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American Physical Society March Meeting

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We will be hosting our first focus group at the end of the APS (American Physical Society) March Meeting in Baltimore, MD, on Friday, March 22, 2013. If you will be attending the meeting and would like to participate in the focus group, please contact us by Monday, March 18 to find out if we have space available.

What is the context of the focus group?

This focus group is part of our conceptualization award for the Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2) to be funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). We will be conducting three focus groups followed by a larger survey to better understand the needs of the scientific community. 

When and Where

We will begin at 9:00 am on Friday, March 22  and will wrap up by 4:00 pm, so if you would like to join us, you can safely book flights after 6:00 pm and not miss any of the focus group. You are also welcome to stay the night and depart on Saturday.

The focus group will be hosted and conducted at the:

Hampton Inn & Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor
131 East Redwood Street
Baltimore, Maryland, 21202-1225
Tel: 1-410-539-7888

This location is in downtown Baltimore, two blocks from restaurants and shopping in the historic Inner Harbor, and walking distance to the APS Meeting at the Convention Center.

What will be done with the focus group results?

Our combined experience and research has indicated that many science and engineering gateways have failed to achieve their full potential and impact due to a complex of factors that affect sustainability. Recent research indicates that gateways might be better prepared for success if supported by an organization that provides relevant resources and brings together the gateway community: http://sciencegateways.org/projects/opening-science-gateways-to-future-success/. The information collected at this and other focus groups will be used to refine a strategic plan for an institute for science and engineering gateways.

Who else will be at the focus group?

The focus group will include other researchers and educators from your discipline and from several other fields. The complete list of participants will be posted on our website as we receive confirmation from invitees.

What else do I need to do?

To make this short meeting as productive and engaging as possible, we will ask attendees to answer a brief questionnaire in advance of the meeting. This will help us prepare activities and logistics in advance.

Expenses

We have limited spaces left in the focus group (and no more hotel rooms available), but APS attendees participating in the focus group will be reimbursed for some of their travel costs, including up to two hotel room nights, some food, and your flight or other travel costs.

For those already attending the March Meeting of the APS

The APS March Meeting will be held about 1/2 mile (6 blocks or 10 minutes’ walk) from our hotel. The meeting will be held on March 18-22 (Monday through Friday), and our focus group overlaps with some of the final day of the meeting.