The project we are building
FogLab will compare a powered collector with its identical passive geometry, measuring the change in upstream-normalized optical extinction. Weatherhill plans to develop and operate the apparatus in-house. The immediate deliverable is a qualified measurement chain and a bounded first experiment.
Specialists can contribute an instrument, calibration, design review, sizing service or independent analysis. An external laboratory can provide a service without hosting the entire program. The in-house build specification identifies the current requirements and unresolved choices.
What a contribution can deliver
- A measurement decision: establish a usable wet-size range, optical uncertainty, pressure-loss envelope or emissions-monitoring capability.
- A reviewable engineering package: drawings, specifications, interface requirements, calibration records and operating constraints relevant to the agreed scope.
- A reproducible scientific record: traceable data, analysis code and documented limits, including null and adverse findings.
- A commercial scope: a quotation or sponsored-work proposal with deliverables and milestones. A capability conversation does not commit either party to unfunded work.
What each side can expect
Weatherhill brings the research question, WX-FOG-001 v0.2, the proposed build brief, open calculations and program direction. A contributor brings a specific demonstrated capability and a candid account of its limits. We agree the work, payment, responsibilities and use of results before resources are committed.
Publication credit follows actual contribution. A supplier relationship is not automatically co-authorship; a calibration witness is not represented as endorsing every result. A named independent reviewer must agree to the scope and public description of that role.
Terms to settle before work begins
| Topic | What the written scope should establish |
|---|---|
| Deliverables & price | Equipment or services, acceptance criteria, staff time, consumables, lead times, payment and exclusions. |
| Data & analysis | Calibration records, raw data, exclusions, analysis code, access rights, retention and the public release plan. |
| Publication & credit | Reporting of positive, null and adverse outcomes; actual contributor roles; review periods and authorship criteria. |
| Intellectual property | Background IP, ownership of new work, licenses, publication review and any patent-filing timetable. |
| Operations | Instrument limits, installation, maintenance, electrical and emissions responsibilities, training and acceptance. |
| Changes & exit | How changes are agreed, what happens if a measurement cannot qualify, and what records and rights each party retains. |
The CRediT contributor roles offer one way to document work performed. They do not confer authorship by themselves. Contract terms and funding are not established by this page.
A sequence with a decision at each step
- Capability exchange. Share the existing specification, measurement envelope and proposed contribution.
- Technical scoping. Resolve interfaces, uncertainty, representative conditions and the first useful deliverable.
- Written quotation or work agreement. Define cost, people, milestones, IP and data terms before committing resources.
- Qualification and review. Demonstrate the agreed capability, record the limits, and decide which experimental stage is justified.
Milestones will be set after the space, people, instrument access and quotations are established. We are not advertising a reserved test slot or a completed funding commitment.