Blog from September, 2013

Dear ESDSWG members,

Even though a government shutdown appears extremely likely at this point, I have decided NOT to explicitly cancel the meeting at this time.  There is still a chance, however vanishingly small, that the shutdown will not happen and I would hate to cancel for no reason.  As you know, the annual meeting is a key part of the ESDSWG's activities.  Because of our inability to hold meetings offsite due to NASA conference restrictions and the high demand for meeting space here at GSFC, the next available window of time to hold a face-to-face meeting would be the week of February 3, 2014.  I believe that would impact our work in a negative way.

SO, since most of you who are traveling had planned to do so tomorrow, October 1, there is still time to wait and see what happens.  But I would offer you the following guidance.

• If Congress reaches some agreement by tomorrow morning to fund the government, at least through the end of this week, then the meeting is on.
• If Congress does not reach an agreement in time and the government does shut down, the meeting is canceled.
• If you need to make a decision about your travel or leave for the airport before the status becomes clear, then you should cancel your travel arrangements.
• If the meeting does take place but you are unable to attend because of these circumstances, we will make every effort to include you virtually if you so desire.

I understand that this is trying for everybody and I appreciate your patience.  Please let me or Steve Olding know if you have any questions or concerns or if anything is not clear.  I sincerely hope to see all of you on Wednesday.

Best regards,

Jeff Walter

Dear ESDSWG members,

In light of current fiscal situation in Washington, I know there is a lot of anxiety and concern surrounding the status of the ESDSWG meeting relative to your travel plans.  We are closely monitoring the situation and trying to work out the best path forward given the limited information we currently have.  I will send out a status update later today with more specific direction.

Thanks for your patience!

Jeff Walter

A reminder that, all being well, the ESDSWG meeting is just a week away.

All of the meeting sessions are being held in Building 8 at Goddard Space Flight Center. Anyone without a NASA-issued PIV badge will need to allow extra time to pick up a visitor badge before entering the campus (location TBA - probably the Visitor Center).  If bringing a car on-site, please use the parking lot opposite Building 8 and next to Building 24 (see map on the wiki agenda page).

Agenda Overview

Day 1 – Wednesday

Plenary session: Building 8 Auditorium

Registration starts at 8:00 AM, Meeting starts at 9:00 AM.

Findings and recommendations from the 2013 WGs (morning/early afternoon)

Poster session (mid-afternoon)

2014 WG proposals overview (late afternoon)

WG technical chairs – please ensure that your presentations (PowerPoint or PDF) are uploaded to the meeting agenda wiki page prior to the start of the meeting.

Electronic versions of the posters (PDF preferred) can also be uploaded to the wiki.

Draft proposals for 2014 Working Groups (new and follow-on groups) should be added to the wiki by the end of this week.  No formal presentation is required for 2014 WG proposals on Wednesday afternoon. We will invite proposers to say a few words of introduction to their proposals and answer questions of clarification from the audience. This is brief preview to help attendees decide which WG breakout sessions to attend on Thursday.

Day 2 – Thursday

Breakout sessions: Bldg. 8 Auditorium, Code 400 Conference Room), Management Conference Center (MCC)

Review 2014 WG Proposals

Draft proposals for 2014 Working Groups (new and follow-on groups) should be added to the wiki by the end of this week. Create a new child page for each proposal.

Feel free to start adding your comments to the proposal pages for discussion at the meeting.

Day 3 – Friday

Plenary session: Building 8 Auditorium

Lightning talks for 2014 WG proposals

Proposal assessments

Meeting close: Approx. 12:30 PM

Government Shutdown

We continue to monitor the valiant efforts of our esteemed legislators to come to agreement on a new funding bill. However, in the event of a government shutdown, next week’s meeting will have to be cancelled and rescheduled for some other time. We remain optimistic that everything will be resolved in time to avoid cancelling the meeting but will continue to monitor the situation and adjust plans accordingly. It is possible that we may not have a clear outcome until late on September 30^th.  We currently plan to make a final call on the ESDSWG meeting no later than 4:00 PM on Monday. I will keep you informed of any changes.

Please consult the ESDSWG wiki pages for the latest information and agenda updates.