The World Data Center of Ionosphere and Space Weather has been a WDS Regular Member since November 2013. The WDC-ISW at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) archives and distributes ionospheric data and data related to space weather. The data handled by WDC-ISW includes Japanese domestic and Antarctic ionospheric observation data that have been accumulated and preserved since 1957.
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) has been a WDS Member since September 2016. GBIF is an international network and data infrastructure funded by the world’s governments and aimed at providing anyone, anywhere, open access to data about all types of life on Earth. Their Mission is to mobilize the data, skills, and technologies needed to make comprehensive biodiversity information freely available for science and decisions addressing biodiversity loss and sustainable development.GBIF maintains one of the most comprehensive global networks of intergovernmental and non-governmental partners in biodiversity informatics through its Secretariat in Copenhagen. The network draws these diverse data sources together through the use of data standards, including Darwin Core, which forms the basis for the bulk of GBIF.org’s index of hundreds of millions of species occurrence records. Read more about their strategic plan developed by the GBIF governing board here.
The International Environmental Data Rescue Organization has been a WDS Partner Member since January 2013. IEDRO’s mission is to save lives, protect crops, livestock and infrastructure, and mitigate severe weather and climate change by locating, protecting, digitizing, archiving and sharing historic weather data from around the globe.IEDRO recovers and digitizes historical environmental data that are at risk of disintegrating or being discarded, particularly in developing countries.
By rescuing and digitizing past extreme weather events such as extreme winds, precipitation, and storms, IEDRO empowers local decision-makers to adapt their infrastructure and agriculture to better withstand extreme weather and climate change while also helping predict the path of airborne disease.This vast knowledge offers the world community the ability to more accurately predict long-range weather patterns, and gives tools to meteorological professionals and others to better understand the nature and extent of global warming and climate change. Review more of what they do with weather events and activities here.
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The World Data System (WDS) is excited to announce that nominations are now open for the 2024-2025 WDS Data Stewardship Award! This award recognizes early career data stewards who have made significant contributions to the quality, integrity, and accessibility of research data. We’re looking for individuals within ten years of completing their Master’s degree, PhD, or equivalent professional training, who have demonstrated excellence in data management, curation, and adherence to legal and ethical guidelines.
Candidates can nominate themselves or be nominated by a peer or organization. The review panel, composed of members from the WDS Scientific Committee, WDS International Technology Office, and the Early Career Researchers Network Co-chairs will evaluate nominees based on their contributions to advancing data stewardship practices. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate and promote those who are leading the way in data stewardship. Submit your nomination today!
Visit the award page here to learn more about previous award winners and the current nomination process.
wwPDB has been a Regular Member of WDS since February 2018. In 2021, the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the PDB. The Protein Data Bank (PDB) archive is the single worldwide repository of information about the 3D structures of large biological molecules, including proteins and nucleic acids. These are the molecules of life that are found in all organisms including bacteria, yeast, plants, flies, other animals, and humans. The structures in the archive range from tiny proteins and bits of DNA to complex molecular machines like the ribosome.
In 1971, the structural biology community established the single worldwide archive for macromolecular structure data–the Protein Data Bank (PDB). From its inception, the PDB has embraced a culture of open access, leading to its widespread use by the research community. PDB data are used by hundreds of data resources and millions of users exploring fundamental biology, energy, and biomedicine. Structural biology and structural bioinformatics have had an enormous impact on our understanding of the mechanism and function of biological macromolecules. The PDB acts as a custodian for all these data, representing a repository of the vast majority of the achievements and milestones of the structural biology community.