Data Ambassador Program

OOI’s Data Ambassador (DA) Program is designed to get members of the Marine Implementing Organizations (MIOs) out in the community to elevate the visibility of the OOI and grow the user base.

The OOI has launced a Data Ambassador (DA) Program to elevate the visibility of the OOI and grow its user base. The DA program is providing additional opportunities for engagement to increase the use of OOI data for research and education, and to enhance opportunities for underserved populations in oceanography and marine sciences. Participants in the DA program are reaching out to the community of potential data users to provide them with the tools and resources needed to use OOI data. In so doing, the OOI seeks to build a diverse and inclusive user base that is using its data for both research and in the classroom.

The DA program will take many forms; from demonstrations on how to use Data Explorer at meetings and workshops to onsite visits at a variety of locations. These locations will include research universities, minority-serving institutions, community colleges, tribal communities, and other organizations that could benefit from OOI data. During visits, OOI Data Ambassadors will describe how to access OOI data and, in turn, learn how others are using OOI data. The DA program will take advantage of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) resources at participating Institutions to help identify and reach underserved populations.

Activities will be considered part of the Data Ambassador Program if the activities encourage use of OOI data.

In our standard model, Data Ambassador teams will consist of an Assistant Project Scientist (APS) or Principal Investigator (PI) and an OOI Data Specialist (DS).  The APS or Pl will present a talk or seminar, followed by a mini workshop on how to use OOI data by the DS on how to access the data. The workshops could take the form of live or virtual presentations by the DS, a pre-recorded webinar presented by the APS/PI or DS, and/or one-on-one sessions with the APS/PI or DS.  In all cases, the presentations will be followed by a question and answer period, in person and/or virtual.

Other Data Ambassador Activities

The DA activities will be diverse and will take advantage of opportunities that support our DA program objectives.  For example, interaction with colleagues funded by external National Science Foundation Educational activities such as Ocean Data Labs will be encouraged.  We also will encourage the MIOs to take advantage of visiting individuals or groups to their facilities to provide demonstrations on how to access and use OOI data. Webinars and town halls explaining Data Explorer advances also will fall under the rubric of DA activities. Lastly, when a PI, APS, DS, engineer, or technician travel to other facilities and national meetings, it is recommended that they seize the opportunity to present about OOI, OOI data availability, opportunities to use OOI data, and engagement activities with the broader OOI data user community. In this way, all OOI staff will, in effect, serve as OOI data ambassadors, encouraging and growing the OOI data user community

Please contact the OOI Program Management Office to get involved: ooi@whoi.edu.