Digital Data in Biodiversity Research Conference

The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) is a national-scale monitoring and research initiative focused on collecting, organizing, and delivering phenological data, information, and forecasts to support decision-making, to advance science, and to promote understanding by a wide range of audiences. From when the Network was established in 2007 until the end of 2019, was primarily supported by the US Geological Survey. In 2020, the USGS dramatically reduced support for the Network because of internal budget reductions. At that time, USA-NPN leadership chose to seek alternative forms of support rather than shut the program down. The program has since sustained operations with a reduced staff thanks to short-term funding provided by the NSF Sustaining Biological Infrastructure program, multiple federal appropriations, and project grants from several federal agencies and competitive programs. However, the effort and uncertainty associated with grant funding make supporting the USA-NPN primarily using this mode over the long term unsustainable.
The USA-NPN is fortunate to have been selected for a pilot effort, funded by NSF and the NobleReach Foundation, to help projects to establish financial footing and stand on their own. The USA-NPN team is currently working with an embedded entrepreneur and experts in the field of philanthropy to identify opportunities for more sustainable support for the enterprise. In this presentation, I will share updates on the USA-NPN’s journey to diversifying funding models. The experience, outcomes, and findings from this intense effort will have applicability to other programs struggling with program sustainability.