FAQs

Membership

1How can my company join HDP?
Please fill in the HDP membership application form. The application form can be found on the Membership page. Once the form has been filled out, please email to the address designated in the application form. HDP will get in touch with you to complete the remaining application process.
2What will it cost to join?
If your company annual revenue is below USD50M, the annual Corporate B membership fee is USD8.5K. If the annual revenue is above USD50M, the annual Corporate A membership fee is USD17K. If your company chooses to be in the board of directors, there is an additional USD10K to the annual membership fee.
3What do I get in return for my membership?
HDP specializes in executing projects, with ideas contributed by members. These project ideas are relevant, for current applications or future development. When implemented, members collaborate by contributing resources and technical supports. This reduces the risks and costs for any company doing the project alone. Beyond managing risks and costs, members acquire skills and knowledges from experts with diverse technical expertise, within the project groups. For members unable to participate in any project, they can still benefit from the project by accessing the reports through HDP website.
4Where can I find more information to help my company become a member of HDP user group?
Our HDP User group web site provides significant information. You can also contact our Marketing Director Madan Jagernauth at +1 214 228 1196 and he will be happy to help with questions and presentations to anyone in your company whom is interested or needs to learn more about our group.
5Who else are members of HDP User Group?
A complete list of current HDP User Group members can be found on the Member List page.
6How much man power/resources am I expected to provide?
Although there is no firm commitment requirement, it is expected that Member Companies will try to contribute to projects when possible. Many Members have told us over the years that if they participate in projects, they get a lot more out of HDP User Group than those that do not participate. The level of contribution is entirely up to the Member Company, based on their capability, expertise, and interest in the project. The HDP User Group Staff will be happy to help companies identify opportunities for project participation.
7If our Facility in USA is a member, can our employees in Europe join also?
Yes. Your membership is for anyone in your company regardless of where they work.

Projects

1How do you protect IP?
HDP User Group does not share individual company IP, and you will not be asked to divulge any company IP during participation in any HDP User Group activities or projects. If you voluntarily choose to divulge company IP, it will no longer be proprietary. Companies participating in HDP User Group projects must agree to keep information and data generated during the course of the project, confidential as they would with their own company IP, for three years or until the HDP Board of Directors releases the information. It is permissible to share the information at any time with the HDP User Group Membership, or with a participating company’s employees, suppliers or customers as needed.

Our projects are structured with the work partitioned between and done within the individual member companies, in their labs and facilities with their employees, such that there is no need to share IP.
2Am I liable for any additional costs e.g. project overspend?
There are no hidden costs for any HDP User Group activity. There are no financial requirements outside of the yearly membership dues. Any additional resources associated with supporting a successful project, such as components, test vehicles etc. is on a volunteer basis for each member and is agreed upon prior to proceeding with the project. It should be noted that HDP User Group projects are designed to be resourced by the members.
3What projects are you running currently?
Our projects are constantly moving forward, and new projects are being initiated as our membership dictates. A list of our current projects is located here . More detailed information about each project is available by clicking on the link to the project page. Additional information can be requested by clicking the Contact Project Facilitator link on the project page.
4How do I join a Project?
Becoming a member of any project is best done through the webpage of the project you wish to join. Log into the HDP User Group website, then go to Projects and select the project you wish to join. Then click the Star icon next to the title of the project.

NOTE: Once a project is moved to “Implementation” a Non-Member must join HDPUG or they will be withdrawn from the project.

If you have any problems or questions, email webmaster@hdpug.org.
5How do I become a project leader?
Becoming a project lead is as easy as contacting the project facilitator and volunteering to lead the project. You and the facilitator will discuss your interest and goals and explain the role of both Project Lead and the Project Facilitator in the project. A good project lead is one who is interested in making sure that the project is a success.
6What is involved in being a project leader?
A project lead is a shared interaction between you and an HDP User Group facilitator. The project lead is the “Technical Champion” and the facilitator is the “Administrative Champion”. The project leader provides a vital role in ensuring the successful execution of an HDP User Group project. The project lead and the facilitator have joint responsibility to coordinate activities, hold web-based conference calls, gain agreement from the team on courses of action, secure resources, manage timescales and resolve potential issues. The project lead will update the rest of the HDP User Group membership at member meetings on progress and results and oversee the dissemination of the project results and conclusions. Your facilitator will supply the day to day administrative activities associated with the project. This will include setting up meetings, recording minutes, managing and updating the project web page and helping the project leader in preparing status updates and reports. While a project facilitator will not make decisions about the project direction and approach, he/she can provide valuable guidance on coordinating the project, assist in securing resources and be a sounding board for discussing issues and concerns.
7How do you decide on which projects to run?
The HDP User Group projects are bottoms up, member driven. These project areas reflect the current needs and interests of the members. New projects are identified, defined and implemented by our members. All work is done by the member companies in their own laboratories by their own people adding credence to the project results.

The project areas include needs to be rewritten for the new categories of projects.
8How do I propose a new project?
New projects are proposed in several ways. You can propose a new project during a Members Meeting or by talking to an HDP User Group Facilitator at any time during the year. The Members Meetings are an excellent time for new project proposals as they allow for lively discussions on the subject and help to enlist the members support.

A new project proposal is as simple as having:
  • A Topic or area of interest/concern. This can be an evaluation or investigation of any specific problem/concern.
  • A Problem Statement: What is the situation or problem that you would like to have investigated/evaluated/resolved?
  • Drivers: Why is this a concern to you and/or the industry at-large? Helpful in understanding the level of support/interest from other members.
9Where can I find reports for completed projects?
Completed reports are available to HDP User Group members only. If you are a member, please log in and go to the Final Reports page.
10How and how often do project teams meet to discuss progress?
Project calls are scheduled by the Team Leader and Team Participants and set up by the project facilitator. Typically, the time and date for the next telecom will be established during the current call. Notification and call-in information for the calls will be sent out at least 1 week before the call. The call information is also shown on the HDP User Group website calendar.

Meeting frequency is determined by how quickly new information can be generated by the team. During some phases of a project, the team needs to increase the meeting frequency to move the project along quickly. At other times, there may be little need to meet, as testing or lengthier project work is still underway and there is nothing to report. At all times, the meetings must be scheduled frequently enough to expedite the project efficiently toward completion.