Add CONTRIBUTING, update README (#293)

* Add CONTRIBUTING.md

* README: update to mirror CICE

- Link to the Contributing huide in the About-Us wiki
- Add 'Getting Help' section
- Change the top-level title
- Fix capitalization

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Contributing to Icepack
+
+Welcome to the CICE Consortium ! First, thanks a lot for considering to contribute to Icepack.
+
+There are many ways to contribute, and we appreciate your efforts. For an introductory tour, head over to our [Contribution guide][contributing] and take a look at the [Resources page], our go-to index with links to code, documentation, testing information, guidelines, and more.
+
+[contributing]: https://github.com/CICE-Consortium/About-Us/wiki/Contributing
+[resources]: https://github.com/CICE-Consortium/About-Us/wiki/Resource-Index
+
+## Getting help
+If you still need help getting started using the model afer reviewing the [model documentation][doc-running], the first point of contact with the CICE Consortium is the [Consortium Community Forum][forum]. 
+This forum is monitored by Consortium members and also opened to the whole community.
+**Please do not use our issue tracker for general support questions.**
+
+[doc-running]: https://cice-consortium-icepack.readthedocs.io/en/master/user_guide/ug_running.html
+[forum]: https://xenforo.cgd.ucar.edu/cesm/forums/cice-consortium.146/
+

README.md

@@ -1,13 +1,27 @@
 [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/CICE-Consortium/Icepack.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/CICE-Consortium/Icepack)
 [![Documentation Status](https://readthedocs.org/projects/cice-consortium-icepack/badge/?version=master)](http://cice-consortium-icepack.readthedocs.io/en/master/?badge=master)
 
-## Overview
-This repository contains files for Icepack, the column physics of the sea ice model CICE. Icepack is maintained by the CICE Consortium.  For testing purposes and guidance for including Icepack in other sea ice host models, this repository also includes a driver and basic test suite.   
+## The Icepack sea-ice column model
+This repository contains files for Icepack, the column physics of the sea ice model [CICE][cice]. Icepack is maintained by the CICE Consortium.  For testing purposes and guidance for including Icepack in other sea ice host models, this repository also includes a driver and basic test suite.   
 
-Icepack is included in CICE as a git submodule.  Because Icepack is a submodule of CICE, Icepack and CICE development are handled independently with respect to the github repositories even though development and testing can be done together.
+Icepack is included in CICE as a Git submodule.  Because Icepack is a submodule of CICE, Icepack and CICE development are handled independently with respect to the GitHub repositories even though development and testing can be done together.
 
-If you expect to make any changes to the code, we recommend that you first fork the Icepack repository. Basic instructions for working with CICE and Icepack are found in the Git Workflow Guidance, linked from the Resource Index (below). In order to incorporate your developments into the Consortium code it is
-imperative you follow the guidance for Pull Requests and requisite testing.
+[cice]: https://github.com/CICE-Consortium/CICE
+
+## Getting help
+If you still need help getting started using the model afer reviewing the [model documentation][doc-running], the first point of contact with the CICE Consortium is the [Consortium Community Forum][forum].
+This forum is monitored by Consortium members and also opened to the whole community.
+**Please do not use our issue tracker for general support questions.**
+
+[doc-running]: https://cice-consortium-icepack.readthedocs.io/en/master/user_guide/ug_running.html
+[forum]: https://xenforo.cgd.ucar.edu/cesm/forums/cice-consortium.146/
+
+## Contributing
+If you expect to make any changes to the code, we recommend that you first fork the Icepack repository.
+In order to incorporate your developments into the Consortium code it is imperative you follow the guidance for Pull Requests and requisite testing.
+Head over to our [Contribution guide][contributing] to learn more about how you can help improve Icepack.
+
+[contributing]: https://github.com/CICE-Consortium/About-Us/wiki/Contributing
 
 ## Useful links
 * **Icepack wiki**: https://github.com/CICE-Consortium/Icepack/wiki
@@ -25,3 +39,6 @@ imperative you follow the guidance for Pull Requests and requisite testing.
 * **Resource Index**: https://github.com/CICE-Consortium/About-Us/wiki/Resource-Index
 
    List of resources for information about the Consortium and its repositories as well as model documentation, testing, and development.
+
+## License
+See our [License](Licese.pdf) and [Distribution Policy](DistributionPolicy.pdf).