Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) is a community of Earth science data and information technology practitioners who steward Earth science data, ensuring discovery, access and use of the data to decision makers, researchers and the public. ESIP’s strength comes from the depth of its partner organizations, which now number 110. Among these are all NOAA, NASA and USGS Earth observing data facilities, as well as government research laboratories, research universities, modelers, education resource providers, technology developers, nonprofits and commercial enterprises.

During the last twenty years ESIP has developed significant collaboration methods and infrastructure that provide a scalable, neutral platform to support Earth science research, data and technical communities. Our partner organizations and community participants lead the advancement of Earth science information best practices in an open and transparent fashion.

The Earth Science Information Partners was founded in 1998 by NASA in response to a National Research Council (NRC) review of the Earth Observation System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). The NRC called on NASA to develop a new, distributed structure that would be operated and managed by the Earth science community that would include those responsible for all elements of Earth observation, including observation and research, application and education. In 2003, ESIP incorporated as a 501(c)3.