Section 1 — Purpose: The basic purpose of the OpenKIM Advisory Board is to assist in fulfilling the mission of the Open Knowledgebase of Interatomic Models (OpenKIM). OpenKIM is a cyberinfrastructure aimed at making molecular simulations reliable, reproducible, and portable. OpenKIM's role is limited to the open science nonprofit efforts of the KIM project. OpenKIM has the following main objectives:
Development of an online open resource for standardized testing and long-term warehousing of interatomic models (potentials and force fields) and data.
Development of an application programming interface (API) standard for molecular simulations, which will allow any interatomic model to work seamlessly with any molecular simulation code.
The OpenKIM Advisory Board will assist in defining and accomplishing tasks associated with the above objectives.
Section 2 — Specific Roles: The OpenKIM Advisory Board will have the following specific roles:
Provide guidance in planning and evaluating the activities and programs of OpenKIM and the openkim.org website;
Increase the awareness and interest of the molecular simulation community in the activities and programs of OpenKIM;
Consider appeals by OpenKIM members of KIM officer decisions, such as termination of a OpenKIM membership due to disruptive behavior on openkim.org, or disagreements about acceptance and/or rejection of content contributed to openkim.org.
Section 1 — Number of Members: The OpenKIM Advisory Board consists of six elected OpenKIM Members.
Section 2 — Membership Duration: The elected OpenKIM Advisory Board members serve for a period of four years, such that every two years, three of the members are due for reelection.
Section 3 — Eligibility for Membership: Any OpenKIM Member is eligible to serve on the OpenKIM Advisory Board. OpenKIM membership is open to the entire scientific community. One becomes a OpenKIM Member by becoming a registered user of openkim.org. Outgoing OpenKIM Advisory Board members are eligible for reelection after an absence of one year from the OpenKIM Advisory Board.
Section 4 — Election: The election of OpenKIM Advisory Board members is managed by a Nominating Committee. A Nominating Committee is established by the KIM Director as needed. The KIM Director solicits nominations from the OpenKIM membership for the available positions on the OpenKIM Advisory Board. The Nominating Committee then establishes a slate of candidates, guided by the recommendation that the OpenKIM Advisory Board should represent the membership of the molecular simulation community, including academia, national laboratories and industry, with representation from both within and outside the United States. The Nominating Committee will consult with the KIM Director on the proposed slate, but will make the final decision. The OpenKIM membership will then vote to accept or reject the entire slate with a simple majority. In the event that the slate is rejected, the Nominating Committee will be required to propose a new slate of candidates, the OpenKIM membership will vote to accept or reject the entire new slate, and so on, until a slate is accepted by the OpenKIM membership.
Section 5 — Resignation: An OpenKIM Advisory Board Member may elect to resign at any time. In this event, a Nominating Committee will be established and the process outlined in Article II, Section 4 will be followed.
Section 6 — Termination: The appointment of an OpenKIM Advisory Board member may be terminated by the KIM Director or by a simple majority vote of the other OpenKIM Advisory Board Members if it is deemed that the member is not performing their responsibilities, for example by not being responsive to feedback requests. There is no appeal process for termination of an OpenKIM Advisory Board member. In this event, a Nominating Committee will be established and the process outlined in Article II, Section 4 will be followed.
Section 1 — Meetings Frequency and Mode: The OpenKIM Advisory Board will hold two regular meetings each year. Special meetings will be called, by the KIM Director or a majority vote, as needed. The meetings will typically be held via web conferencing.
Section 2 — Meetings Objectives: The purpose of the regular meetings is for the KIM Director and other KIM officers to update the OpenKIM Advisory Board members on the status of the OpenKIM project and on future plans in order to receive advice and suggestions.
Section 3 — Interaction between Meetings: The KIM Director and other KIM officers may contact the OpenKIM Advisory Board members via e-mail to receive feedback on time sensitive issues.
Section 1 — Amendments: These bylaws may be amended when necessary by the KIM Director in consultation with the other KIM officers.
These bylaws were approved by the KIM Director and KIM officers and reviewed by the OpenKIM Advisory Board on 16-May-2018.