2025-11-05 - OpenCI Leadership Meeting Agenda & Summary

Decisions made during the meeting:

Agenda/Notes

1. Most Recent EC Meeting Debrief

   1. 2025-11-04 - ACCESS EC Meeting Agenda & SummaryPreview

2. What would ACO like Lisa to do in terms of a specific focus for the next Project Year - (10 min) - Lisa Kaczmarczyk

   1. Has this been decided on? -

      1. Lisa - will be at a conference in St Louis thurs, friday, saturday - might be able to meet on Tuesday, Feb 17 if she flies in early

         1. Add discussion to EC @Shannon Bradley: Ask EC regarding Lisa attending Feb meeting

         2. Lisa to fly in Monday, meet Tuesday, out on Wednesday

         3. Covering travel – add Lisa to NCSA reimbursement system (@Shannon Bradley)

            1. Must get approval from NSF before moving forward

      2. Feb meeting schedule options:

         • Option A

         • Monday:  Team Meetings

           • Tuesday:

             • EAB Executive Session

             • EAB meeting with Lisa Kaczmarczyk

             • EC Session

             • EC meeting with Lisa Kaczmarczyk

           • Wed/Thurs - Quarterly Meeting

         • Option B

           Tuesday: 

           • EAB Executive Session

             • EAB meeting with Lisa Kaczmarczyk

           • EC Session

             • EC meeting with Lisa Kaczmarczyk

           • Wednesday: Team meetings

           • Thursday–Friday: Quarterly meeting (1.5 days - ending by noon on Friday)

3. Review Action Items
   ACO Member To Do Items

1. Select Spotlight Topic for Monday’s NSF meeting

2. NSF Meeting Project Spotlight TopicsPreview - select topic if it seems like the shutdown will be over on Monday

   1. Outcomes discussion

   2. ACO progress

3. Updates

   1. @John Towns

      1. No additional update

   2. @Chuck P

      1. Gathering topics for Dec Quarterly Meeting from EC

      2. EAB email to

   3. @majumdar

      1. Eval SC is narrowing down the Community questions (top 9)

   4. @Cindy Wong

      1. Dec 17: need to confirm agenda topics (I know Chuck is working on this)

      2. Feb 16, 2026: Send Feb EAB “save the date” once Chuck sends email about ACCESS Palooza

      3. Find time for next two one-on-one Service Team & EAB meetings

   5. @Dina Meek - absent

      1.  

   6. @Kimberly Bruch

      1.  

   7. @Misha Shah

      1. Finalizing some docs for Dec 11 Quarterly - plan to get them out tomorrow 11/6

   8. @Shannon Bradley - absent

   9.  

Next Meeting: Nov 12, 2025

Reference

ACO Vacation SchedulePreview

AI generated meeting summary - there may be inaccuracies

Meeting summary

Quick recap

The meeting began with personal updates and a brief discussion about an upcoming SC tutorial before transitioning into a review of the EC meeting agenda and various updates. The team discussed scheduling for upcoming meetings, including the Spring Quarterly Meeting in Chicago, and addressed the need for finalizing meeting agendas and themes. Project updates were shared regarding ongoing tasks,and  collaboration efforts.

Next steps

• Misha: Send John a note with details needed for the contract/Chicago Illinois Center decision, including key points for EC input.

• John: Send email to EC (and relevant PIs) to get concurrence/decision on moving forward with the Chicago Illinois Center contract, including options and recommendations for the meeting schedule.

• Chuck: Send out a note to EAB by end of week (Friday) to hold the date for the February meeting.

• Cindy: Send calendar invite to EAB after Chuck's note goes out, to reserve the February meeting dates.

• Misha: Draft and circulate email to EC outlining proposed February meeting schedule options (with option A as recommended), and list of possible activities for Lisa, for EC feedback.

• John: Add acceptable use policy document to next EC agenda for review and subsequent approval.

• Chuck: Integrate working group communication channel and decision-making authority clarifications into current documentation for working groups.

• John: Follow up with Shelly regarding the conflict of interest issue with Nitten's EAB chair role and ensure appropriate action is taken.

• Chuck (and/or John): Contact Shelly directly if needed to escalate concern about Nitten's EAB conflict of interest.

• Lisa: Begin work on annual evaluation report in mid-March, with draft to team in early April and final version ready for attachment to annual report by mid-April (~15th).

• Cindy: Schedule one-on-one meetings with the two service teams before the annual report.

• Cindy: Determine if RP will meet individually with EAB and coordinate if needed.

• Chuck and Cindy: Finalize and communicate topics for the short meeting at the December quarterly.

• John: Follow up with Shannon (when available) to ensure the "collaborating with Access" and letters of collaboration item is posted to the website.

• John: Add updated budget/rebudgeting review as a spotlight topic for next NSF meeting (when government reopens).

