How EOSDA’s Outreach Program Boosts Academic Research

Tell Us About The Essence Of This Academic Outreach Program

The idea is straightforward. EOS Data Analytics is committed to making space technology a global driver of sustainability on Earth. While pondering how to turn this vision into reality, we concluded that stimulating research, innovation, and progress would be possible by granting academic institutions and their representatives access to our platforms.

With experience in various industries and sectors, we transform this knowledge into satellite imagery analytics tools. I’m confident that giving scientists access to these tools will empower them to devise new and more effective solutions to humanity’s most pressing problems.

What Are The Unique Features Of Providing Access To Researchers Under EOSDA’s Academic Outreach Program?

Individual researchers are offered three months of free access to our tools, with the possibility to extend their subscription for another three months. For groups, we offer a discount of up to 50% on an annual subscription.

Our primary interest is in providing access to our technologies for researchers in agriculture, ecology, natural resource management, and geographic information systems. In these fields, our tools can be most beneficial for cutting-edge research.

Overall, our aim is to ensure the program is accessible and flexible for both scientific teams and individual researchers.

How Long Has This Program Been In Operation, And How Many Organizations Have Already Benefited From It?

We launched this program in May 2022. Since then, we have received 100 applications and have fulfilled 18 of them, meaning we have provided access to our tools to the people and organizations that needed them.

So, You Grant Access To Only 18% Of The Organizations?

Currently, yes, because we have strict criteria. Our goal is to support only the most promising and significant projects that have the potential to save and preserve our planet. This requires a clear vision and the ability to make a specific contribution to this noble cause.

At the same time, we put considerable effort into finding suitable institutions. For example, we often organize joint webinars with leading organizations, such as Greenpeace.

These events have proven effective in terms of attracting attention and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience among researchers and scientific institutions. Thus, webinars have become an integral part of the Academic Outreach Program.

We are also actively working on creating case studies. These are materials on our website that showcase the effectiveness and results of using our tools in real research.

Finally, we are keen to spread the word about this program to popularize it. For instance, a professor from the Ukrainian National University of Water Management and Natural Resources gave high praise to our tools. His words about how our products and analytics signify the high quality of scientific research in Ukraine are a great honor for us.

Can You Tell Us More About The Organizations That Have Already Participated In The Academic Outreach Program?

Our program is available to organizations and researchers worldwide. The majority of the applications come from professors, university lecturers, and students eager to use our tools for their scientific research.

A professor from Montana State University immediately comes to mind, who took advantage of our program. He used the EOSDA Crop Monitoring platform to develop and teach decision-support tools for managing agricultural crops in Montana. This included managing irrigation, optimizing resource usage, and methods for improving fields and land restoration.

A student from the University of California accessed EOSDA LandViewer for her dissertation research on specific climate trends. Our tool was instrumental for her to analyze changes over time in ice melting on lakes and ponds in Northern California.

Another student from the University of Florence analyzed data from field experiments with intercrops. He utilized EOSDA Crop Monitoring to forecast the required amount of natural resources for intercrops, thus optimizing their usage.

When satellite analytics help optimize resources and predict the future, we believe it contributes to our goal of making our future more resilient to upcoming challenges and ultimately brighter for the generations to come.

Are There Any Examples Where The Academic Outreach Program Led To An Interesting Discovery?

Oh, certainly! For instance, in Nigeria, a study was conducted on 47 forest reserves located in the southeastern part of the country using data collected through EOSDA products.

The researchers concluded that the current level of protected land in the region does not meet the FAO-recommended threshold of 25% forest cover. Consequently, the Nigerian government needs to protect an additional 5,911 square kilometers of forests, especially since the country has joined the REDD+ Framework Program for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.

This work became the basis for a doctoral dissertation, later published in a scientific journal ^{John Agbo Ogbodo, Francis Ifeanyi Okeke (2022, Jan 24). Spatial analysis of southeastern forest reserves in Nigeria using open geospatial data. African Geographical Review, Volume 42, 2023, Issue 3. doi.org/10.1080/19376812.2021.2019069}.

EOSDA LandViewer, our advanced tool for analyzing geospatial data, played a pivotal role in a significant Greenpeace study on deforestation in the Gran Chaco Americano region in Argentina, the second-largest forest area in South America after the Amazon Rainforests.

Over the past three decades, this region has experienced extensive deforestation. Nearly 80% of the deforestation was reported in four northern provinces of Argentina – Santiago del Estero, Salta, Chaco, and Formosa.

With EOSDA LandViewer, Greenpeace was able to gather a vast array of statistical data to identify and document these deforestations and compile reports for on-site inspections. This is a vital contribution to combating global environmental challenges and promoting nature conservation through sustainable practices.

Perhaps such stories deserve to be told in a separate article.

How Do You Track The Effectiveness Of Research Within The Academic Outreach Program?

Since there are currently only a few active projects within the program, we prefer personal communication and gathering feedback directly from the researchers themselves. With their consent, we also feature their feedback and scientific achievements on the program’s page.

Currently, you can find testimonials from several students, professors, and researchers about our products. For instance, a student named Mauricio Julián Giménez writes about his research on land use dynamics in Paraguay since 1984, for which our historical data were invaluable. Such feedback is not only gratifying for us but also serves as a powerful testament to the significance of the Academic Outreach Program.

What Does One Need To Do To Participate In The Program?

To participate, a researcher simply needs to fill out a short form at the bottom of the Academic Outreach Program page. Our team will then review it and contact the applicant to discuss further interaction.

Our goal is to assist as many scientists and researchers as possible who have the potential to change the world for the better through their work. We hope to see an increase in applications, especially as we soon plan to include images from the EOS SAT-1 satellite in our products.

So, if you’re researching ways to preserve nature and implement sustainable practices in caring for it, go ahead and submit your application!