CDOT Summer Orientation 2012

Introductions from West to East:

NSERC (Natural Science and Engineering Research Council) Innovation Enhancement Grant (IEG) - $2.3 million, 5 years, $500/400,000 per year - AROSS (Applied Research in Open Source Software)
NSERC IRCC (Industrial Research Chairs for Colleges) Grant - $1 million, 5 years - OSTEP (Open Source Technology for Emerging Platforms)
Various FedDev grants for specific projects (typically 1 year)
Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) / Ontario Research Foundation (ORF) grant - Inclusive Design Institute (IDI) - Infrastructure including Network

Fedora ARM - Building the Fedora open source package collection for ARM processors
DCC Tool (need a new name!) - 3D Digital Content Creation tool for the web
Popcorn - JS library for time-based (video/audio-sync'd) actions
Popcorn Maker - Easy-to-use, web-based authoring tool for Popcorn (was Butter)
Gladius - Game engine for the web (formerly Paladin)
Big Blue Button - Web-based educational conferencing, capture, and sharing tool
NexJ - SQLite connector, Connected Wellness Platform (in partnership with other institutions, with FedDev funding) - mobile front-end
Unis Lumin (stay tuned for news!)

Be prepared to give, at any time:

A quick demo of your work
A sound-bite description of your project (a couple of sentences that anyone can understand)

Upcoming demos:

Research and Development
- Attention to detail - Use your blog to record and communicate what you're doing
- Be aware of and respectful of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
- Accountability to funding agencies - There are rules about allowable expenses and reporting
Professionalism
- We're a professional research organization -- We must conduct ourselves in an appropriate way
- CDOT is open to visitors -- but is not a hang-out place. Please feel free to give tours to anyone interested (respecting NDAs), but don't invite them to your cubicle for the day.
- Keeping a professional workspace involves cleanliness, taking advantage of facilities (such as the kitchen, meeting rooms, coat cupboards, etc), and being aware of sound issues.
Rooms
- T1042 - Small meeting room (2-8 people) - book via http://tinyurl.com/t1042 (or left-hand side of the wiki)
- T1030 - Fishbowl - Book via telisupport@senecacollege.ca
- T1012 - Conference room (up to 18 people) - Book via telisupport @senecacollege.ca
- T1009 - Video room (up to 40 people depending on layout) - Book Via telisupport@senecacollege.ca
- T1040 - The ARMory
Equipment Sign-out
- Long-term loan - Laptops for projects, etc.
- Short-term loan
Security
- There have been thefts at CDOT
- Use the laptop locks, lockable overhead bins, door locks
- Watch for unauthorized people, feel free to ask "May I help you?" and not allow people to follow you through the doors after hours

10-3 rule: Be here between the hours of 10 AM and 3 PM for collaboration. You can schedule the rest of your time flexibly to fit your other committments, bus/train/rush hour schedules, and team and partner meetings
Summer students must not work after 5 PM. This does not apply to researchers in any other employment category (co-op, P/T, etc).
Full-time (co-op or summer students) are limited to 35 hours/week. Part-time are limited to 24 hours per week.
Time off - sick leave, personal appointments, days off:
- Summer students get vacation pay - will typically be paid lump-sum at the end of the semester
- Co-op students do not get vacation pay
- Do not work or record hours for a statutory holiday
- Talk to your faculty lead (if they're on) or to Dawn/Rose (if your faculty lead is away) in advance of planned time away, or as soon as possible in the event of sickness/accident
Time sheets
- Use your new contract number
- Copy your faculty lead on your timesheets

Working in the open requires a higher-than-normal level of open communication
Scrums
- Standing meeting - Physically standing! - <10 minutes at 10 am every day
- Quick update: What you've done, what you're doing, what you need to coordinate with others on (Note: Don't actually coordinate, argue, plan during the scrum!)
Blogging
- Blog to Planet CDOT at least weekly. Read the planet daily. 'Nuff said
Twitter
- Good idea to use
IRC
- This is a key communication tool
- Mandatory to be on IRC the whole time you're working -- including freenode:#seneca (the #seneca-cdot channel is being discontinued) plus whatever channels are relevant to your projects
E-mail lists
- cdotall@senecacollege.ca - All CDOT employees - Check your Seneca employee account regulary (or forward to somewhere you check)
- cdotsteering@senecacollege.ca - CDOT steering committee
- fedora-arm@senecacollege.ca etc -- Project-specific lists (your faculty lead can set this up)
Project meetings
- Consult with your project lead
- 1x+ per week
- Replace the scrums at 10 am on Thursday mornings
Etherpad
- Available at http://etherpad.proximity.on.ca - Track URLs via Wiki, move content to wiki (or elsewhere) when completed
Wiki
- Please keep up to date

Avoid calling 911 for emergencies - Call security instead (use your judgement)
See (and post) the Green Sheets for security information (please remove the out-of-date yellow sheets)
First Aid is behind Emily's desk
Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) are a high hazard in our work - watch for issues with neck/shoulder/arms/eyes/back - adjust your workspace/equipment appropriately, use software (e.g., enforced typing breaks)

Backups

Who's Here When