National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)

1/15/2010

Final Environmental Assessment (updated 12/31/09) available at: 
http://www.nsf.gov/bio/outreach/final_neon_ea_addendum_a_combined.pdf

NEON Finding of no significant impact - document available at: http://www.nsf.gov/bio/outreach/neon_finding_nsi_2009.pdf

Archival NEON Environmental Assessment information available at:
http://www.nsf.gov/bio/neon_ea_archive.jsp

7/16/09

NEON has released "The NEON Strategy (Second Release)," detailing NEON's process and progress toward creation of a new national observatory network

SYNOPSIS

Project Description
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is a continental scale research instrument consisting of geographically distributed infrastructure, networked via state-of-the-art communications. Cutting-edge lab and field instrumentation, site-based experimental infrastructure, natural history archive facilities and/or computational, analytical and modeling capabilities, linked via a computational network will comprise NEON.

NEON will transform ecological research by enabling studies on major environmental challenges at regional to continental scales. Scientists and engineers will use NEON to conduct real-time ecological studies spanning all levels of biological organization and temporal and geographical scales. NSF disciplinary and multi-disciplinary programs will support NEON research projects and educational activities. Data from standard measurements made using NEON will be publicly available.

Principal Scientific Goals
NEON will provide nationally networked research, communication, and informatics infrastructure for collaborative, comprehensive and interdisciplinary measurements and experiments on ecological systems. NEON’s synthesis, computation, and visualization infrastructure will create a virtual laboratory that will permit the development of a predictive understanding of the direct effects and feedbacks between environmental change and biological processes.

Principal Education Goals
NEON will be a platform for experiential learning and biosphere literacy. NEON will create innovative learning environments and pathways for K-20 students and foster integration of research and education through institutional and multi-institutional networking, partnerships, alliances, and collaborations. NEON’s research and communication infrastructure will enable public dialog, education of policy and management decision makers, and the development of workforce skills and life-long career opportunities. NEON will forge new disciplinary alliances and push interdisciplinary scientific, information, and technological frontiers, and thus will create education and training opportunities leading to new career paths.

Current Status
NEON Project is funded through cooperative agreements with NEON, Inc. that provide funds for the project management, design, and development of the research platform. The NEON, Inc. Consortium is the implementing organization for the project, and for ongoing R&D projects. David Schimel is the principal investigator and Tony Beasley is the project manager. The NEON Project Office is located at the NEON, Inc. headquarters in Boulder, CO.

NEON is currently in the final stages of Observatory design. The Conceptual Design Review (CDR) was completed in November 2006. A NSF NEON Project Science Review was held Feb. 2, 2009. The site selection and associated deployment plan is complete and has been merit reviewed. A Preliminary Design Review (PDR) was completed in June 2009. In November 2009, a Final Design Review (FDR), which evaluated the final design and baseline scope, schedule and risk-adjusted cost for the entire project, was completed. The NEPA environmental assessment has been completed through an NSF contract with CH2 M Hill, and a Finding of No Significant Impact was signed in December 2009.  Prior to construction, NEON, Inc. must complete a Project Execution Plan (PEP) that includes the scope, risk adjusted cost, and resource loaded schedule to build, test, and commission the Observatory Platform.

NSF Contact Information
Dr. Elizabeth Blood, Program Director, BIO OAD, 703-292-8470, eblood@nsf.gov.

Montona Futrell-Griggs, Project Manager, Division of Biological Infrastructure, 703-292-8470, mfutrell@nsf.gov.

Related Web Sites
NEON Home Page - http://www.neoninc.org/
AIBS Web Site - http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/good-bye?http://ibrcs.aibs.org/core/index.asp

RELATED PROGRAMS

Research Coordination Networks in Biological Sciences (RCN)

Environmental Cyberinfrastructure

RELATED URLS

Archival NEON Environmental Assessment Information

NEON Science Strategy: Enabling Continental Scale Ecological Forecasting

Archived Webcast of NEON Prospective PI Meeting