A Geospatial Decision Support System Toolkit

We propose to design a working prototype Geospatial Decision Support Toolkit (GeoKit) that will enable scientists, agencies, and stakeholders to configure and deploy their own web based applications containing maps, forms, algorithms, and a rich set of functionality related to visualization, analysis, querying, and publication of geospatial data and information. GeoKit will focus on development of a suite of tools that will operate on data, to create rule-based applications for risk analysis, risk mitigation, operations management, and science research support. GeoKit will enhance the the use of data from NASA and other sources, provide a tool for non-software developers to create a website with custom functions and tools that operate on geospatial data, and provide a framework for development of new tools to support risk assessment, risk management, and operational analysis of spatially- explicit data from NASA platforms, climate reanalyses, and user-defined sources, as well as allow real-time publication of results in standard geobrowser compatible formats.

The proposed innovation (GeoKit) would be especially applicable in service of NASA needs. First, NASA scientists involved in building decision support tools on top of data dissimination activities would be primary potential customers. Second, future proposal applicants working in areas of research, or applications development could be encouraged to make their data and applications available using NASA's GeoKit application. Applied Geosolutions could partner with or be contracted to develop enhancements or interfaces to new data types, if needed.

Non-NASA applications could reach broadly into a number of different stakeholder communities. In the area of environmental resource management, tools could be constructed that make the job of monitoring the state of the agro-ecosytems, forests, or aquatic habitats streamlined and tailored to the needs of the specific agency or regional office. Researchers in academia and in commercial R&D could have a greater access to NASA data combined with data from other sources, with custom rule-based algorithms.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.