The National Research Council (NRC) established a Geographical Sciences Committee (GSC) in 1997 because spatial and place-based approaches to human-environment science had demonstrated themselves to be of increasing importance in addressing major societal and environmental topics. This award renews core support for the GSC, which has as its mission: (1) to bring the theories and perspectives of the geographical sciences to bear on society's problems; (2) to foster international cooperation by serving as a liaison to other national geographical organizations and initiating collaborative research programs among those organizations; (3) to provide advice to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) on all matters pertaining to geography, especially to the NAS Foreign Secretary on matters concerning international organizations, programs, and research; and (4) to serve as the official U.S. Liaison to the International Geographical Union (IGU) and promote and facilitate participation of U.S. geographers in the IGU. The GSC undertakes its work through the conduct of special studies and through meetings. Studies that the GSC plans to undertake in the near future include Measuring Community Resilience, a study initially requested by the NOAA Coastal Services Center; Community Restoration in the Aftermath of a Disaster: A Workshop, a workshop initially requested by the Department of Homeland Security; and Strategic Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis in Africa: Geospatial Tools for Analysis, a study initially requested by the U.S. Department of State.
Continued support for the GSC will enable this group to continue to advance the role that geographers and related scientists play in a range of contexts in the U.S. and internationally through the IGU. The committee will continue to oversee studies like the recently completed studies that produced the following reports: Strategic Directions for the Geographical Sciences in the Next Decade; Tools and Methods for Estimating Populations at Risk from Natural Disasters and Complex Humanitarian Crises; Contributions of Land Remote Sensing for Decisions About Food Security and Human Health; and Learning to Think Spatially: GIS as a Support System in the K-12 Curriculum. The committee also will continue to improve the effectiveness of the IGU and to promote the effective participation of U.S. geographers in the activities of the IGU.
The National Research Council’s (NRC) Geographical Sciences Committee (GSC) brings academics, private sector and government researchers and policy makers together through roundtables and studies to reach consensus on the most challenging and significant issues in the geographical sciences today. The GSC provides a forum for the disciplines best and brightest to make assessments on the current state of the science and develop a vision for future research directions. During the reporting period, this grant allowed three major activities to be conducted: (1) the oversight of a major NRC report in the geographical sciences, (2) the convening of high-level researchers and policy makers in committee meetings and hosting a keynote lecture, and (3) participation in the International Geographical Union. National Research Council Report: The GSC oversaw the finalization, peer review, and release of the report "Advancing Strategic Science: A Spatial Data Infrastructure Roadmap for the U.S. Geological Survey" available from The National Academies Press (NRC, 2012). This report was requested by the U.S Geological Survey (USGS) to help guide the continued development of that agencies extensive Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), a framework of spatial data, metadata, tools, and a user community that is interactively connected to use spatial data in an efficient and flexible way. An effective SDI allows citizens, scientists and managers to find, use, and share maps and other spatial data both within and beyond the USGS. Over the last decade, the USGS has conducted breakthrough research that has overcome some of the challenges associated with implementing a large SDI. This report is intended to ground those efforts by providing a practical roadmap to full implementation of an SDI to enable the USGS to conduct strategic science. Key Messages: An optimal spatial data infrastructure (SDI) for the USGS would include data standards, modern data-management services, and a set of key application services that are essential for addressing scientific questions. Successful implementation of an SDI depends on an agency's roadmap and strategy, organizational leadership and culture, standardization, technical competence, funding and contracting, workforce competence, and cooperation and partnerships. The development and maintenance of an SDI requires collaborative partnerships with cooperating agencies, research organizations, nonprofit organizations, private organizations, and the public. A roadmap for SDI implementation can be divided into three broad phases: (1) preparation and planning; (2) design, development, and testing; and (3) rollout and refinement. The committee proposes some general steps in each phase to assist the USGS in carrying out its task in implementing an effective SDI. A series of organizational and technical considerations are necessary for following the roadmap. It is important that SDI implementation have high priority for USGS leadership. Hard copies of the SDI report were published by the National Academies Press and distributed to nearly 100 interested parties and individuals who provided perspectives to the authoring committee. Press releases were sent to industry journals and newsletters. Hard copies are available for sale on the National Academies web site and other on-line book outlets and PDF versions are available for free via the National Academies Press web site. Gilbert White Lecture and GSC Committee Meetings: The GSC hosted the 2012 Gilbert White Lecture in May featuring Steven Stockton, Director of Civil Works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who spoke on the topic of managing flood risk. The lecture was attended by over 100 individuals from the science, engineering, and policy circles of Washington, D.C. and the lecture and reception that followed allowed them to interact around the topic of managing flood risk. The regular open meetings of the GSC also provided a forum for academics to interact with high level government scientists and policy makers. The general public is invited to attend the open sessions of these meetings and participate in the discussions. These events aid the National Academy of Sciences along with federal agencies in identifying emerging topics in the geographical sciences for further examination. For example, a recent meeting on the subject of managing wildfire on state and federal lands has resulted in ongoing discussions with federal partners to help identify the critical science needs for wildfire management. International Geographical Union: The GSC represented the United States at the 32nd International Geographical Congress. This congress is held every four years by the International Geographical Union (IGU) of which the GSC is the U.S. representative. Every major science has a union that is part of the larger International Council for Science umbrella organization and the IGU makes decisions affecting international geography. The IGU was responsible for establishing the global time zone system, for example. The GSC was represented at the most recent Congress held in Cologne, Germany in 2012 and participated in several votes in the General Assembly mainly related to the future direction of the IGU.
