"Finding NIMO" - Exploring ideas for a new Network Information Management Organization

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With the current LTER Network Office (LNO) cooperative agreement in its last year of operation, the LTER network has an opportunity to examine how network information management might be organized going forward. During the spring of 2015 the National Science Foundation asked the Information Management Committee (IMC) to explore the feasibility of moving the network information management coordination and provision to the IM community as a possible alternative to a new Network Office for LTER data management. This feasibility exercise explored a number of ideas while encouraging the following approach: Consider new management models Don’t throw away what currently works Give IMs more opportunity to collaborate and participate in their own future Allow for compensation for network service contributions The IMC has developed a management model that aims to retain the best parts of the existing data management infrastructure while also incorporating new ideas and approaches within a modified structure.