The goal of the open-source OSIRIS project is to provide a large user base with a flexible software framework to study a variety of physics problems within high energy density plasma science, plasma-based acceleration, space and astrophysics, the nonlinear optics of plasmas, QED and other exotic plasmas, and high-intensity laser and beam plasma interactions. The OSIRIS Consortium will be the entity that helps to coordinate the continued development of OSIRIS and to ensure that a community of users utilizes OSIRIS effectively and to its full potential. Being a member of the OSIRIS Consortium provides access to support and development branches of OSIRIS beyond the public version. The governance model of the OSIRIS Consortium is aligned with the best practices in open-source projects.

Membership of the OSIRIS Consortium is organized in three levels: User, Developer, and Steering Committee.

User

User participation provides more direct access to and input from Developers. Users are expected to work with the OSIRIS team in an ad hoc manner, such as (but not limited to) engaging in discussions on the mailing lists, sharing best practices, reporting strange results, reporting on testing and benchmarking results, and providing feature requests, and bug reports. Users do not have voting privileges on prioritization of development and administrative matters. To become a User within the OSIRIS Consortium an individual or organization must sign an MoU which sets forth the expectations:

  • Users are expected to provide feedback regarding issues with OSIRIS in a timely manner
  • Users are expected to acknowledge the use of the OSIRIS code in scientific publications and presentations according to what is defined in the OSIRIS Consortium website (include link)

Developer

Developer participation provides access to all OSIRIS repositories. Individuals or organizations can request formal participation in the OSIRIS Consortium as Developers. All new Developers must be nominated by a current Developer of the OSIRIS Consortium and be approved by the Steering Committee and other OSIRIS Developers. If a Developer has not made a commit within one year then by a vote of the other Developers their status can be revoked. Developers are expected to demonstrate a commitment to developing OSIRIS by signing an MoU that details the expectations, and they will have the following privileges:

  • Permission to submit pull requests to the OSIRIS code base repositories.
  • Allowed to attend developer meetings and to directly influence the technical direction of the project.
  • Public acknowledgment for the entity as being a Developer of the OSIRIS Consortium.

Steering Committee

Steering Committee members provide oversight to and grant administrative duties for the project. As founders of the OSIRIS project, UCLA and IST will have permanent representation on the Steering Committee. Institutional Membership is based on a commitment of resources including dedicated personnel to the Consortium’s efforts. Membership is granted through a vote of other members. If a Steering Committee member has not provided resources for one year then they may be removed by a vote of other members. Steering Committee members are expected to sign an MoU that outlines their commitments to the Consortium, and they will have the following privileges:

  • Define the vision of the OSIRIS Consortium.
  • Plan release timelines based on available resources, target features, and target goals of the OSIRIS Consortium.
  • Nominate and approve individuals for administrative duties.
  • Assemble focused development teams when necessary.
  • Public acknowledgment for the institution as being a Steering Committee member of the OSIRIS Consortium.