The U.S. Geoscience Information Network (USGIN) Foundation is a non-profit organization set up to help users join or build networks that can be used to share earth science data. USGIN is a federated information-sharing framework that uses free and open-source technology to enable your data to be exposed, discovered, and accessed by anyone with a web connection. The framework is scalable, interoperable, and allows users to maintain complete control of their data through a self-hosting option.

USGIN was established as a non-profit organization in 2013 with the goal of enabling agencies and businesses to build highly functional, distributed data sharing systems. USGIN framework provides a solution that meets all the requirements of the White House Open Data Initiative calling for open and machine readable data, and adds additional functionality by structuring data for interoperability with many use formats.

USGIN’s suite of standards, protocols, and practice is the framework behind the National Geothermal Data System (NGDS), a data sharing system originally funded by the U.S. Department of Energy that provides access to information about geothermal resources to enable geothermal analysis and widespread public use in an effort to minimize the business-related risks associated with geothermal development.