%0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Fostering Transformative Research in the Geographical Sciences %@ 978-0-309-38934-1 %D 2019 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21881/fostering-transformative-research-in-the-geographical-sciences %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21881/fostering-transformative-research-in-the-geographical-sciences %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 92 %X The central purpose of all research is to create new knowledge. In the geographical sciences this is driven by a desire to create new knowledge about the relations between space, place, and the anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic features and processes of the Earth. But some research goes beyond these modest aims and creates new opportunities for further research, or affects the process of knowledge acquisition more broadly, or changes the way other researchers in a domain think about the world and go about their business. Due to its positive impacts, transformative research can be regarded as inherently having greater value than more conventional research, and funding agencies clearly regard transformative research as something to be encouraged and funded through special programs. Assessments of transformative research funding initiatives are few and provide a mixed picture of their effectiveness. The challenge is whether transformative research can be identified at the time it is proposed rather than after it has been conducted, communicated, and its influence on the discipline has become clear. Fostering Transformative Research in the Geographical Sciences reviews how transformative research has emerged in the past, what its early markers were, and makes recommendations for how it can be nurtured in the future. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T People and Pixels: Linking Remote Sensing and Social Science %@ 978-0-309-06408-8 %D 1998 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5963/people-and-pixels-linking-remote-sensing-and-social-science %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5963/people-and-pixels-linking-remote-sensing-and-social-science %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 256 %X Space-based sensors are giving us an ever-closer and more comprehensive look at the earth's surface; they also have the potential to tell us about human activity. This volume examines the possibilities for using remote sensing technology to improve understanding of social processes and human-environment interactions. Examples include deforestation and regrowth in Brazil, population-environment interactions in Thailand, ancient and modern rural development in Guatemala, and urbanization in the United States, as well as early warnings of famine and disease outbreaks. The book also provides information on current sources of remotely sensed data and metadata and discusses what is involved in establishing effective collaborative efforts between scientists working with remote sensing technology and those working on social and environmental issues. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Successful Response Starts with a Map: Improving Geospatial Support for Disaster Management %@ 978-0-309-10340-4 %D 2007 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11793/successful-response-starts-with-a-map-improving-geospatial-support-for %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11793/successful-response-starts-with-a-map-improving-geospatial-support-for %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 198 %X In the past few years the United States has experienced a series of disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which have severely taxed and in many cases overwhelmed responding agencies. In all aspects of emergency management, geospatial data and tools have the potential to help save lives, limit damage, and reduce the costs of dealing with emergencies. Great strides have been made in the past four decades in the development of geospatial data and tools that describe locations of objects on the Earth's surface and make it possible for anyone with access to the Internet to witness the magnitude of a disaster. However, the effectiveness of any technology is as much about the human systems in which it is embedded as about the technology itself. Successful Response Starts with a Map assesses the status of the use of geospatial data, tools, and infrastructure in disaster management, and recommends ways to increase and improve their use. This book explores emergency planning and response; how geospatial data and tools are currently being used in this field; the current policies that govern their use; various issues related to data accessibility and security; training; and funding. Successful Response Starts with a Map recommends significant investments be made in training of personnel, coordination among agencies, sharing of data and tools, planning and preparedness, and the tools themselves. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Future U.S. Workforce for Geospatial Intelligence %@ 978-0-309-26864-6 %D 2013 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18265/future-us-workforce-for-geospatial-intelligence %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18265/future-us-workforce-for-geospatial-intelligence %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %K Earth Sciences %P 184 %X We live in a changing world with multiple and evolving threats to national security, including terrorism, asymmetrical warfare (conflicts between agents with different military powers or tactics), and social unrest. Visually depicting and assessing these threats using imagery and other geographically-referenced information is the mission of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). As the nature of the threat evolves, so do the tools, knowledge, and skills needed to respond. The challenge for NGA is to maintain a workforce that can deal with evolving threats to national security, ongoing scientific and technological advances, and changing skills and expectations of workers. Future U.S. Workforce for Geospatial Intelligence assesses the supply of expertise in 10 geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) fields, including 5 traditional areas (geodesy and geophysics, photogrammetry, remote sensing, cartographic science, and geographic information systems and geospatial analysis) and 5 emerging areas that could improve geospatial intelligence (GEOINT fusion, crowdsourcing, human geography, visual analytics, and forecasting). The report also identifies gaps in expertise relative to NGA's needs and suggests ways to ensure an adequate supply of geospatial intelligence expertise over the next 20 years.