The Imperative of Open, Shared, Trusted (FAIR) Scientific Data: Accelerating for the Future

The major societal challenges—ensuring a sustainable planet and ecosystems, with food, energy, water, health, and quality of life provided equitably—depend on convergent science grounded in the Earth and space sciences and broadly open, shared, and trusted (e.g., FAIR) data. Such data already provide enormous benefits (e.g, weather prediction; hazards avoidance and mitigation; precision navigation). In addition to being needed for these solutions, the integrity and trust in science and thus the solutions follows directly from open FAIR data. But many barriers hinder widespread practices and adoption. A number of concerned stakeholders are working on the technology and practices needed for FAIR workflows, and thanks to these efforts, the technical pieces for solutions are mostly in place. But a larger coordinated effort is needed around in particular (i) supporting the infrastructure needed globally, and (ii) developing the research culture and practices needed for universal FAIR data. The first challenge includes recognizing that science is now international and thus international FAIR data culture is essential. This requires greater urgent attention by the larger science stakeholders: societies, universities and research institutions, funders, and governments.