1.1 Any entity engaged in activities pursuant to the goals and objectives of ESIP shall be eligible to join. Specifically, ESIP Partner Organizations (hereafter: ESIP Partners) will be expected to contribute substantively to the provision of improved products and services based on Earth science. ESIP Partner contributions and expertise will include, but will not necessarily be limited to, one or more of the following activities: archiving and distributing Earth data; scientific development, provision, and support of data and information products and services; and development of Earth science applications. In addition, ESIP Partners may include major financial or in-kind supporters of ESIP's activities.
1.2 New ESIP Partners may be considered for addition to ESIP types through an application to the Partnership Committee. The Partnership Committee will review the applications for completeness on a quarterly basis. Any concerns of the Partnership Committee will be sent to the applicants by the Partnership Committee Chair. Initial comments, expressed concerns, responses, and summarized comments by the Partnership Committee will be documented and available during the open review by the ESIP Assembly, and by the ESIP Board. Partnership reviewed applications will be made available to the ESIP Assembly for a one month review and comment period by ESIP staff six weeks before the next ESIP Board meeting. All comments or concerns expressed by ESIP Assembly members are to be addressed by ESIP staff with notice to the Partnership Committee. Following the Assembly comment period, the candidates shall be added to the ESIP Assembly upon receipt of approval by a majority vote of the ESIP Board.
2.1 There may be multiple types of ESIP Partners, whose defining characteristics are as described in Section 3 of this policy (below).
2.2 Each type of ESIP Partner shall have rights and obligations defined in Section 3 of this policy (below).
2.3 New types for ESIP Partners may be defined upon recommendation of the Partnership Committee and upon receiving approval by two-thirds of the entire ESIP Assembly.
2.4 Existing Partnership types may be dropped or modified upon recommendation of the Partnership Committee and upon receiving approval by two-thirds of the entire ESIP Assembly.
Partner Types were created in order to (1) allow Partners to better understand other Partners with whom they want to work within ESIP committees and clusters on solutions to data problems in common; (2) provide a simple view of the types of Partners who have committed to work within ESIP; and (3) ensure diversity in ESIP governance on Administrative Committees. Partners may fit within more than one type, but they are generally advised to choose a type that reflects more than half of the work done by the Partner. Partners can request a change in Type as their organization changes roles by contacting ESIP Staff. See the list of current ESIP Partners: https://www.esipfed.org/partners
3.1.1 Type 1 ESIP Partners shall be primarily stewards and distributors of Earth science and related data and/or their supporting catalogs, metadata, software, and/or documentation.
3.1.2 Each Type 1 ESIP Partner must designate one Representative to the Assembly by submitting the name to the Chair of the Governance Committee.
3.1.3 Type 1 Type 1 ESIP Partners, as a group, must elect representatives to serve on each of the following Committees: Governance Committee, Partnership Committee, and Finance and Appropriations Committee.
3.2.1 Type 2 ESIP Partners shall be engaged principally in the development, provision, and support of Earth Science research data and information products, including technology, infrastructure, or services, aimed primarily at the Earth science and research communities.
3.2.2 Each Type 2 ESIP Partners must designate one Representative to the Assembly by submitting the name to the Chair of the Governance Committee.
3.2.3 Type 2 ESIP Partners, as a group, must elect representatives to serve on each of the following Committees: Governance Committee, Partnership Committee, and Finance and Appropriations Committee.
3.3.1 Type 3 ESIP Partners shall be engaged principally in the development, provision, and support of applications or services that use or disseminate Earth science data/information for such activities as decision support, outreach, advocacy, or education.
3.3.2 Each Type 3 ESIP Partner must designate one Representative to the Assembly by submitting the name to the Chair of the Governance Committee.
3.3.3 Type 3 ESIP Partners, as a group, must elect representatives to serve on each of the following Committees: Governance Committee, Partnership Committee, and Finance and Appropriations Committee.
3.4.1 Type 4 ESIP Partners shall be major financial or in-kind supporters of ESIP activities.
3.4.2 Each Type 4 ESIP Partner may, at their discretion, designate one voting Representative to the Assembly by submitting the name to the Chair of the Governance Committee.
3.4.3 Each Type 4 ESIP Partner may send one representative to Board meetings and Finance and Appropriations Committee meetings as a non-voting member.
3.5.1 Type 5 Partners shall be other associations or networked organizations with missions that complement ESIP (e.g., OGC, EarthCube).
3.5.2 Type 5 ESIP Partners shall be non-voting.
4.1 Any ESIP Partner Organization may leave ESIP voluntarily by submitting a letter of resignation to the Chair of the Partnership Committee.
4.2 Any ESIP Partner Organization may be designated as Inactive by the Partnership Committee under the following conditions:
4.2.1 ESIP Partner Organization has not attended a General Assembly meeting, nor designated a proxy, for a period of four (4) consecutive meetings; and,
4.2.2 By the discretion of the Partnership Committee for any unusual circumstances. A review of this action by the Board can be requested by the affected ESIP Partner Organization. In this case, a majority vote by the Board is binding.
4.2.3 Inactive status may be designated by the Partnership Committee to any ESIP Partner Organization that meets the above criteria retroactively when this bylaw comes into effect.
4.3 Any ESIP Partner Organization designated by the Partnership Committee as Inactive shall be notified of their status by email or other means. A good faith effort must be made to contact the ESIP Partner Organization to notify it of its change in status.
4.4 Any ESIP Partner Organization designated as Inactive may be restored to Active status by resuming participation in the business of ESIP through attending a General Assembly meeting directly or by proxy, and/or submitting a petition to the Partnership Committee stating the reasons for inactivity.
4.5 If an inactive ESIP Partner Organization does not restore to Active status after a period of one (1) year from the date of their notification, the Partner Organization concerned may be removed from ESIP by a majority vote of the Partnership Committee. To rejoin ESIP after removal, application as a new ESIP Partner Organization to the Partnership Committee must be made.
4.6 Any ESIP Partner Organization may be removed from ESIP for conduct that in any way tends to substantially injure ESIP or to affect adversely its reputation, or that is destructive to ESIP's goals and activities (Ref: ESIP code of conduct). Any Representative to the Assembly may recommend removal of any ESIP Partner Organization to the Chair of the Partnership Committee. The Partnership Committee will notify the ESIP Partner Organization concerned and ask for comments in its defense. The Partnership Committee will then consider the recommendation and, if approved, will present its recommendation for removal with the comments from the concerned ESIP Representative in writing to the Chair of the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee will then petition the Representatives. If the recommendation for removal receives approval by two-thirds of the Representatives, the ESIP Partner Organization concerned will be removed from ESIP.
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This Policy was revised and approved by the ESIP Board on January 6, 2020. This Policy was revised on this site on September 15, 2020.