  Policy Brief on "Global Data in Astronomy: Challenges and Opportunities",
distilled from the corresponding panel that was part of the discussions during
S20 Policy Webinar on Astroinformatics for Sustainable Development held on 6-7
July 2023.
  Astronomy is increasingly becoming a data-driven science. Advances in our
understanding of the physical mechanisms at work in the Universe require
building ever-more sensitive telescopes to gather observations of the cosmos to
test and advance our theoretical models of how the universe works. To confront
the observed data with our theoretical models we require data hosting,
archiving and storage and high-performance computing resources to run the
theoretical calculations and compare our simulated and observed universe. We
also require the sophisticated development of highly skilled human resources.
Newer large projects are often run through international collaborations and
partnerships, driving a need for 'open science' and collaborative structure
across national boundaries. While astronomical data are useful scientifically,
the data do not come with the same ethical/privacy-related restrictions as
medical/biological data. Moreover, the ability to use data for new scientific
analysis extends and expands the impact and reach of scientific surveys -- this
is a strength that national funding agencies should capitalize on. We discuss
the management and analysis of such large volumes of data and the corresponding
significant challenges that require policy-level preparations.
  The policy webinar took place during the G20 presidency in India (2023). A
summary based on the seven panels can be found here: arxiv:2401.04623.
