How Earth Science Data Infrastructure Projects Become Sustainable

We interviewed people in leadership positions from 11 infrastructure projects that were
determined to have achieved long-term sustainability. The goal was to characterize the
approaches that lead to sustainability for each of these projects, and document if and
when these organizations had difficulty. The work was originally an outgrowth of the
EarthCube Project Council of Funded Projects. Protocol development, interviews, and
discussion was conducted by a group of eight people with expertise on different aspects of
data infrastructure.

Almost all the studied projects started as federal funded research projects. Most projects
(only one had not) had successfully made the transition from a project to an organization.
This transition was a challenge for many projects, as it often involved changes in
leadership and organizational funding model. The studied projects divided naturally into
three distinct types – Database, Framework, and Middleware – and some generalities for
success were noted for the different project types. The Framework and Database project
were strongly supported by a disciplinary community, which provided the intellectual
commitment. Successful Databsase projects were critical for the workflow for one or more
disciplinary communities. Framework projects generally maintained active participation of
a community by utilizing bottom-up governance approaches. Middleware projects
approached sustainability models in ways similar to software companies; success also
required maintaining strong scientific partnerships.

The implications from our study include the following. First, science cyberinfrastructure
needs resources to develop and sustain itself; the mechanisms/guidelines/funding sources
for these supporting these activities are not worked out. At present, many resources are
provided through in-kind support from academics, researchers, and their institutes.
Second, effort is necessary to find appropriate models that help sustain infrastructure for
earth science over the long-term. Third, organizations – rather than projects – appear to
provide the best platform for long-term stability for earth science infrastructure. Umbrella
organizations may be necessary for development of new Database projects for
communities that are underserved in their digital needs.