SEA Facilitates the Involvement of HBCUs and other MSIs in the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Research Project

SEA NEON Program

Science and Engineering Alliance, Inc. (SEA) is leading an effort to develop a process and model to include historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) large-scale research initiative called the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). The goal is to demonstrate the success of SEA in broadening participation of underutilized individuals, institutions and regions in a major Federal R&D initiative, and document lessons learned that evolved from the project that can enhance the participation of MSIs on a national level in large science projects. read more..

What is NEON

NEON is a continental‐scale research platform for discovering and understanding the impacts of climate change, land‐use change, and invasive species on ecology. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), NEON is a facility for research and education on long‐term (30+ years), large‐scale ecological change. NEON’s science mission and it's overarching goal, is to “enable understanding and forecasting of the impacts of climate change, land use change and invasive species on continental‐scale ecology by providing infrastructure and consistent methodologies to support research and education.”

SEA supports the NEON project through several subawards to broaden participation of the underrepresented community in project. This support includes the development and implementation of guidelines for a series of modular operations across the NEON domains that are designated as NEON Satellite Sites (NSS). The framework for the NSS is to provide the capacity for HBCUs, MSIs, smaller majority institutions and other organizations to participate in the forecasting of future states of ecological systems for the advancement of science and the benefit of society. The NSS program can be viewed as a portal through which the underrepresented community can access NEON data and data products and it's information and physical infrastructures to address science questions that impact their specific communities. For more information on NEON, please visit Neon, Inc. Website.

SEA NEON Satellite Site (NSS) Program Vision

The vision for the SEA NSS Program is two-fold: (1) identify the research capacity at MSIs, smaller majority institutions and other organizations as it relates to NEON science; and (2) provide opportunities to this underrepresented community to utilize that capacity to participate in the forecasting of future states of ecological systems for the advancement of science and the benefit of society. Initially, the NSS program will include the 17 MSIs consisting of HBCUs, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) that are a part of the SEA Phosphorus Observatory Network (SEAPON) initiative. Through SEAPON, SEA collaborators will evaluate the long-term impact of land use, land cover and climate change on phosphorous dynamics.

SEA NSS Program Mission

The mission of the SEA NSS program is to broaden the participation of the HBCUs and other MSIs to ensure the full integration of these institutions in NEON science through the planning, development, implementation, and operation of NSSs across the NEON domain sites continent wide.

SEA NSS Toolbox Overview

NEON is a bold effort built on many years of progress made in many ecological fields and intends to open new horizons in the science of large-scale ecology. The past few decades have seen an increase in measurement and observatory capabilities of collecting and analyzing data and data products in the environment across a wide range of spatial scales (local, sub-regional, and regional levels). Although the classification of the continental United States into NEON Domain Core Sites and Relocatable Sites is expected to generate an enormous amount data scaled to address the seven Grand Challenges, the spatial coverage of monitoring stations can still be augmented through the expansion of the NEON Satellite Sites.

The NEON Satellite Site (NSS) Toolbox consists of sets of guidance documents for developing, implementing and operating a NSS. The Toolbox builds on the experience and expertise of NEON, Inc, the NSF-sponsored managing entity for the NEON project. The NSS Toolbox is being produced by SEA, a 501(c)(3) organization that has as its mission to broaden participation of minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and other organizations in NEON-like science. The schematic below provides a high-level view of the chapters included in the NSS Toolbox.

Organized in chapter format, the NEON Toolbox will be of value to college and university faculty members, laboratories, citizens, public officials and organizations desiring to establish a NEON-like Satellite Site. Chapters 1 through 5 provide a general overview of the SEA NSS Toolbox that includes the Toolbox vision, mission, and organization; the history through three chronologies, a disclaimer; and the types and examples of research that may be conducted through utilization of the Toolbox. Chapters 6 through 11 describe the NSS Toolbox guidance for the NEON-like science subsystems, as well as an executive summary and a program management approach. Users are encouraged to review the Executive Summary and Chapters 1 through 5 before using the Toolbox science subsystems guidance, i.e., chapters 6 through 11.

SEA NEON College Speaking Tour (CST)

SEA, Ecological Society of America (ESA), and NEON have been awarded a grant by the The NSF to build the foundations for broadening participation of underrepresented minority institutions and students in the NEON research project. NEON is a 30-year project to map and model the ecology of the United States.

A College Speaking Tour (CST), facilitated by SEA, consisted of visits to 17 HBCUs and MSIs that are allied with the SEA Phosphorous Observatory Network (SEAPON) initiative. Through SEAPON, SEA collaborators will evaluate the long-term impact of land use, land cover and climate change on phosphorous dynamics. The CST introduced the NEON project to the institutions and through an online survey, identified the NEON-related science capability at these institutions to assess their capabilty to conduct NEON research. Results from the CST facilitated collaboration between NEON researchers, HBCUs and MSIs to ensure their broader participation in NEON. Outcomes from information collected during these CSTs has allow SEA, ESA, and NEON to identify potential partners for NEON-related research and educational projects; and serves as a mechanism that enables SEA to inform the HBCUs and MSIs of relevant research, education and funding opportunities affiliated with the NEON project.

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SEA support of the NEON project was facilitated by a grant from the Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) [Grant # DBI-0630524]. The SEA NEON Satellite Site (NSS) initiative is funded through subcontracts from NEON, Inc. [Subcontract # 04.08.C.0007 and Subcontract # 04.10.C.0027.00.000]. The SEA College Speaking Tour (CST) is a collaboration with the Ecological Society of America (ESA) under a grant from the NSF [Grant # EF-0934200]. The content and views expressed on this webpage are those of the respective author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF, NEON, Inc. or ESA.