The FAIR Island project ran from 2019 to 2024, with seed funding from the University of California and following support from the National Science Foundation (NSF Grant No. 2132549). Partners included UC3, the Berkeley Institute for Data Science, DataCite, Metadata Game Changers, and field stations at UC Gump South Pacific Research Station (Moorea) and the Tetiaroa Ecostation in French Polynesia.
The project set out to test how field stations could serve as models for embedding Open Science and best practicies in research data managment (RDM) into the research process from the start. Activities included drafting place-based data policies, requiring and integrating Data Management Plans (DMPs) with the UC Natural Reserve System’s RAMS platform, connecting research to persistent identifiers (PIDs), and aligning practices with FAIR and CARE principles. Integrations were explored and built across DMPTool, GEOME, Dryad, and DataCite, and case studies included both retrospective and active projects.
Through this work, FAIR Island demonstrated that embedding policy, infrastructure, and identifiers at the earliest stages of research can strengthen stewardship, and accelerate openness. The project also highlighted both the opportunities and challenges of aligning global Open Science practices with local community needs and Indigenous data governance.
Building on the lessons of FAIR Island, CDL is exploring ways to extend the model of place-based open science into new areas. Our focus is on developing lightweight, sustainable approaches that can embed good data practices at the very start of the research process. We are testing how routine administrative processes, such as booking research time, can serve as early checkpoints for establishing research data standards. These checkpoints provide researchers with clear guidance that aligns with both global frameworks and local priorities, while also reducing the administrative burden on station managers.