Competitive program and other data include products from a variety of data development programs, applications, and ad hoc requests. Data development programs—for example, Making Earth Science Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs), Advancing Collaborative Connections for Earth System Science (ACCESS), and Citizen Science for Earth Systems Program (CSESP)—provide specialized and innovative services to data users and/or research products offering new scientific insight. Research and Analysis (R&A) and Applied Science products provide advances in our understanding of the Earth system. All other products fall under the ad hoc requests.

Specific requirements must be met before data can be hosted in NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Below is a summary of those requirements. The first step in getting started is to contact us.

If your data are from orbital or airborne sources, please see details about submitting data from orbital and airborne investigations.

General Requirements

• Create and maintain an Open Science and Data Management Plan (OSDMP).
• Collaborate with NASA to complete a Cooperative Agreement:
  • ACCESS cooperative agreement template (PDF)
  • CSESP cooperative agreement template (PDF)
• Assign Level of Service.
• Comply with the Earth Science Data and Information Policy.
• Comply with the Earth Science Open Source Software Policy.
• Conform to approved community standards for data formats, interfaces, and metadata.
• Deliver to the NASA-designated Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC):
  • Standard science data product, including coefficients, ancillary data, and source code used to generate them.
  • Product documentation (Algorithm Theoretical Basis Documents [ATBD], user's guide, data quality information, etc.).
• Deliver routine reporting:
  • ACCESS reporting template (PDF)
  • CSESP reporting template (PDF)
• Present a plan to preserve data at project close-out according to NASA Earth Science Data Preservation Content specifications (if required by the program).

Specific Requirements and Responsibilities by Source

Requirements and responsibilities vary depending upon the source of the data. For more detail, please consult the following responsibility timelines (based on the source of the data):

• Data Development Programs (such as MEaSUREs)
• Research and Analysis (R&A) and Applied Science Products
• Ad hoc products (all other requests)

Data Development Programs

This overview highlights the various responsibilities, processes, and inter-team relationships required for hosting data from various data development programs in EOSDIS.

Research and Analysis (R&A) and Applied Science Products

This overview highlights the various responsibilities, processes and inter-team relationships required for hosting data products originating from NASA R&A or Applied Science projects in EOSDIS.

Ad Hoc Requests

Ad hoc requests for archiving and distribution of a data product are evaluated for applicability and usefulness by relevant DAAC User Working Groups (UWGs). UWGs are composed of users, data providers, scientists, and representatives of NASA Headquarters, DAACs, and NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project. Upon acceptance, these data will be required to adhere to the same requirements as other products.

For further reference, please consult our glossary and acronym list.

Have a question or want to get started? Please contact us.