An IRTF Primer for IETF Participants
RFC 7418

• Status
• IESG evaluation record
• IESG writeups
• Email expansions
• History

• Versions
• 00
• 01
• 02
• 03
• 04
• 05

Internet Research Task Force (IRTF)                      S. Dawkins, Ed.
Request for Comments: 7418                                        Huawei
Category: Informational                                    December 2014
ISSN: 2070-1721

                  An IRTF Primer for IETF Participants

Abstract

   This document provides a high-level description of things for
   Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) participants to consider when
   bringing proposals for new research groups (RGs) into the Internet
   Research Task Force (IRTF).  This document emphasizes differences in
   expectations between the two organizations.

Status of This Memo

   This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is
   published for informational purposes.

   This document is a product of the Internet Research Task Force
   (IRTF).  The IRTF publishes the results of Internet-related research
   and development activities.  These results might not be suitable for
   deployment.  This RFC represents the individual opinion(s) of one or
   more members of the IRSG Research Group of the Internet Research Task
   Force (IRTF).  Documents approved for publication by the IRSG are not
   a candidate for any level of Internet Standard; see Section 2 of RFC
   5741.

   Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
   and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
   http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7418.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2014 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
   (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
   publication of this document.  Please review these documents
   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
   to this document.

Dawkins                       Informational                     [Page 1]
RFC 7418                  IRTF Primer for IETF             December 2014

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction and Scope  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  The IRTF Is Not the IETF  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
     2.1.  Research and Engineering  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     2.2.  Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     2.3.  Time Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     2.4.  Alternatives  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     2.5.  Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     2.6.  Charters  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     2.7.  Deliverables  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     2.8.  Completion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   3.  Now That You Know What Not to Do  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   4.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   5.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     5.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     5.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7

1.  Introduction and Scope

   This document provides a high-level description of things for
   Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) participants to consider when
   bringing proposals for new research groups (RGs) into the Internet
   Research Task Force (IRTF).  This document emphasizes differences in
   expectations between the two organizations.

   IRTF RG guidelines and procedures are described in BCP 8 [RFC2014],
   and this document does not change those guidelines and procedures in
   any way.

2.  The IRTF Is Not the IETF

   A number of proposals from experienced IETF participants for new IRTF
   RGs have encountered problems because the IETF participants were
   making proposals appropriate for the IETF, but not for the IRTF.
   [RFC2014] describes the origin of IRTF RGs but doesn't provide much
   detail about the process, which is intended to be flexible and
   accommodate new types of RGs.  Lacking that detail, experienced IETF
   participants fall back on what they know, assume that chartering an
   IRTF RG will be similar to chartering an IETF working group (WG),
   follow the suggestions in [RFC6771] to gather a group of interested
   parties, and then follow the suggestions in [RFC5434] to prepare for
   a successful BOF and eventually, a chartered WG.

Dawkins                       Informational                     [Page 2]
RFC 7418                  IRTF Primer for IETF             December 2014

   Both of these documents are excellent references for proposals in the
   IETF, but their suggestions may result in a proposal that is almost
   the opposite of what the IRTF Chair is looking for in a proposal for
   an IRTF RG.  The mismatches fall into some consistent categories, and