Cycle 5: Funding Request for Robitaille participation in SPOC

[astrofrog]

This is a request to fund my participation in the SPOC 🖖

[eteq]

Please react to this comment to vote on this proposal ( 👍, 👎 or no reaction for +0)

[eteq]

The Cycle 5 funding request process has been hugely successful! On the downside, that means our funds are severely oversubscribed. Even after the Finance Committee and SPOC have taken into consideration community feedback/voting and alignment with the roadmap, there are still more funding requests than we can afford in 2026.

We would like to stretch the budget as far as possible, and to fund as many activities as possible, while making sure the Project remains volunteer-driven. Hence, we would like to know if this project will still meet its deliverables if minimum your budget is reduced by 25%, 50%, or 100%. Or if there’s some other minimum, feel free to specify that instead.

As a reminder, there will be more funding for 2027 and we expect the Cycle 6 call for 2027 funding requests to begin in the Fall of 2026.

Thank you for your engagement and understanding as we continue to optimize our funding and budgeting processes and the balance of volunteer vs funded work! (@astrofrog )

[astrofrog]

I believe the minimal budget provided here is an actual minimum, i.e. below this level of funding it would be difficult to be an effective member of the SPOC, so if there was not sufficient funding it would make sense for someone else to join the SPOC instead.

[astrofrog]

Given my participation so far this year, where I am not able to attend every call, and in the spirit of compromise, I'd be willing to reduce this funding request to 20 hours (USD 3000) as this would still allow me to at least provide input somewhat, and also because there is no guarantee I would still be on the SPOC after the initial year depending on what is decided going forwards.