Location: Agroclimate and Hydraulics Research Unit
Project Number: 3070-13000-014-009-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2020
End Date: Sep 30, 2025
Objective:
The specific objective of this research will include:
1) Evaluation of existing geospatial service/hosting infrastructure, i.e, platforms that provide a full analytical and data hosting environment.
a. Known existing alternatives include DISC, EDAPT, Esri, GCP/GEE, AWS, Azure, PDI, hybrids, and others.
b. Must include comparative criteria including multi-cloud and hybrid cloud.
2) Develop an enterprise “hub and spoke” system architectural model to host geospatial information that considers the value added and expertise within individual mission areas.
a. The model will include a “GeoHub” that showcases mission area products and establishes a hub for information interoperability and governance.
b. Develop a pilot system.
3) Inventory the USDA geospatial data and applications that should be integrated into a pilot enterprise geospatial system.
a. Engage USDA agencies to develop an inventory of geospatial infrastructure including data, web services, applications, architecture, and hardware.
b. Highlight resources that align or could be aligned with climate change, OneHealth (pandemic) challenges, racial equity/underserved communities, strengthening trade, emergency response (fire, COOP, outbreaks).
c. Include COTS and open source software products that could support an Enterprise GeoHub.
d. Include information related to product maturity and FISMA, FedRamp, Fitara, or other applicable authority compliance.
e. Identify the top 10 applications that would be considered targets for consolidation of duplicated Geospatial systems.
4) Develop an initial suite of process and corresponding workflows that would be used in conjunction with this pilot system.
5) Develop a conceptual roadmap that includes infrastructure, workflow, data integration, business processes, and interoperability.
a. This road map will include federated versus consolidate infrastructure, geospatial data, and software products.
6) Develop recommendations to refine Enterprise level Departmental Manuals or Guidance around Geospatial procedures.
7) Develop recommendations to enhance the existing Geospatial Communities of Practice.
Approach:
The USDA ARS Partnerships for Data Innovations (PDI) is being requested to conduct critical fundamental research that is essential to developing the foundation for achieving the four overarching key goals for the USDA Geospatial Strategic Plan.
The purpose of this interagency agreement is to establish Geospatial related activities that may include satellite and airborne remote sensing systems, photogrammetry, GIS (including mobile), Global Positioning System (GPS), geospatial database management, hardware, software, and other storage/analytical/delivery systems; and geospatial analytics.
ARS shall categorize geospatial activities, information, technologies and/or methods, conduct surveys, and determine detailed processes for implementation of the Geospatial Strategic Plan in USDA.
