2026-02-09 - NSF ACO Meeting Agenda & Summary

Items highlighted in blue are instructions for each section.

1. Joint Program Updates (10 min) 

   1. ACO Program Updates (5 min) - John Towns
      Section content instructions: High-level summary of what changed since last week. 
      Metrics snapshot (usage, staffing, financials). 

      1. Staffing Report - no change

      2. Financials - no change

      3. Planning for Quarterly Meeting going well

         1. Chuck will bring a backup Owl just in case there are issues at the IlliniCenter

      4. Planning for EAB meeting going well

         1. Agenda set for EAB portion of QM

         2. Will send EC PY5 Presentation around to EAB after EC meeting tomorrow - Chuck P

            1. have 2 more to approve the presentation

            2. will send copy to Sharon in advance

         3. DOE Gemini meeting - people will do EAB - fly from OHare to DC - and then fly back for the rest of the Quarterly Meeting

            1. plan is the fly to DCA from ORD Tuesday evening and return DCA->ORD Wednesday evening to be back for day 2 of the QM

            2. Sharon was wondering about the necessity of physical travel for such a short event in DC

            3. The EAB meeting, particularly for an access PI, is primarily a "listening" session, making remote participation more feasible, unlike the quarterly meeting.

            4. Chuck said he would relay the possibility of traveling to DC the night before the Genesis meeting and then returning for the quarterly meeting and having PIs participate in the EAB meeting remotely.
               
               

   2. NSF Updates (5 min) 
      Section content instructions: NSF perspective: relevant program, agency, or portfolio updates
      Any context that may affect ACCESS or ACO operations.

      1.  Sharon accepted the RAC - and may not be able to attend

      2. Will the RAC be recorded? As long as everyone agrees Cindy will share
         
         

2. NSF Action Items - (5 min) https://access-ci.atlassian.net/jira/core/projects/ATT/list?sortBy=duedate&direction=ASC&filter=status%20in%20(%22To%20Do%22%2C%20In-Progress)%20AND%20%22Category%5BCategory%5D%22%20in%20(Original-PEP%2C%20PY3-PEP-WBS-5%2C%20PY3-PEP-WBS-4%2C%20PY3-PEP-WBS-3%2C%20PY3-PEP-WBS-2%2C%20PY3-PEP-WBS-1%2C%20%22NSF%20Meeting%20To%20Do%22)

   1. Meeting tasks

      Open

      

   2. Upcoming PEP Tasks
      Nothing until April

      Open

      

       

3. Carryover Action Items (5 min) 
   Section content instructions: Review prior week’s decisions & commitments. 
   Confirm closed vs. still open.
   Note blockers. 

   1. none

4. Critical Status & Red Items (10 min) 
   Section content instructions: Current or Overdue Tasks (top 3–5)
   Owner quick updates + path to resolution. 
   NSF input requested if escalation/decision is needed. 

   1. none

5. Program Spotlight (15 min)  - Lisa K
   Section content instructions: Brief look at one priority area each week (e.g., risk, staffing, allocations, milestones). 
   Goal: share context and keep alignment at the program level. 
   Detailed work continues in ACO team meetings — this time is for big-picture feedback.  

   1. 
      
      

6. Wrap-Up: Next Steps & Action Items (2–3 min) 
   Section content instructions: Confirm owners + deadlines. 
   Recap today’s decisions. - Today's Decisions (top of the agenda)
   Identify materials NSF expects before the next meeting. 

Additional Discussion

Next Meeting: Feb 23, 2026 next meeting