The NOAA Central Region Collaboration Team hosted a Three Minute Thesis Webinar on Citizen Science on Nov. 8, 2019.
What’s a Three Minute Thesis Webinar? Borrowing from a format used by universities across the country, colleagues from NOAA (Office of Education, NMFS and OAR), along with partners from the National Academies, Colorado State University, NASA, Michigan Sea Grant, and the U.S. Geological Survey each presented about their topic for three minutes with one slide.
Presentations and Panelists Included:
What is Citizen Science and NOAA Community of Practice - John McLaughlin (NOAA Education)
Defining citizen science and the NOAA Community of Practice.
Citizen Science: The Current State and Guidance - Laura Oremland (NOAA Fisheries)
Learning Through Citizen Science Report offsite link - Kenne Dibner (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine)
Discussion of strategies to support learning through participation in citizen science.
CoCoRaHS offsite link – Noah Newman (Colorado State University)
Over 20,000 volunteers measure and report precipitation across the country.
mPING – Kim Elmore (OAR Severe Storms Lab)
A free app collects public weather reports to immediately archive and map.
GLOBE Program – Allison Leidner (NASA)
An international science and education program for students and the public to participate in data collection and the scientific process.
Salmon Ambassadors offsite link – Dan O’Keefe (Michigan Sea Grant)
Anglers report information on identified stocked and wild Chinook Salmon in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
Nature’s Notebook - Jake Weltzin (U.S. Geological Survey)
Data collected by citizen scientists since 1954 are used to create and validate maps of changes in the timing of the onset of spring across the nation.
Steller Watch – Burlyn Birkemeier (NOAA Fisheries)
Over 10,000 volunteers reviewing pictures captured from Aleutian Islands to track Steller sea lions to help recover the population.
Interested in participating in Citizen Science? Check this out!
Federal Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Catalog (website)
- A database providing a government-wide listing of citizen science and crowdsourcing projects by agency. It is designed to improve cross-agency collaboration, reveal opportunities for new and high-impact projects, and make it easier for volunteers to find projects in which they can participate.
Curious about Citizen Science and crowdsourcing in NOAA? Learn more….
NOAA Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing (website)
- Povides connections to NOAA’s efforts to support citizen science, including information on a citizen science community of practice, and coordinating a catalog of projects.
NOAA Science Advisory Board: Potential for Citizen Science in Support of Data Needs
for Ecosystem-Based Science Report and Presentation
- The NOAA Science Advisory Board Ecosystem Sciences and Management Working Group was asked to report on citizen science in terms of its current use and its potential value to NOAA to enhance data collection, and monitoring needs in support of Ecosystem-Based Science. In short, their conclusion was to “Expand citizen science at NOAA from outreach/education to a recognized, supported component of research.”
NOAA Administrative Order: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN NOAA (NAO 216-115A)
- Provides guidance by which the research and development (R&D) throughout NOAA can be continually reviewed, evaluated and rebalanced in light of evolving mission needs, thus allowing the Agency to apply a logical approach to its R&D investment portfolio. It applies to all NOAA R&D activities, citizen science included.
For even more information, check out…
Crowdsourcing & Citizen Science Act 2017 (Sec 402)15 USC 3724
- Grants Federal science agencies authority to use crowdsourcing and citizen science and encourages use to advance science agency missions and stimulate and facilitate broader public participation in the innovation process, yielding numerous benefits to the Federal Government and citizens who participate in such projects.
Implementation of Federal Prize and Citizen Science Authority (OSTP Report)
- Provides big-picture information covering 2017-2018, which includes more than 80 activities by 14 departments or agencies, 13 percent of which were NOAA.