Mailman 3 Re: [Numpy-discussion] grant proposal for core scientific Python projects (rejected) - NumPy-Discussion

5 May 2019

      Thanks for the update — this is great stuff!

-CHB

On May 3, 2019, at 3:13 PM, Joe Harrington <jh@physics.ucf.edu> wrote:

Just to keep people in the loop, Ralf and I are in discussion with people
at NASA HQ about a funding stream for core development.ï¿½ Ralf has put
together a short description of the development and funding model (5 core
projects, 10-20 core developers each, nearly all volunteer now, how
NumFOCUS fits in, what we hope to establish from NASA vs. from other
agencies, industry, other countries' science entities, etc.).ï¿½ That will
circulate within the agency, to see what can be scraped together.ï¿½
Program managers in NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) gave
quite-positive feedback on how vital the Python ecosystem is to NASA's
mission.ï¿½ We're emphasizing the need for both new functionality and
maintenance (e.g., docs, web site, bug fixing).ï¿½ If this is ultimately
successful, it can be a model for approaching other agencies in the US and
elsewhere.

To Steve's point, regarding how hard it is for Civil Servants to contribute
to OSS (due to NASA's lengthy internal review process for releasing
software), this problem was clearly called out in the Academies report.ï¿½
We proposed some solutions to streamline things.ï¿½ What's needed now is
for NASA Civil Servants to take that report and the relevant white papers
(cited in the report and posted online) to their center's senior
management, and to NASA HQ, and similarly for others in government
agencies.ï¿½ You may wish to start from NASA's (or your agency's) mission,
which includes sharing technology openly to boost the economy, and how you
are encountering unreasonable barriers to that goal.ï¿½ This is mandated by
the National Air and Space Act of 1958.

For example, there is little reason to conduct an export-control review
with lawyers looking at code emerging from a group that has nothing to do
with anything near an export-controlled topic.ï¿½ Universities and
contractors are subject to the same export-control laws as NASA, and they
have not routinely conducted similar reviews of every line of code
released.ï¿½ This has not led to a pattern of export violations.ï¿½
(Whether there is any benefit at all to the export control laws as applied
to software is debatable, since it's usually easy for coders elsewhere to
write the same codes, but the law is the law.)

--jh--
On 5/3/19 12:48 PM, numpy-discussion-request@python.org wrote:

Subject:
Re: [Numpy-discussion] grant proposal for core scientific Python projects
(rejected)

From:
Mark Mikofski <mikofski@berkeley.edu> <mikofski@berkeley.edu>

Date:
5/3/19, 12:47 PM

To:
Discussion of Numerical Python <numpy-discussion@python.org>
<numpy-discussion@python.org>
Sorry, that last attachment was just a slide show of the topic 3 recording,
here is the full funding opportunity announcement - letter with 200 word
abstract are due May 7th

On Fri, May 3, 2019 at 8:40 AM Mark Mikofski <mikofski@berkeley.edu> wrote:
...
Hi Ralf, and others,
Sorry for the late notice, but there is are several funding opportunities
in solar, including one for $350,000 to develop open source software to
lower soft costs of solar.
https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/#FoaId45eda43a-e826-4481-ae7a-cc6e8ed4fdae
ï¿½
see topic 3.4 specifically in attached PDF - also note to view the
recording the password is "*Setofoa2019"*ï¿½it's about 30 minutes long.
I know that this is a extremely niche, but as a few others have said, [the
DOE] grants tend to be very specific, but perhaps we can creatively think
of ways to channel funds to NumPy and SciPy.
Also there is a cost share that is typically 20%, which would be a
non-starter for volunteer projects.
But here's an idea, perhaps partnering with a company, like mine (DNV GL)
who is applying for the grant, and who uses NumPy,and could pay the cost
share, and then we collaborate on something that is required to complete
theï¿½project, which is contributed to NumPy (or SciPy) - but we would have
to figure what we could align on.
Seems like NumFOCUS, Quantsight, or some other company in the OSS space
could figure out ways to help connect companies, OSS projects, and funding
opportunities like these, where there's a possibility of alignment and
mutual benefit?
The full list of funding opportunities is here:
https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/ï¿½
Best Regards,
Markï¿½
ï¿½
On Thu, May 2, 2019 at 11:52 PM Ralf Gommers <ralf.gommers@gmail.com>
wrote:
...
On Fri, May 3, 2019 at 3:49 AM Stephen Waterbury <waterbug@pangalactic.us>
wrote:
...
P.S.ï¿½ If anyone wants to continue this discussion at SciPy 2019,
I will be there (on my own nickel!ï¿½ ;) ...
Thanks for the input Stephen, and looking forward to see you at SciPy'19!
Ralf
Steve
...
On 5/2/19 9:45 PM, Stephen Waterbury wrote:
I am a NASA pythonista (for 20+ years ;), but you can now say you know
yet another person at NASA who has no idea this even exists ... :)
Not only do I not know of that, but I know of NASA policies that make
it very difficult for NASA civil servants to contribute to open source
projects -- quite hypocritical, given the amount of open source
code that NASA (like all other large organizations) depends critically
on, but it's a fact.
Cheers,
Steve Waterbury
(CLEARLY **NOT** SPEAKING IN ANY OFFICIAL CAPACITY FOR NASA OR
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE!ï¿½ Hence the personal email
address. :)
On 5/2/19 9:31 PM, Chris Barker - NOAA Federal wrote:
Sounds like this is a NASA specific thing, in which case, I guess
someone at NASA would need to step up.
Iï¿½m afraid I know no pythonistas at NASA.ï¿½
But Iï¿½ll poke around NOAA to see if thereï¿½s anything similar.
-CHB
On Apr 25, 2019, at 1:04 PM, Ralf Gommers <ralf.gommers@gmail.com>
wrote:
On Sat, Apr 20, 2019 at 12:41 PM Ralf Gommers <ralf.gommers@gmail.com>
wrote:
...
On Thu, Apr 18, 2019 at 10:03 PM Joe Harrington <jh@physics.ucf.edu>
wrote:
...
3. There's such a thing as a share-in-savings contract at NASA, in
which
you calculate a savings, such as from avoided costs of licensing IDL
or
Matlab, and say you'll develop a replacement for that product that
costs
less, in exchange for a portion of the savings.ï¿½ These are rare and
few
people know about them, but one presenter to the committee did discuss
them and thought they'd be appropriate.ï¿½ I've always felt that we
could
get a chunk of change this way, and was surprised to find that the
approach exists and has a name.ï¿½ About 3 of 4 people I talk to at
NASA
have no idea this even exists, though, and I haven't pursued it to its
logical end to see if it's viable.
I've heard of these. Definitely worth looking into.
It seems to be hard to find any information about these share-in-savings
contracts. The closest thing I found is this:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/06/22/2018-13463/nasa-federal...
It is called "Shared Savings" there, and was replaced last year by
something called "Value Engineering Change Proposal". If anyone can comment
on whether that's the same thing as Joe meant and whether this is worth
following up on, that would be very helpful.
Cheers,
Ralf
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Re: [Numpy-discussion] grant proposal for core scientific Python projects (rejected)

Chris Barker - NOAA Federal

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