EGU Townhall 2025

From OSGeo
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Ramp Up

General Information

Title of the event

Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo): Free Open Source Software and Open Data for Geospatial

Convener: Peter Löwe Co-convener(s:) Alessandro Frigeri

TM### Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo): Free Open Source Software and Open Data for Geospatial Date and venue: tbd

Abstract

This townhall welcomes everybody who wants to learn and discuss about Free Open Source Research Code for the Geosciences, and wants to meet and discuss with his/her peers face to face at EGU General Assembly, as a kick-off for follow up activities.

This townhall provides an open forum to discuss how Open Source Research Software, Open Data and FAIR credit tie into and support current data-driven scientific research, but also the challenges (elefants in the room) which need to be addressed and the different kinds of emerging opportunities for researchers, research organisations, journals, publishers and infrastructure providers.

In the last years, significant progress was made regarding making FAIR and Open Science the emerging new gold standard for sustainable and trusted scientific practice, publications and means to obtain project funding. While this is based on and requires the establishment of reliable technical cross-domain infrastructures, like the integration of software code repositiories, Open Access repositories and persistent identifiers (PID) for research products, individuals and organisations, organisational change has to be embraced and practiced by researchers, organisations and founding agencies. For this outreach and educations programmes are a key factor, especially to reach early career scientists.

The townhall is hosted by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). OSGeo is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to foster global adoption of open geospatial technology by being an inclusive software foundation devoted to an open philosophy and participatory community-driven development. The foundation provides financial, organizational and legal support to the broader open-source geospatial community.

It also serves as an independent legal entity to which community members can contribute code, funding, and other resources, secure in the knowledge that their contributions will be maintained for public benefit. OSGeo also serves as an outreach and advocacy organization for the open-source geospatial community and provides a common forum and shared infrastructure for improving cross-project collaboration. The foundation’s projects are all freely available and useable under an Open Source Initiative certified open source license.

Organizing team (Draft) [add your name!]

Peter Löwe, Alessandro Frigeri, yournamehere

Primary points of contact

at Copernicus (conference organizer): TBD

for Copernicus:


During the session: TBD, maybe Magdalena (as before in 2024/2023)

URL

Session details:

URL

Convener Login

Open Source Research Software for Geospatial (OSGeo)

This townhall welcomes everybody who wants to learn and discuss about Free Open Source Research Code for the Geosciences, and wants to meet and discuss with his/her peers face to face at EGU General Assembly, as a kick-off for follow up activities.

This townhall provides an open forum to discuss how Open Source Research Software, Open Data and FAIR credit tie into and support current data-driven scientific research, but also the challenges (elefants in the room) which need to be addressed and the different kinds of emerging opportunities for researchers, research organisations, journals, publishers and infrastructure providers.

In the last years, significant progress was made regarding making FAIR and Open Science the emerging new gold standard for sustainable and trusted scientific practice, publications and means to obtain project funding. While this is based on and requires the establishment of reliable technical cross-domain infrastructures, like the integration of software code repositiories, Open Access repositories and persistent identifiers (PID) for research products, individuals and organisations, organisational change has to be embraced and practiced by researchers, organisations and founding agencies. For this outreach and educations programmes are a key factor, especially to reach early career scientists.

The townhall is hosted by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). OSGeo is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to foster global adoption of open geospatial technology by being an inclusive software foundation devoted to an open philosophy and participatory community-driven development. The foundation provides financial, organizational and legal support to the broader open-source geospatial community.

It also serves as an independent legal entity to which community members can contribute code, funding, and other resources, secure in the knowledge that their contributions will be maintained for public benefit. OSGeo also serves as an outreach and advocacy organization for the open-source geospatial community and provides a common forum and shared infrastructure for improving cross-project collaboration. The foundation’s projects are all freely available and useable under an Open Source Initiative certified open source license.

Overview over all EGU Townhalls (2025: NEEDS UPDATE)

(Source: EGU https://www.egu24.eu/guidelines/tm.html) On-site Townhall meetings offer an active discussion platform that is open to all interested conference participants. At Townhall meetings, information is shared on new initiatives or opportunities of interest to a wide range of disciplines. This is often followed by an open discussion on the matter raised. Townhall meetings are non-commercial, and therefore cannot be organized by commercial enterprises. Townhall meeting topics should not compete with or duplicate that of scientific sessions, and cannot be used for session extension.

Any registered on-site participant may organize a Townhall meeting, which is subject to approval by the Programme Committee Co-Chairs. Townhall meetings will take place Monday–Friday from 19:00 to 20:00 in lecture rooms of the congress centre. EGU does not provide any hybrid solutions for Townhall meetings. Upon acceptance, the respective meeting will appear in the programme as a session. Conveners can then add public information to their Townhall meeting using the convener tools.

Townhall meeting organizers are responsible to clear the room at 20:00. Subsequent receptions are subject to approval by EGU. The costs for catering and space rental after 20:00 must be borne by the Townhall meeting organizers. Please contact Copernicus Meetings to request catering and indicate the title of your Townhall meeting, the time, and the location you would like to have catering.

