Minutes of SunPy Board Meeting 20190920
20 September 2019
- Present: Steven Christe (Chair), Kevin Reardon, Bin Chen, Stuart Mumford
- Absent: Tiago Pereira (technical issues), David Pérez-Suárez, Sabrina Savage, Jack Ireland, Monica Bobra, Russell Hewett
- Proposal Readiness
- Project roles
- Board Committees
- NumFocus Summit
Topic 1: Instrument-Prep routines - Sunpy core scope
Overarching Question: How to interface with external packages developed by instrument/project teams?
We already have SEP-004 - is this sufficient? Maybe we need to add in some additional text about instrument packages?
Is an instrument package different than other affiliated packages?
We should document this, but maybe it doesn't need to be in a SEP (for flexibility)?
Need more information about what does SunPy provide to affiliated packages?
Should finally write up a review process for accepting affiliated packages, adding more clarity and structure that we can point to.
New territory - not many (no?) instrument teams have already released data prep code in Python.
SunPy can offer support, community, framework, reviews.
Who funds this work? Instrument teams/projects/missions might have funding.
Would be better to provide guidance up front, before package is “complete” and needs to be integrated.
External package/Instrument team/Affiliated package liaison?
- Update SEP to express that affiliated package is the preferred way to integrate compliant, instrument-specific (or instrument-task-specific) packages into SunPy.
- Create more user friendly documentation on affiliated packages (how, why, who), standardize application process. Create a conda channel?
- Create an Instrument Team sub-Committee - monthly meetings? Include board members with different expertise.
Topic 2:Community Roles Proposal:
Liaison Roles:
Noted Affiliated Package Liaison and Instrument Team Liaison in proposed role list.
Are these the same person? What are the different responsibilities?
Maybe there is some difference in needs/approach of two groups? The former works on compliance, the second on participation?
Should probably bring in space instrumentation expertise - to have insight on the management of code development for NASA and ESA projects.
Steven volunteered to be affiliated package liaison, Kevin and Bin (deputy) volunteered to be Instrument Team Liaisons. They are to draft responsibilities for Instrument Team Liaison.
Have an Affiliated Package/Instrument Subcommittee meeting. Lead developer appointee also on committee
Need to draw up charter for subcomittee.
Other Community Roles:
Which community roles should be filled by Board members, which by broader community members? Instrument package liaison? Communications and Outreach Lead?
Some tasks have been automated - reduced workload of CI Maintainer, Release Manager.
Lead Newcomer Mentor could be an important role to bring in new users.
Communications and Outreach Lead - we need more public/social media presence.
Leads can deputize and delegate! But it is important that board maintain some oversight of communication strategy and approaches.
Also need an interface (liaison) to NumFocus.
Education Lead vs. Newcomer Mentor?
Education Lead manages resources to teach community, persistent artifacts, not as specific to sunpy
Mentor is more one-on-one interactions.
Some of these roles are more important and necessary than others.
Finance Committee is needed -- NumFocus Summit arrangements are moving forward.
Raises question of how to allocate SPD grant.
- Bin to get a letter from the SPD board about what is expected to be done with the SPD money.
- Add Ombudsperson and Diversity and Inclusion Lead
- Steven to create a board subcommittee and roles document. Should not be an SEP!
- Draft responsibilities for Instrument Team Liaison
Topic 3: Proposal Preparation
Create a Proposal Repository - old proposals, new ideas, possibilities for synergies with other projects.
Maintain a accessible copy of previous proposals for desired new frameworks.
Need to identify and document science uses of ndcube and other infrastructure - which could be attractive for funding agencies.
There will be another CSSI proposal call next year - we should be prepared.
Need a set of ideas/concepts for proposals with leads ready to go.
Identify a lead for collecting this information.
There should be an Official SunPy Webinar about ndcube - to demonstrate how it can be integrated into science use cases. Bin (and Kevin?) will be able to provide some sample data cubes.
This could/should be the first in an evolving series.
- Start SunPy webinar series
- Add webpage about webinars
