Adding minutes from May 2026 meeting

Steering Group/Minutes/20260526.md

@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+# 2026-05-26 Steering Group Meeting
+
+Present:
+ - Alistair Sellar (chair)
+ - Birgit Hassler
+ - Bouwe Andela
+ - Julien Lenhardt
+ - Ranjini Swaminathan
+ - Romain Beucher
+ - Supriyo Ghosh
+ - Naomi Parsons (minutes)
+
+Apologies:
+ - Axel Lauer
+
+## Agenda
+
+1. **Standing items:**
+    a) Actions from previous meetings (see below)
+    b) Update on funding proposals
+    c) Updates from (ESMValTool and wider) community discussions
+    d) Next workshop
+2. **AOB**
+
+
+## Meeting notes
+
+It was decided that
+ - updates on testing REF diagnostics with CMIP7 data, and
+ - clarity on the timeframe of the upcoming release
+
+were of higher priority than the agenda items, so these should be discussed first.
+
+If time had remained at the end of the meeting, the next strategic priority for steering group meetings could be have been discussed.
+
+
+### 1. Testing REF diagnostics with mock CMIP7 data
+
+Work to update the REF recipes and diagnostics to work with CMIP7 data began during the workshop. Progress towards this is recorded in the following GitHub issue:
+https://github.com/ESMValGroup/ESMValTool/issues/4431
+
+There is a short time frame to complete this work, as CMIP7 data should begin to come in in the next few weeks.
+
+Some people had found difficulty accessing the mock CMIP7 data on Levante, but Manuel has created a new location that should be accessible to everyone relevant.
+
+On specific areas:
+ - Birgit has made lots of progress with observational datasets and CMORisers.
+ - People at DLR are looking at sea ice diagnostics.
+ - One sea ice sensitivity recipe still needs a technical reviewer, which was Manuel in the last iteration.
+ - Romain is looking at fire diagnostics.
+ - Diagnostics for cloud radiative effects are still problematic.
+
+Julien raised questions about specifics of time frame and model-observation interactions, which would need a further meeting.
+  - <strong>Action:</strong> Ranjini to arrange a meeting with Doug and Julien to discuss recipe issues.
+
+Once the new recipes are merged into ESMValTool, there will still be work needed to get the integrated into the REF, and time for this is currently unfunded. Previously Julien and Manuel have helped, so this does not need only to be Bouwe.
+
+
+### 2. Release management
+
+Alistair shared the spreadsheet documenting availablity, agreed time frame and responisibilty for each release until the end of 2027. ACCESS-NRI are responsible for the upcoming 2026 Q2 release.
+
+There was discussion around whether June, July or September would be the most appropiate, with considerations such as whether the REF should work from development or released versions of CMIP7 recipes and likely vacation times for people needed to support. There was a steering group preference for July.
+
+It was questioned whether the timings of recent tech lead team meetings may not have worked well for ACCESS-NRI.
+
+It was deemed  necessary to have all REF recipes updated for CMIP7 data before the release, as these need to be done in the next few weeks anyway.
+
+It was noted that only nine pull requests are currently tagged for 2.15 release, and that some PRs to update recipes for CMIP7 data were missing this tag. Birgit noted that these could be added.
+
+  - <strong>Action:</strong> Romain to contact Manuel and the tech lead team to see if July is feasible for the next release.
+
+### 3. Standing items
+
+#### a) Actions from previous meetings
+
+   **Alistair to advertise the upcoming workshop.**
+This was completed, the workshop happened.
+
+   **Alistair to prepare information on the CLA in time for the workshop in May.**
+This was implemented and some contribuotors have already signed.
+
+   **Birgit to read all comments on the ESMValTool strategy paper.**
+There were difficulties with allowing contributions from more than 10 people, but these have now been resolved. Everyone who has so far interacted with the document should have permission to edit directly.
+
+The end of this week is the deadline for volunteering to take on a writing task, after which Birgit will distribute said tasks.
+
+   **Ranjini to continue to share summaries of any future conversations held by the model benchmarking task team regarding observational uncertainty [ongoing].**
+There have been no recent discussions upon which to report.
+
+   **Everyone to continue to consider whether anyone in their organisation might be suitable to join the User Engagement Team.**
+This is ongoing.
+
+
+#### b) Update on funding proposals
+
+Discussions were held.
+
+  - <strong>Action:</strong> Ranjini (with Axel) to set up a meeting for September.
+  - <strong>Action:</strong> Alistair to set-up a kick-off meeting for a work package.
+
+
+#### d) Next workshop
+
+There was discussion around who could host the next hybrid workshop in 2027, with both Leicester (UK) and DLR suggested.
+  - <strong>Action:</strong> Ranjini to check whether Leicester would still be willing to host.
+
+It was mentioned that someone had already volunteered to host the autumn 2026 virtual workshop, at the recent workshop. It was not, however, noted who this had been.
+  - <strong>Action:</strong> Everyone to try to remember who was due to host the next virtual workshop.
+
+
+## Resulting actions
+
+#### Alistair
+- Set-up a kick-off meeting for a work package.
+
+#### Axel
+- (with Ranjini) Set up a meeting for September.
+
+#### Ranjini
+- Arrange a meeting with Doug and Julien to discuss recipe issues.
+- Check whether Leicester would still be willing to host.
+- (with Axel) Set up a meeting for September.
+- Continue to share summaries of any future conversations held by the model benchmarking task team regarding observational uncertainty [ongoing].
+
+#### Romain
+- Contact Manuel and the tech lead team to see if July is feasible for the next release.
+
+#### Everyone
+- Try to remember who was due to host the next virtual workshop.
+- Consider whether anyone in your organisation might be suitable to join the User Engagement Team [ongoing].

Steering Group/README.md

@@ -15,3 +15,4 @@ The Steering Group succeeded the [proto-Steering Group](../Steering%20Group/prot
   - [2025-11-25](Minutes/20251125.md)
   - [2026-01-27](Minutes/20260127.md)
   - [2026-03-31](Minutes/20260331.md)
+  - [2026-05-26](Minutes/20260526.md)