Summary

Meeting Updates and Tutorial Discussion

The meeting began with personal updates from Amitava about a plumbing issue and Misha about a problematic dishwasher. Chuck humorously offered his old dishwasher to Misha. Amitava shared a plumber joke, which Chuck appreciated. The group briefly discussed the upcoming SC tutorial and potential attendance concerns. John then announced they would start reviewing the EC from the previous day, noting that Shelly was still learning to use the consent agenda process.

EC Meeting Updates and Planning

The EC meeting covered several updates and discussions, including the addition of standing committee updates, the review and approval of an acceptable use policy document, and progress on EAB questions and responses. The team reviewed the RP terminology and application documents, which were in good shape. They discussed the remaining NSF takeaways, agreeing to clean them up before final approval. Misha updated on the December quarterly meeting, which will include updates from each team and focus on addressing program goals. The group also discussed the need for a common section in annual reports to better align efforts with program goals. Finally, Cindy inquired about an update on the contract for the Chicago, Illinois Center, which had not been discussed in the meeting.

Meeting Coordination and Scheduling Updates

The team discussed scheduling a meeting with Shannon, who was absent, and agreed to address the topic at the next group meeting on Tuesday. Misha will send John a note with details about the meeting requirements, and John will seek concurrence from PIs. The group also confirmed Lisa's availability for a meeting on Tuesday the 17th, and John mentioned they have sufficient funds to cover Lisa's work without needing to request a supplement from NSF.

EC Meeting Planning and Scheduling

Lisa discussed plans for an upcoming meeting with ECs, proposing a two-part approach: a group deep-dive session followed by a focus group. John clarified the schedule for the week, noting that the EC, EAB, and quarterly meetings are confirmed, with potential for RAC and EAB to meet together to review PY5 plans. Lisa agreed to hold Tuesday for the EC meeting and is considering options for Monday and Wednesday. John suggested asking ECs for their perspectives on EAB and RAC effectiveness and recommendations for future improvements.

EC Meeting Planning and Coordination

The team discussed plans for an upcoming EC meeting, with Lisa confirming she would be available on Tuesday. John emphasized the need to finalize the meeting agenda and theme, while Chuck noted that EAB would meet for a full day on Tuesday. The group agreed to prepare a RAFA outline detailing activities for each day and to ask the EC about Lisa's potential role during the meeting. They also considered the importance of engaging with both the EC and individual teams during this time.

Spring Quarterly Meeting Schedule Planning

The team discussed the schedule for the Spring Quarterly Meeting in Chicago, with Misha proposing a structure that includes EAB and team meetings on Tuesday, followed by a 1.5-day quarterly meeting on Thursday and Friday. They considered alternative schedules and debated the timing of Lisa's involvement, with the possibility of a dedicated EC meeting. The group also touched on the need to minimize downtime for attendees and the importance of scheduling around travel logistics.

Meeting Schedule and Annual Report

The team discussed scheduling for upcoming meetings, with two options presented for the timing of team meetings, EAB sessions, and the quarterly meeting. They agreed to recommend Option A, which places team meetings on Monday, followed by EAB sessions and EC meetings on Tuesday, with the quarterly meeting scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. The group also discussed Lisa's role in these meetings, including observing EAB sessions and potentially conducting a focus group. Finally, they addressed the timeline for submitting the annual report, with Lisa planning to start working on her draft in mid-March and aiming to complete it by mid-April for attachment to the ACO Annual Report.

Project Updates and Survey Planning

The team discussed updates on various projects and initiatives. John mentioned receiving an email from Katie Antibis, indicating ongoing work at NSL despite limited staff. Chuck and Cindy are working on finalizing topics for a short meeting in December. Amitava provided an update on the evaluation survey, explaining that team members are narrowing down the best survey questions to make it shorter. Cindy mentioned the need to schedule meetings with two service teams before the annual report. The team also discussed the possibility of the RP meeting with the EAB individually.

Access Logo and Collaboration Updates

The team discussed concerns about Nitten's involvement with the EAB, as John expressed dissatisfaction with Shelly for not addressing the conflict of interest despite being informed in February. They agreed to remove all references to team names and awards in favor of using the Access logo, following a decision by the EC. The group also noted that Dina is still absent but working to start before SC, and Misha will manage an email address for PIs to respond to collaboration inquiries with Access.

Project Management and Jira Usage

The team discussed ongoing tasks and project management, with John and Kimberly clarifying that a Jira ticket for Kimberly's ongoing story leads was unnecessary as it represented an ever-changing list of articles rather than a specific project. John helped close the ticket and explained that Jira is typically used for trackable deliverables rather than ongoing daily work. The team also briefly touched on Chuck's work on communication channels and an acceptable use policy update that John will send to the EC for discussion and voting.