This article is composed of two independent commentaries about the state of ICON principles (Goldman et al. 2021) in cryosphere science and discussion on the opportunities and challenges of adopting them. Each commentary focuses on a different topic: (Section 2) Observational and modelling data research and application in cryosphere sciences and (Section 3) Expanding undergraduate research experiences in cryosphere science. We found that many cryosphere-related research projects and data sharing initiatives engage in integrated, coordinated, open, and networked research. These efforts should be continued and improved. Specifically, we recommend standardizing methodologies and data, and removing existing barriers to data access and participation in our field. We acknowledge that such ICON-FAIR-aligned efforts are cost- and labor-intensive. They require leadership and accountability but they also have the potential to increase the diversity and knowledge of the cryosphere research community in the future.