Venue / Time

Session ID: TM21

Day: Tuesday April 29 2025

Time: 19:00-20:00 (CEST)

Room: N1 (green level)


Estimated number of attendees: 75–99 (optimistic assumption) - pragmatic guestimate for catering, etc: 20 - 50 pax

This year we are facing several competitors, like the "Software Underground" Townhall and the ESSI Medal lecture.

Type of event (2025: NEEDS UPDATE)

Townhalls are "networking events" hosted at the European Geosiences Union (EGU) General Assembly (GA) for up to 350 people.

EGU-wording: "Townhall Meetings are meetings open for all participants in the conference at which new initiatives or decisions are announced to a larger audience following an open discussion on the matter raised."

Townhalls are hosted in the evening following the conclusion of all scientific tracks. The events last one hour and usually have presentations / announcements taking up the first 20 minutes, to allow for an open discussion among the attendees. During this phase, refreshments are provided to ensure a lively and convivial atmosphere.

Expected Audience Size

Estimated number of attendees: 75–99 (optimistic assumption) - pragmatic guestimate for catering, etc: 20 - 50 pax

This year we are facing several competitors, like the "Software Underground" Townhall and the ESSI Medal lecture.

Audience: Topical Background

Free Open Source Software from OSGeo projects affects most if not all EGU Divisions. Currently FOSS (OSGeo projects + R, GMT, etc.) is particularly strong in the Hydrology, Atmospheric Sciences, Earth and Space Science Informatics, and Tectonics Divisions.

Attendees are expected from the following fields (Academia, Research and Industry).

  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Biogeosciences
  • Climate: Past, Present & Future
  • Cryospheric Sciences
  • Earth Magnetism & Rock Physics
  • Energy, Resources and the Environment
  • Earth and Space Science Informatics
  • Geodesy
  • Geodynamics
  • Geosciences Instrumentation and Data Systems
  • Geomorphology
  • Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology & Volcanology
  • Hydrological Sciences
  • Natural Hazards
  • Nonlinear Processes in Geosciences
  • Ocean Sciences
  • Planetary and Solar System Sciences
  • Seismology
  • Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Palaeontology
  • Soil System Sciences
  • Solar-Terrestrial Sciences
  • Tectonics and Structural Geology
Audience: Professional Level
  • Doctorate Students, PostDocs, Researchers, Activists, Leaders, Visionaries, Decision Makers, Funding Agencies


Venue
Catering

No catering planned in 2025 due to lack of management resources ahead of the event + the no go for catering in 2024 (OSGeo Board did not approve the 2024 budget request for catering).

Relevance for OSGeo (2025: NEEDS UPDATE)

how will our participation help OSGeo

  • Continuation and expansion of the "topical bridgehead" established within EGU by the first two OSGeo Townhalls in 2014 and 2015.
  • Raise awareness at and reach-out to the European geoscience community by hosting a dedicated public OSGeo event at the largest European geoscience conference.
  • Reach out to young scientists starting their careers.
  • Meeting place for people already active in OSGeo ("meta-BoF") as a large number of people congregates every year at the EGU GA.
  • Reach out to decision makers/elders/scientific activists within the EGU Divisions.
  • 2019: Culmination of the "FOSS day" at the EGU GA: The organizers are urged to to schedule all FOSS / OSGeo - related events on the same day. This will ensure we have a large audience and niceties such as "FOSS flashmobs" can be arranged for poster sessions. The "FOSS day" could and should be finished off with the OSGeo townhall, as a "multiplier/bring them all together" event.
  • Peaceful und friendly coexistence: Propiertary platforms including Microsoft, Google and ESRI are also staging dedicated events during EGU GA.
  • Awareness on the decision maker level: Significance of OSGeo within the emerging Data Science / Open Science debate ("-> OSGeo-tailored research programmes ?")
Budget
  • Venue rental cost: none
  • NO CATERING IN 2025
  • NO PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL COST IN 2025
  • Budget will be allocated within OpenGeoScience Committee budget as part of Open_Geoscience_Committee/budget_2025


Total requested amount from the upcoming OpenGeoScience budget: 0 USD

Proposed Payment Method
  • No seed money required
Support by OSGeo (2025: NEEDS UPDATE)
  • Finacial support: None requested
  • Use of Logos: Giveaways / Swag will be provided from Peters stash from past events.
  • Volunteers: Peter Löwe + Alessandro Frigeri.

Preparation (2025: NEEDS UPDATE)

Timeline (2025: NEEDS UPDATE)
  • 2024-x: Townhall has been requested from Copernicus by AF.
OSGeo-related events at EGU GA 2024 (2025: NEEDS UPDATE)
  • ESSI
  • Early Career Scientists
  • Data Helpdesk
  • Planetary and Solar System Science
  • Solar-Terrestrial Science
  • Hydrology ?
  • Tectonics ?
  • Workshops ?
  • Great Debates ?
Reach Out

Reach out to DLR, NASA, ESA, etc.

