Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space 2028-2037 (ESAS 2028): Call for Experts

About the Activity & the Call for Experts

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is seeking suggestions for experts to participate in an anticipated Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space 2028-2037 (ESAS 2028). National Academies staff will use these suggestions to identify approximately 90 volunteer experts who might serve either on the anticipated survey’s steering committee or on one of its supporting study panels. In addition, the suggestions will help staff identify potential speakers and peer reviewers for the eventual publication.

Based on the anticipated survey statement of task, staff are seeking expertise focused on Earth system science and applications and reflective of the breadth of the related applications community. In addition to core scientific disciplines, the survey is expected to benefit from stronger participation by the user community and by non-governmental providers of Earth observations, recognizing the growing importance of applied uses of Earth observations and the evolving roles of public- and private-sector capabilities within the broader Earth observation enterprise. Staff are therefore seeking expertise particularly in the following areas:

Committee Composition

-- Specific discipline areas:

Atmospheric Sciences
Including meteorology, climatology, atmospheric chemistry, aerosols, clouds, radiation, atmospheric dynamics, and links to weather, climate, air quality, and related applications.
Ecology and Biogeochemistry
Including terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, carbon cycling, nutrient cycling, land-atmosphere interactions, and applications related to ecosystem monitoring, land management, and carbon assessment.
Hydrology
Including precipitation, evapotranspiration, snow, soil moisture, groundwater, surface water, watershed processes, and applications related to water resources, drought, floods, and hazards.
Ocean Sciences
Including ocean circulation, air-sea exchange, upper-ocean processes, salinity, sea-surface temperature, heat storage, sea level, and applications related to marine operations, coastal resilience, and hazards.
Cryospheric Science
Including ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, snow, polar processes, cryosphere-climate interactions, and applications related to sea-level change, water resources, hazards, and polar operations.
Geology and Geophysics
Including solid-Earth hazards, resources, surface deformation, topography, geodesy, and applications related to hazards, risk reduction, and resource management.

-- Cross-cutting expertise:

Earth Observation Technology
Including instrument and sensor technologies, remote-sensing measurement approaches, observing platforms, and mission-enabling technologies.
Systems Engineering, Mission Architecture, and Technical Risk
Including end-to-end mission design, architecture trades, constellation and platform options, integration across instruments and platforms, and assessment of technical risk.
Mission Implementation and Acquisition
Knowledge of acquisition approaches, procurement options, program execution, and related cost considerations for Earth observation missions.
Data Science, AI/ML, and the Earth Observation Data Ecosystem
Including data systems, software, AI including ML methods, computing, and cyberinfrastructure needed to support the acquisition, processing, stewardship, integration, dissemination, preservation, and usability of Earth observation data.
Applications, User Needs, and Decision Support
Including the translation of observations into information, tools, and services that support planning, management, forecasting, resilience, and other operational or policy decision contexts.
User Community and Stakeholder Perspectives
Including knowledge of the needs and perspectives of governmental, nonprofit, commercial, and operational users of Earth observation data, including emerging applications beyond the traditional scientific community.
Cross-Disciplinary Integration
Expertise bridging Earth science research, applications, and broader agency objectives, including technology transfer, translation across communities, the economic and societal value of Earth observation data, and connections between NASA Earth Science and other NASA mission areas, including human exploration.
U.S. Agency Programs, Operational Needs, and Implementation Context
Including knowledge of the roles, programs, and planning processes of NASA, NOAA, USGS, and other relevant federal entities engaged in Earth observations, applications, and the transition from research to operations.
Earth Observation Provider Capabilities and Partnerships
Including knowledge of emerging satellite, sensor, data, analytics, and platform capabilities; hosted payload and rideshare opportunities; partnership and data access models; and the strengths and limitations of different provider approaches in relation to public-sector scientific, operational, and application needs.
International Earth Observation Programs and Partnerships
Including familiarity with the observing strategies, missions, and collaborative mechanisms of partner agencies and programs such as ESA, JAXA, ISRO, and other international Earth observation efforts.
State of the Profession and Workforce Capacity
Including workforce trends, needed expertise and capabilities, education and training, career pathways, professional development, challenges to workforce retention, incentive and reward structures, and the broader factors that influence the health and sustainability of the Earth science and applications enterprise.

The National Academies are committed to enhancing diversity and inclusion in order to strengthen the quality of our work. Diverse perspectives contribute to finding innovative approaches and solutions to challenging issues. We encourage the suggestion of experts who reflect the populations we serve and also welcome in particular suggestions of experts from underrepresented racial, ethnic, gender and sexual identity groups, people with disabilities, and early- and mid-career professionals.

We invite you to submit your suggestions by May 25, 2026.

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