Amplifying the Impact of the River Corridor Science Focus Area with ICON Principles
Authors
Amy Goldman1* (Amy.Goldman@pnnl.gov), James Stegen1,2, Xingyuan Chen1, Brieanne Forbes1, Vanessa Garayburu-Caruso1, Stefan Gary3, Francisco Guerrero1, Khadijah Homolka1, Matthew Kaufman1, Allison Myers-Pigg1, Tim Scheibe1
Institutions
1Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA; 2Washington State University, Pullman, WA; 3Parallel Works, Inc., Chicago, IL
URLs
Abstract
Integrated, coordinated, open, and networked (ICON) science principles help projects design their work to intentionally meet goals that ultimately amplify impact. Integrating across disciplines and scales encourages diverse insights. Coordinating to use consistent protocols and methods enables transferability and synthesis. Being open and implementing findable, accessible, interoperable, and reproducible (FAIR) data principles throughout the research lifecycle promotes knowledge exchange. Being networked whereby research is designed and/or implemented with a broad range of stakeholders facilitates mutual benefit with those beyond the immediate research team. ICON has been used in part of the River Corridor SFA (RCSFA) for several years, primarily as the foundation and guiding principles behind the Worldwide Hydro-biogeochemistry Observation Network for Dynamic River Systems research consortium, which has allowed the RCSFA to have a global reach through crowdsourced, collaborative science.
More recently, ICON is being using across the whole RCSFA, with a goal of “ICONing” the entire project. Intentional integration in the RCSFA allows for effective use of the ModEx cycle, which amplifies the impacts of both the models and the measurements. For example, field locations for sediment respiration estimates were targeted across the Yakima River Basin (YRB) by using information from process-based model predictions. In another example, the SFA’s ICON-ModEx study intentionally integrates machine learning (ML), public data, and new biogeochemical, physical, and microbial sampling. Integrating across these disciplines enables application of the resulting ML models to the YRB.
To be coordinated and open, the RCSFA uses all applicable ESS-DIVE reporting formats to publish standardized, FAIR data. This project has seen data reuse from external groups for proposals and manuscripts attributed to following the rigorous reporting format requirements. The RCSFA also leads crowdsourced manuscript writing efforts, another example of being open, which drives new connections and external use of project data. One component of the RCSFA’s approach to being networked is engaging with scientists and educators from the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, a critical rightsholder in the YRB. These engagements build relationships and identify opportunities for mutual benefit. Together, the ICON principles are equipping the RCSFA to amplify its reach beyond the team, land, and science domains on which it has historically focused.