project that will shape the future of geospatial data integration in the highly dynamic and equally crucial intertidal zone.