docs: adopt shared focused-contribution policy

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug.yml

@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ body:
   - type: markdown
     attributes:
       value: |
-        Search existing issues first. Do not disclose suspected vulnerabilities here.
+        Follow the [contribution guide](https://github.com/ml4t/models/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md).
+        Search existing issues and describe one problem or coherent change per issue.
+        Report suspected vulnerabilities privately, not in this form.
   - type: dropdown
     id: library
     attributes:
@@ -78,3 +80,11 @@ body:
       description: State the observable conditions that demonstrate the issue is resolved.
     validations:
       required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: ai-assistance
+    attributes:
+      label: AI assistance and accountability
+      description: State whether AI helped with this report and how. Confirm you checked the facts and can explain the reproduction or requested outcome.
+      placeholder: "None, or describe the assistance and your verification."
+    validations:
+      required: true

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml

@@ -4,5 +4,8 @@ contact_links:
     url: https://github.com/ml4t/models/security/advisories/new
     about: Report suspected vulnerabilities privately.
   - name: Usage questions
-    url: https://github.com/orgs/ml4t/discussions
-    about: Ask questions that do not describe a defect or requested change.
+    url: https://www.ml4trading.io/docs/models/
+    about: Read the usage documentation before opening a focused issue.
+  - name: Contribution guide
+    url: https://github.com/ml4t/models/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md
+    about: Read the shared contribution requirements and repository-specific checks.

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/documentation.yml

@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ labels:
   - "status: needs-triage"
   - "compatibility: none"
 body:
+  - type: markdown
+    attributes:
+      value: |
+        Follow the [contribution guide](https://github.com/ml4t/models/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md).
+        Search existing issues and describe one problem or coherent change per issue.
+        Report suspected vulnerabilities privately, not in this form.
   - type: dropdown
     id: library
     attributes:
@@ -53,3 +59,11 @@ body:
       label: Acceptance criteria
     validations:
       required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: ai-assistance
+    attributes:
+      label: AI assistance and accountability
+      description: State whether AI helped with this report and how. Confirm you checked the facts and can explain the reproduction or requested outcome.
+      placeholder: "None, or describe the assistance and your verification."
+    validations:
+      required: true

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature.yml

@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ labels:
   - "status: needs-triage"
   - "compatibility: affected"
 body:
+  - type: markdown
+    attributes:
+      value: |
+        Follow the [contribution guide](https://github.com/ml4t/models/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md).
+        Search existing issues and describe one problem or coherent change per issue.
+        Report suspected vulnerabilities privately, not in this form.
   - type: dropdown
     id: library
     attributes:
@@ -64,3 +70,11 @@ body:
       label: Acceptance criteria
     validations:
       required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: ai-assistance
+    attributes:
+      label: AI assistance and accountability
+      description: State whether AI helped with this report and how. Confirm you checked the facts and can explain the reproduction or requested outcome.
+      placeholder: "None, or describe the assistance and your verification."
+    validations:
+      required: true

.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md

@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
+Follow the [local contribution guide](../CONTRIBUTING.md) and shared policy linked there.
+Keep this PR focused on one problem or coherent change.
+
 ## Owning issue
 
 Closes #
 
+Automated dependency updates and administrative metadata changes do not require a separate issue.
+
 ## Outcome
 
 Describe the user-visible or standards outcome.
@@ -13,7 +18,8 @@ Describe the user-visible or standards outcome.
 
 ## Verification
 
-- [ ] Tests reproduce the prior failure or verify the requested behavior
+- [ ] For a defect, the same public-workflow regression fails on the relevant base and passes on the fix
+- [ ] Exact base/fix revisions, commands, and results are included; documentation uses relevant checks
 - [ ] Ruff lint and format checks pass
 - [ ] `ty` passes
 - [ ] Test suite passes
@@ -24,3 +30,9 @@ Describe the user-visible or standards outcome.
 ## Documentation and release
 
 State the documentation, release notes, and patch-release work required after merge.
+
+## AI assistance and accountability
+
+State whether AI assisted with code or prose and identify its contribution.
+
+- [ ] I reviewed and tested this submission and can explain its implementation and evidence

AGENTS.md

@@ -56,3 +56,23 @@ uv run python scripts/ci/check_coverage.py coverage.json
 uv run mkdocs build --strict
 uv build
 ```
+
+## Maintainer-directed change batching
+
+For our own fixes and agent work directed by the maintainer, use a bounded, coherent PR rather
+than one PR per small defect or implementation step. One PR may close several related issues
+when the changes serve the same user workflow, subsystem repair or compatibility objective and
+can be reviewed and reverted together. Keep implementation, regressions, documentation and
+follow-up repairs together; use focused commits and retain evidence for each defect. Do not
+create separate issues or PRs merely for individual files, tests, assertions or platform variants.
+
+Split unrelated changes, independently risky or breaking changes, separate ownership boundaries,
+and work that needs independent release or rollback decisions. A general maintenance label alone
+does not make a batch coherent. Reuse or safely consolidate existing owned submissions instead of
+opening overlapping PRs; preserve contributor attribution, recoverable history and other owners'
+active work. Do not rewrite or close someone else's work merely to reduce the queue count.
+
+Run focused checks while iterating, then qualify the complete final revision with every applicable
+required gate. Group related work before expensive CI; do not weaken checks, bypass review or
+claim old-head checks qualify changed code. This maintainer-directed batching rule takes precedence
+over a literal one-issue-per-PR reading of contributor intake guidance.

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Contributing to ML4T Models
+
+Follow the [shared ML4T contribution policy](https://github.com/ml4t/ecosystem/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md).
+Search existing issues first. Describe one problem or coherent change per issue and submit one
+focused PR linked to its owning issue. Automated dependency updates and administrative metadata
+changes retain the shared exception.
+
+Maintainer-directed work in this repository follows the local
+[batching rules](AGENTS.md#maintainer-directed-change-batching), which allow related issues in one
+bounded PR when they can be reviewed and reverted together.
+
+For defects, provide a minimal reproduction through the public API or user workflow, package and
+environment details, and expected behavior. Record a regression failing on the relevant base and
+passing on the fix, with exact revisions, commands, and results. Correct verified numerical defects;
+agree on intentional changes to definitions, annualization, signs, or defaults in the owning issue
+and describe their compatibility impact. Documentation changes use relevant documentation checks.
+
+Disclose whether AI assisted with code or prose and identify its contribution. Review and test your
+submission yourself, and be prepared to explain its implementation, evidence, and review responses.
+
+Preserve temporal identities, model-family assumptions, and optional dependency boundaries.
+Retain the existing CPU/GPU qualification requirements for affected model families.
+Use the repository's [quality commands](AGENTS.md#quality-commands) and report their outcomes.
+Report suspected vulnerabilities through
+[private security reporting](https://github.com/ml4t/models/security/advisories/new).