Material for RSECon

[mattjbr123]

Not sure if 'Issues' is the right place for this, but following the guidance at https://ben.balter.com/2020/08/14/tools-of-the-trade/ (discussed in https://github.com/NERC-CEH/rse_group/discussions/16#discussion-6847744) it seems more appropriate than a discussion given it can have a 'closed' status/is time-limited. Happy for it to be moved.

A place to collect thoughts and/or material for/on our attendance at RSECon, and note any sessions of particular interest.

For example:

• @metazool has submitted an abstract for a presentation about the first 100 days of a new RSE team
• There's a "Finding the weather and climate RSE community" birds-of-a-feather session that might be worth contributing to (_Originally posted by @colinsauze in https://github.com/NERC-CEH/rse_group/discussions/15#discussioncomment-10008135_) The organisers of the BoF Session have reached out to us via @cmtso via email and requested that we provide a 'quick overview' containing:
  • What do we do? What are the problems we solve?
  • How do our RSEs work?
  • What tools and approaches do we use?
  • What do we need/want from a Climate & Weather RSE community?
• Any other sessions of interest we all/some of us/one of us would like to attend?

[matthewcoole]

I made a note of the sessions I was keen to attend a couple of weeks ago, although probably can't make it to all (hopefully some will be recorded):

(Link to Schedule)

Tuesday 03-09-2024

• 11:15-11:45 Performant Python Patterns
• 12:00-12:30 Advanced Python Testing
• 13:30-14:15 Demystifying Large Language Models
• 13:45-14:00 A new RSE group - the first 100 days
• 14:15-14:45 Good cookies are made with good cookie cutters

Wednesday 04-09-2024

• 11:15-12:00 Agile Methods for RSEs
• 12:00-12:30 On the Tension between Agile Methodologies and research Software
• 13:30-14:15 Re-runnable code is all you need
• 14:15-14:45 Deciding on the ideal software environment
• 15:50-16:35 Towards Adoption of FAIR4RS
• 16:30-16:45 A Data Downpour
• 16:45-17:00 Enhancing Real-Time Geospatial Big Data Processing

[mattjbr123]

My first pass at what interests me. Lots of clashes, I will narrow down nearer the time.

Update: Have attempted to narrow down by eliminating some of the clashes, I reserve the right to change my mind xD Also trying to make sure I give myself at least some downtime...

Tuesday 03/09/2024

• 11:15-11:45 Performant Python Patterns
• 12:00 - 12:15 Discovering and bridging knowledge gaps between research software engineering and software engineering research
• 12:15 - 12:30 Empowering Ambassadors of Good Practice: The Software Sustainability Institute Fellowship Programme
• 12:00 - 12:30 Advanced Python Testing - mocking, property based testing, snapshot testing
• 13:30 - 14:15 Demystifying Large Language Models
• 13:30 - 14:45 Effortlessly creating Python packages with good practices
• 13:45 - 14:00 A new RSE group - the first 100 days
• 16:20 - 17:05 Motivating and Meaningful Career Development for RSEs
• 16:35 - 17:05 Open science cloud infrastructure and training for communities in Latin America and Africa

Wednesday 04/09/2024

• 11:15 - 12:00 Agile Methods for RSEs: A formula for scrum-driven software development in research?
• 12:00 - 12:30 On the Tension between Agile Methodologies and Research Software
• 11:45 - 12:00 Modern, interactive and impactful software documentation with Sphinx, MyST and the Diátaxis framework
• 13:30 - 14:15 Re-runnable code is all you need
• 14:15 - 14:45 Deciding on the ideal software environment -- Personal experiences with Docker, Anaconda, virtual machines, and servers
• 15:50 - 16:35 Towards adoption of FAIR4RS: equipping researchers with FAIR research software skills
• 16:50 - 17:05 Enhancing Real-Time Geospatial Big Data Processing and Presentation Through Cloud-Optimised Storage and Formats

Thursday 05/09/2024

These are in 2 sessions... Unclear if each session is the same or it's one long sessions split into 2. Times here reflect first session of each.

