Open call for new WIP members

Application deadline: 08:00 UTC on Friday 30 January 2026

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Earth System Modelling and Observations (ESMO) Infrastructure Panel (WIP) is a panel of the Scientific Steering Group (SSG) of the ESMO Core Project.   The WIP is charged with coordinating and promoting a robust and sustainable global data infrastructure in support of the development, dissemination and evaluation of Global and Regional Climate Model Intercomparison Project (MIP) data through the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) and other WCRP and community modelling activities as resources are available. This coordination role includes interaction with infrastructure delivery partners, most notably the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF), ensuring that the technical requirements of infrastructure contributors to meet CMIP project infrastructure delivery are met.

The demands on this global data infrastructure are growing with an ever wider and more diverse users, rapidly advancing data technologies, and increasing numbers of climate data portals and platforms. The WIP is seeking new members to help address these and the many other challenges in preparing the infrastructure for CMIP7, and beyond, and offer new insight and fresh thinking.

This call invites the community to nominate candidates (including self-nomination) who have well demonstrated skills and experience in any of the following:

1. Cloud computing infrastructure
2. Lossy compression
3. User experience and interface development
4. Standardisation tools e.g., CMOR, pycmor, XIOS
5. Support for machine learning models
6. Applications for other topics within the WIP’s remit may also be considered
    

The WIP members, and co-chairs, are required to address the following areas of expertise:

• CVs, CF Conventions and data standards
• Software meeting standard climate model experiments requirements including CMOR, PrePARE
• Documentation including expertise to cover liaison with services continuing to support past phases including ES-DOC
• International data delivery infrastructure including, but not limited to ESGF nodes, e.g. CDNOT
• Data citation services including the expertise to cover liaison with services continuing to support past phases.
• Data Request
• Errata systems and integration, and overview of issues raised by users
• Environmental sustainability
• Liaising with commercial cloud operators/Data accessibility

Responsibilities of WIP members

As outlined in the WIP Terms of Reference, members are expected to:

• Attend and contribute to meetings, typically convened monthly, to drive progress, make decisions and review issues and risks arising in the delivery of CMIP.
• Work with other Panel members to develop white papers and other publications as relevant and to support delivery of the objectives of the WIP
• Ensure adequate availability to be able to respond to requests for support from Panel co-chairs and the IPO.
• Promote the work of the WIP and gather community feedback within their own networks and wider community.
• Commit to promoting diversity, equality, inclusivity, and environmental sustainability within the activities of the WIP.
• Assist the co-chairs with liaison with the task teams and stakeholder panel.
• Represent the needs and requirements of regions currently under-represented in WIP and CMIP activities, promote their capacities, and support collaborations with appropriate regional groups and activities.
• Members are expected to conduct themselves according to the WCRP Code of Conduct.

Time commitment

WIP meetings take place regularly, typically one hour every two weeks or at the discretion of the WIP co-chairs, with an annual meeting (virtual or in person) together with ESMO. There may be times when there is more or less work, depending on the activities undertaken (e.g., more intensive time demand may be needed with, for example, decisions regarding implementation/delivery activities, a workshop/event, stakeholder engagement or publishing a paper). Meetings will primarily be online, with some face-to-face meetings, if possible, to leverage suitable opportunities. Some out-of-hours work will be required due to time zones, but every effort is made to rotate meeting times to ensure fairness across the members.  

Typical additional activities that a WIP member would engage in could include:

• Involvement and contribution to the WIP task teams and/or Fresh Eyes on CMIP.
• Attending a WIP-related workshop (virtually or in person).
• Additional virtual meetings for dialogue with other parts of WCRP and external stakeholders.
• Document preparation such as white papers, guidance documents or peer reviewed publications.
• Developing new cross-cutting themes.
• Developing or leveraging networks relevant to the aims of CMIP/WCRP.
• Proposal conceptualization and development.
• Representing the WIP at conferences, workshops, and other events.
• Supporting capacity building in the global South and helping to foster collaboration.
• Mentoring / fostering early career researchers.

Eligibility criteria

Please also be aware that all WIP Core Panel members must:

1. Be employed by an organisation or institution.
2. Not have previously served as a WIP Panel member in the past for more than four years.
3. Not be a current voting member of any working group or panel under ESMO e.g., WGCM, WGORC etc (Task Teams and ex-officio positions excluded).

Selection process

All open calls for WIP Core Panel members will follow a four-stage selection process:

1. An initial blind review of applications to generate a shortlist, which will then be reviewed in line with WCRP principles of embracing diversity, demanding equality, and building capacity for the future. Therefore, please adhere to guidance provided on the application form e.g., removing photographs, any personal details and publication list from your Curriculum Vitae.
2. A full review of the shortlisted candidates – all information in the application will be considered at this stage.  The WIP Panel co-chairs will use the outcomes of the selection panel to produce a final, prioritised shortlist.
3. Candidates on the priority shortlist will be asked to supply contact details for a supervisor/line manager who can confirm their support for the application.
4. The prioritised shortlist will then be submitted as a recommendation to the ESMO SSG for final approval.

Selection procedures align with the relevant clauses (15-20) in the WIP Terms of Reference. All selection panel members will be asked to identify if they have any conflicts of interest with regard to the shortlist of candidates.  They can still assess all shortlisted candidates, but their scoring and views can be disregarded by the selection process for the final prioritised shortlist.

Remuneration

WIP Panel members are not paid. Financial support to travel and participate in person to relevant meeting may be available on a case-by-case basis.

How to apply

Please complete the application form here.

The deadline for applications/nominations is 08:00 UTC on Friday 30 January 2026

Please contact if you have any questions or require further information.