OpenTopography Elevate: Expert support for academics and educators in overcoming challenges with topographic data

Dec 6, 2024

OpenTopography is excited to introduce OpenTopography Elevate, a new program designed to provide U.S.-based researchers and educators with personalized, expert assistance in working with topography data. This program aims to empower participants with the technical skills necessary to use topography data effectively. Projects could focus on completing graduate-level research, teaching students in-demand knowledge about lidar, or creating museum exhibits that educate the public about Earth’s natural and built landscapes. Below we outline additional information about the program and what is needed to apply.


What OpenTopography provides:

  • Six one-hour meetings with an OpenTopography team member, focused on using and processing topography data and in research and/or teaching. OpenTopography can assist participants in using open-source tools or producing new tools as well as overcoming challenges in working with topographic data, such as error calculation or big data processing.
  • One review of a manuscript or other work resulting from the project, at the level of detail comparable to that of a typical peer-review, with additional attention on the section(s) on topography data


Who can apply:

  • U.S.-based graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, faculty members, or informal educators
  • Applications can be from an individual or a research group (e.g., a graduate student and their advisor)


Application: Apply Here

  • Describe project at a high level. Provide a brief overview of your project, highlighting its main goals and significance. (~200 words)
  • Explain how topography data is used in your research or teaching. (~100 words)
  • How do you envision OT assisting you to reach your research and/or teaching goals? Preference will be given to individuals or teams who have already started to work with topography data and can describe several challenges that OT's expertise and/or tools could address. (~100 words)
  • Discuss your motivations for participating and how the program aligns with your goals. (~100 words)
  • Describe the outcome you hope to achieve, such as publications, teaching materials, or data processing workflows. (~100 words)


Application deadline: March 5, 2025
Applications will be reviewed by the Principal investigators for OpenTopography, using the selection criteria described below.


Criteria for selection:

  • The project is well-described
  • Applicants have already begun to work with topography data and have identified several areas where they may need assistance.
  • The scale of assistance needed aligns approximately with the six meetings
  • Applicants plan to produce a peer-reviewed scientific publication, an open-access curriculum activity (e.g., plan to submit to Science Education Resource Center- SERC) or another product that will be publicly accessible
  • For getting started on projects, OpenTopography has other resources that are likely to be more helpful, including a spring webinar series and a variety of introduction to advanced-level resources on topography data and processing . For questions not included in these resources, the OT-team can also be reached via email by contacting info@opentopography.org


Acknowledgement:

  • Any products generated with support from OpenTopography Elevate by include the following statement: This project received support from OpenTopography, funded by the National Science Foundation under Award Numbers 2410799, 2410800 & 2410801.
  • Cite any used OpenTopography resources following these guidelines: https://opentopography.org/citations
  • Coauthorship for OpenTopography staff is not a requirement

Questions? Please email us at info@opentopography.org