Computation is ubiquitous across all areas of science, policy, and daily life in a diverse array of applications. Modeling is one such application that has become critical to a wide range of research and policy issues, spanning multiple scientific disciplines. These computational tools allow researchers to study and forecast complex, dynamic interactions of multiple social and natural processes in ways not possible with more traditional means. While scientists share the results of model-based research with policymakers and others in respected, peer-reviewed journals and conferences, following widely understood and accepted scientific norms, equivalent practices for documenting, evaluating, and sharing the code of the models that produced such research findings have lagged behind. This especially critical when this technology is urgently needed to help humanity is confront the challenge of successfully and sustainably managing a planetary socioecological system, in which a highly complex, telecoupled, global society is tightly coupled with diverse biophysical systems. A grass-roots initiative of the international modeling community, over the past eight years, led to the formation of the Open Modeling Foundation (OMF). The OMF is a global alliance of modeling organizations that coordinates and administers a common, community developed body of standards and best practices among diverse communities of modeling scientists. As an international open science community, the OMF works to enable the next generation modeling of human and natural systems. |