The Wyoming Open Science Data Summit will convene researchers, educators, data professionals and policymakers to advance an open, collaborative and artificial intelligence (AI)-ready future for Wyoming’s research data ecosystem.
The summit is scheduled Tuesday-Wednesday, Jan. 13-14, in the University of Wyoming Conference Center connected to the Hilton Garden Inn, at 2221 E. Grand Ave. The first day of the summit runs from 8 a.m-7 p.m., and the second day is scheduled from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For a complete agenda and to register, go here.
Sponsored with support from the Wyoming Innovation Partnership DataHub Initiative, the event seeks to build a sustained community of practice and a center of influence for open science standards, governance and capacity across the state.
Organized on three key themes -- discovery and access, policy and governance, and methods and applications -- the summit will explore how Wyoming can make research data more findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR). As AI and data-driven methods transform the research landscape, the summit will focus on enabling high-quality, well-curated and ethically managed data to serve as the foundation for innovation, policy and decision-making.
Through panels, workshops and facilitated discussions, participants will examine strategies for breaking down data silos, improving data stewardship, and safely sharing public data for greater transparency and impact. By bringing together faculty, students, government agencies and industry leaders, the summit aims to align Wyoming’s open science efforts with national and global best practices to foster collaboration, accessibility and AI-ready research across disciplines.
“Enabling open research data practices supports turning knowledge into a shared resource, where collaborative open science becomes an engine for new discovery,” says Jeff Hamerlinck, event co-organizer and associate director of UW’s School of Computing. “Such shared data resources will become increasingly important as scientists look to develop new AI-driven analytic approaches. This summit will help us assess our own readiness for this and guide new research data management policies and best practices.”
Pre-Summit Event Jan. 12
A pre-summit event, the Wyoming Geospatial Community Forum, is scheduled Monday, Jan. 12, from 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. in the UW Conference Center. Hosted by the Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center (WyGISC) and the Wyoming Geospatial Professionals Organization (WYGEO), the forum will spotlight geospatial data needs, applications and policy issues relevant to Wyoming’s geospatial professionals and decision makers.
The forum aims to identify shared challenges, highlight successful models and produce initial recommendations that can guide statewide geospatial coordination. Input gathered will directly inform discussions during the Open Science Data Summit, where researchers, data professionals and policymakers will explore ways to make Wyoming’s data more FAIR and better positioned for AI-driven analysis.
Hamerlinck, also the director of WyGISC, will open the forum with remarks and outline the day’s goals and the importance of coordinated geospatial efforts across Wyoming’s agencies, local governments and research institutions.
During a morning session, Erik Holmund will present “Public-Private Partnership in Action: Alberta Data Partnerships.” Holmund, executive director of Alberta Data Partnerships, will highlight Alberta’s long-running partnership model for managing provincial digital geospatial data. The session will examine the origins of the Alberta Data Partnerships, its public-private structure and lessons learned that may inform similar approaches in Wyoming.
Forum participants will take part in facilitated discussions, working groups and panel sessions centered on high-priority geospatial topics. Topics will include authoritative data and definitions; statewide geospatial standards; data discovery, access and sharing; public-private partnership opportunities; funding and sustaining a Wyoming GeoHub; governance models and compliance considerations; support and capacity-building for local governments; and troubleshooting roadblocks across agencies and jurisdictions.
A closing session will synthesize the day’s takeaways and outline potential next steps for strengthening Wyoming’s geospatial data governance, infrastructure and collaborative partnerships.
The event will conclude with an evening reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. that will provide additional opportunities for networking and cross-sector engagement.
For an agenda and to register for the Geospatial Community Forum, go here.
