Hello APECS members,

Many of us have used data that other people collected to help us better understand our own research questions. Whether this is satellite generated data, DNA sequences in GenBank, or smaller sets of information that were collected during a reconnaissance mission many years before we were born.

Through the efforts of many as a result of the International Polar Year (IPY), a project has been started called the Polar Information Commons (PIC) which will serve as an open, virtual repository for vital scientific data and information, and would provide a shared, community-based cyber-infrastructure fostering innovation, improved scientific understanding, and encourage participation in research, education, planning, and management in the polar regions.

The PIC Steering Committee is seeking input from Early Career Scientists – you!  As PIC is still in the process of development, we want to incorporate your thoughts and experiences in the development of the PIC and its tools.

As the APECS representative on the PIC Steering Committee, I have been tasked to collect your throughts to share them with the committee by 1 March.

I hope you are motivated to help me by making the representation of Early Career Researchers representative.

Thanks!  Feel free to contact me at any time about this.

Kim Jochum, APECS RAC Chair and PIC APECS representative