• 09:30 - 10:45 Intersectional EDIA and Allies: celebrating the highs and weathering the lows
• 11:00 - 12:30 Finding the Weather and Climate RSE Community - knowledge exchange and the next steps for the flock

[cmtso]

• What do we do? What are the problems we solve?
  • Climate and land | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (ceh.ac.uk)
  • Hydro-Climate Risks | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (ceh.ac.uk)
  • We use a lot of weather and climate model outputs for downstream research, from using weather data as input for hydrological models for flood and drought modelling, running land surface models to predict many things such as photosynthesis and wildfire, to using future climate scenarios to explore pathways of land use adaptations, air pollutant emissions and effects on biodiversity.
  • We coordinate the large UK land surface model (JULES), which forms part of the Met Office Unified model (UM)
  • We do some extreme weather modelling, such as hydrology nowcasting in Sub-saharan Africa: Welcome to the Hydrology in Sub-Saharan Africa Portal | Hydrology in Sub-Saharan Africa Portal (ceh.ac.uk)
  • unifhy-org/unifhy: A Unified Framework for Hydrology (github.com)
• How do our RSEs work?
• What tools and approaches do we use?
• What do we need/want from a Climate & Weather RSE community?
  • Solving common challenges together--many similarities between climate modelling and land surface/hydrological/atmospheric chemistry modelling
  • Improve interoperability between these models for more flexible coupling/linking
  • Accessibility
  • Documentation
    • CMIP6
    • Frustrating to have to read all of it
    • Hard to have a quick play to make a start
  • Standards

[metazool]

There's also a Leaders and Aspiring Leaders meeting the day before RSECon which is separate registration, I've signed up for that.

The main topic I want to bring to it is the question of RSE group handbooks - working norms, agile methods, whatever it is that they cover. I've had a couple of convos about where they exist but are not public, but not for any specific reason...

[colinsauze]

@metazool you might find this handbook from USRSE useful. A few things a little bit US specific, but most of it applies here too. https://kilthub.cmu.edu/articles/report/Hiring_Managing_and_Retaining_Data_Scientists_and_Research_Software_Engineers_in_Academia/24150825?file=42370305

[longr]

There's also a Leaders and Aspiring Leaders meeting the day before RSECon which is separate registration, I've signed up for that.

The main topic I want to bring to it is the question of RSE group handbooks - working norms, agile methods, whatever it is that they cover. I've had a couple of convos about where they exist but are not public, but not for any specific reason...

I will try and make this remotely, but even if I can't, I would suggest you reach out to @aharwood2 regarding agile methods and working norms.

[aharwood2]

We're doing a talk at RSE Con this year about agile methods for our RSEs so people are welcome to line up the questions if you are coming!

[metazool]

My "what interests me" list, work in progress!

02-09

RSE Leaders and Aspiring Leaders Meeting (separate registration, all afternoon from 12)

03-09

07:30 Bhangra session! 11:15 GraphQL 12:00 Advanced python testing OR knowledge gaps with software engineering research + Fellowship programme 13:30 Effortless python packaging good practises but it clashes with my talk 13:45 A new RSE Group - the first 100 days (who are these people) 14:15 Good cookie cutters 15:50 HPC environmental and social impact 16:20 Mutation testing

04-09

11:15 Agile methods for research software 12:00 Tension between the above, interesting contrast of talks 13:30 Re-runnable code 14:15 Personal experiences of environment configuration 15:50 Software quality indicators OR FAIR research software skills

05-09

07:30 Body conditioning! 09:30 Unconference: Create New Communities 11:00 Green RSEs? OR Weather and Climate BoF 14:00 Green RSEs? OR Weather and Climate BoF

[metazool]

100_days branch in this repo (currently contains a beamer outline in the team directory)

I'll add my take on a narrative version next to it and incorporate some of the text into the Pages rendering, might as well get re-use out of it https://nerc-ceh.github.io/rse_group/