Points of contact:

  • WHO: AGU Planetary Sciences Section: Rosaly Lopes, AGU Section President, Planetary Sciences
  • PL: Dawn Wright, ESRI (won't attend but may forward infos): Not contacted, out of scope by now.
  • WHO: EGU ESSI division
  • PL: ESIP Data Helpdesk 2025: PL has helpdesk duty on Monday 14:00-16:00 and will advertise the TH.
  • PL: NASA - Kaylin Bugbee: Kaylin will attend. Further coordination @ ESIP helpdesk on Monday.
  • PL: CSIRO - Jens Klump: Done.

Mailing lists: PL: OSGeo-Discuss, FOSSGIS list, Personal Linkedin page, personal FB page TBD

EGU Announcement Poster / Flyer

Posters from past years ("Hellboy design") will be reused.

Meeting with local OSGeo/OSM chapter and activists

Wednesday: meeting with Helli (GRASS GIS) planned.

Presentation slides (2025: NEEDS UPDATE)
Pictures 2024

Budget

2025: No budget requested from OSGeo

Lessons Learned from past events (2025: NEEDS UPDATE)

Lessons Learned from 2023

  • Avoid conflicts with Medal Lectures ! This year, the TH coincides with the ESSI Medal Lecture for Kerstin Lehnert. ESSI medal 2018
  • Sync timeslots with Research Software Engineer TH.
  • Avoid time conflicts with ECS great debates !
  • Plan for a meeting with the austrian OSGeo community ahead in time (4-6 weeks).
  • Paper-based information material is becoming deprecated for reach out before the TH.
  • Personally handed over printed invitations (business card size or slightly larger) still do work.
  • A "swag-store" for OSGeo-Stickers and badgets works well AT the TH
  • Bring a large banner to be hung in front of the room
  • EGU doesn't do MoU like AGU.
  • EGU has already a large number of medals, like the [[1]ESSI medal] which is already sponsored by ESRI - they will currently NOT yet another medal by OSGeo.
  • Advertise well ahead on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.), via OSGeo mailing lists, OSGeo webpage (news item) and related communities, like RDA, FORCE11, codemeta, etc.

Opportunities for 2024 (Lessons learned from 2019)

  • The ESSI division is changing its overall approach. OSGeo should play a prominent role in the discussions.
    • OSGeo could sponsor a dedicated session in ESSI or cross-division.
    • OSGeo could sponsor a price / (lunch-)event /session for early career scientists
    • EGU intends to introduce a "data helpdesk" in 2019 or later, similar to the one introduced by AGU in 2017: OSGeo folks could participate by giving advice on particular software tools ("Ask a guru") - this would provide much more flexibility than normal EGU workshops, since it would be driven by real world questions of the attendees.

Execution (OUTDATED)

Lessons learned from TH 2019

  • This year four "open themed" THs were held in parallel. This is really an issue. While it's good to see that "open" THs have picked up, the scheduling forces an unnecessariy XOR priorisation by the attendees. Need to talk to EGU/Copernicus about this (todo: PL).
  • Paper-based hand outs/invites do still work, but because of the sheer number of attendees and the size of the value this does not carry far.
  • Preemptive email-announces on mailing lists and twitter(?) seem to be much more effective.
  • Make the presentations colorful & impressive.
  • "Pointer signs" help to shuffle the attendees in the right room.
  • TODO: Archive templates for Pointer Signs, Presentaions, and which mailing lists to be used in 2020.
  • Sync with Research Software Engineers and other "open" THs well before EGU 2020.
  • Do NOT order platters of food at Esterhazykeller for post-event get-togethers: It's way too much food and not cheap (bill was not charged on OSGeo, of course).
  • Flag the event explicitly as "ECS-friendly" in the EGU-CMS.
  • Do reach out to the ESRI booth staff
  • Avoid timeslot collisions with:
    • Early career scientist events
    • Anything hosted by Kerstin Lehnert, Peter Fox,Lesley Weybourne, Jens Klump or Kirsten (GFZ)
    • ESSI medal lectures
    • Other "open/FAIR"-themed THs
    • Research Software Engineer THs
  • Advertise the event at earlier ESSI sessions that day, including the ESSI Division meeting
  • Advertise ahead of EGU on the ESSI blog.
  • TH events at AGU GA are not necessarily as prohibitively costly as expected: Events at a hotel suite with alcoholic beverages ARE excessively expensive, but the AGU POCs (Shelley/Brooks) should be able (if contacted early) to help to get a room for a gathering.
  • The ESSI medal is financially supported by ESRI, which receives due recognition and mentioning at the annual division meeting. Since EGU has is discouraging ideas for new medals, OSGeo could consider new ways to provide some funding support for the division to get public recognition: A price for ECS doing innovative software ?
Retrieved from "http://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=EGU_Townhall_2025&oldid=133657"