Open by default
We advocate for policies and practices that make government and research data openly accessible, with minimal licensing and technical restrictions.
Keeping Earth science data open, usable, and free.
The Open Data Foundation is a Colorado non-profit dedicated to advancing open, vendor-neutral data formats so researchers, agencies, and communities can share and reuse Earth science data without barriers.
We support and promote standards such as GRIB, BUFR, HDF4, NetCDF, HDF5, and NASA CDF.
Our mission
We believe that Earth system data is a global public good. Our mission is to ensure that atmospheric, oceanographic, climate, and related environmental data are preserved and shared using open, interoperable, and well-documented formats.
Interoperable standards
We collaborate with standards bodies and open-source communities to advance formats that work across tools, disciplines, and institutions.
Longevity & stewardship
We promote formats that can be archived, validated, and documented so that data remains usable for decades.
Education & outreach
We provide guidance, examples, and best practices to help data producers and users adopt open formats confidently.
Open formats we support
The Open Data Foundation focuses on open, documented formats that are widely used across meteorology, climate science, space physics, and related domains.
GRIB
A compact, binary format designed for gridded meteorological data products, used globally for weather model output and forecasts.
BUFR
A flexible, table-driven format for observational data (satellite, radar, surface, upper-air) standardized by the World Meteorological Organization.
HDF4 & HDF5
Hierarchical Data Format families widely used for storing large, complex scientific datasets, including satellite and model products.
NetCDF
A self-describing, machine-independent format and data model for array-oriented scientific data, commonly used throughout Earth system science.
NASA CDF
The Common Data Format originally developed at NASA for space physics and solar-terrestrial data, focused on portability and long-term preservation.
And related standards
We also track and support complementary community standards such as CF conventions, ISO metadata, and emerging cloud-optimized formats.
What we do
Community coordination
Helping connect standards groups, data centers, and operational agencies to reduce duplication and encourage shared best practices.
Reference implementations
Supporting open-source tooling and libraries that make it easier to read, write, validate, and convert between open data formats.
Guides & examples
Publishing practical how-to guides, examples, and sample datasets for agencies and researchers transitioning away from proprietary formats.
Training & advocacy
Giving talks, workshops, and briefings to explain why open formats matter for reproducible science and public access.
Get involved
The Open Data Foundation works in partnership with universities, government agencies, standards organizations, and open-source communities. There are many ways to contribute.
- Collaborate on open format standards, software, or data workflows.
- Share case studies of successful open data implementations.
- Advocate within your institution for open, interoperable data policies.
Contact
If you are interested in partnering with or supporting the Open Data Foundation, please reach out.
Email: info@opendatafoundation.org
Location: Colorado, USA