Issue 15-21, May 12, 2015
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- NASA ROSES-15 CHANGES TO SUMMARY OF SOLICITATION
- VENUS EXPLORATION ANALYSIS GROUP (VEXAG)
CALL FOR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
- MAY 2015 MARS EXPLORATION PROGRAM ANALYSIS GROUP
(MEPAG) NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE
- SUMMER SCHOOL: FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF
PLANETARY SYSTEMS AND HABITABLE PLANETS
- NASA ROSES-15 AMENDMENTS 13 AND 14
- JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
- UPCOMING MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS
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NASA ROSES-15 CHANGES TO SUMMARY OF SOLICITATION
A number of corrections and clarifications have been made to the ROSES-15
Summary of Solicitation.
In response to comments from proposing organizations, the ROSES-2015 Summary
of Solicitation has been modified in a few ways. First, award dollar values are no longer
required for the current and pending support section. Second, we have clarified the rules
about the order of components of the Scientific/Technical section of the proposal, as well
as the location of the Table of Personnel and Work Effort. Finally, new program elements
previously added to ROSES via amendments now appear in the list of appendices.
A more detailed description of these changes and comparisons to what appears in the
guidebook for proposers appears at: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2015.
Proposers should also read the ROSES-2015 Summary of Solicitation.
Questions concerning these changes may be directed to: Max Bernstein at [email protected].
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VENUS EXPLORATION ANALYSIS GROUP (VEXAG)
CALL FOR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
VEXAG is seeking volunteers for VEXAG Executive Committee members to
replace those who have successfully completed their service to the
community. The new members will start this year and their term will
run for two years.
Also, the VEXAG Early Career Scholars Focus Group is looking for
interested group members.
If you are interested, send your resume and a statement of how you
could contribute to VEXAG to Lori Glaze and Pat Beauchamp, VEXAG Chair
and Co-Chair ([email protected], [email protected])
by June 30, 2015.
VEXAG activities for the next two years are expected to be community
building with an emphasis on:
– Venus Exploration Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
– Technology Development and Laboratory Measurements
– International Collaboration
– Early Career and Young Scholar Development
– Venus International Reference Atmosphere
VEXAG is a community-based forum established in July 2005 to assess
scientific priorities and strategies for exploration of Venus. VEXAG
is currently composed of a chair and five focus groups, where the
focus groups actively solicit input from the Venus community on the
topics listed above.
More information may be found here:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/
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MAY 2015 MARS EXPLORATION PROGRAM ANALYSIS GROUP
(MEPAG) NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE
Dear Members of the Mars Community,
On behalf of Lisa Pratt (MEPAG Chair), Dave Beaty, Rich Zurek, and
Serina Diniega of the Mars Program Science Office, the March 2015
edition of the Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter can be
found at:
Please send your Mars community announcements and calendar items for
inclusion in the newsletter to Meredith at:
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SUMMER SCHOOL: FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF
PLANETARY SYSTEMS AND HABITABLE PLANETS
We would like to invite interested researchers and students to apply
for the summer school “Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems and
Habitable Planets”, which will take place in Moletai, Lithuania (close
to Vilnius) from 21 to 30 August 2015.
The summer school will present an overview of the pathways of formation
of habitable planets both in our and extrasolar planets. It is co-
organised by the Nordic Network of Astrobiology, the Erasmus+ Strategic
Partnership “European Astrobiology Campus” and the EU COST Action
“Origins and Evolution of Life on Earth and in the Universe”. Its
programme includes:
– Lectures by internationally leading scientists covering a broad range
of astrobiology
– Observations of star transits as well as other interesting
astronomical objects like Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet with the 1.65-m
and broad field 51-cm telescope at the Moletai Observatory
– Remote observations using other telescopes in Europe
– 2 Poster sessions for students and early career scientists
– Participant-led discussions about forefront-topics
Deadline for application is 15 June 2015.
Further information about the event can be found at:
http://www.nordicastrobiology.net/Moletai2015/
Please forward this announcement to all possibly interested graduate
students and early career scientists.
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NASA ROSES-15 AMENDMENTS 13 AND 14
AMENDMENT 13 : RELEASE OF A NEW PROGRAM ELEMENT –
CITIZEN SCIENCE ASTEROID DATA, EDUCATION, AND TOOLS (CADET)
The Citizen Science Asteroid Data, Education, and Tools (CADET) is a
joint solicitation of the Near Earth Objects (NEO) Program within
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and the Asteroid Grand
Challenge (AGC) Program within NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist
(OCT). It seeks innovative proposals to adapt, develop, and web-enable
software tools for asteroid data analysis and to make them accessible
and easily usable by nonprofessionals, including amateur astronomers,
students, and citizen scientists.
Step-1 proposals are due by June 15, 2015, and Step-2 proposals are
due by July 15 2015.
Go to: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/
and: : http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2015/
Questions concerning this program element may be directed to:
Jason Kessler, Office of the Chief Technologist
AMENDMENT 14: NEW HOMESTEADER PROGRAM
The Homesteader Program supports the advanced development of
technology, including instruments, relevant to mission concepts for
the next two New Frontiers Announcements of Opportunity (AO). The goal
of the program is to mature proposed technologies and reduce their
technical risk such that the accompanying mission concepts are better
prepared for the next two New Frontiers AOs.
Note that the Homesteader Program itself does not solicit
investigations or hardware for a flight opportunity. This Homesteader
opportunity is open to any technology utilized as part of at least
one of the seven mission concepts included in the Decadal Survey list
recommended for the New Frontiers program. It is a priority for NASA
to invest in technology developments that mitigate the risks of
mission concept proposals proposed in response to New Frontiers AOs.
Mandatory Step-1 proposals are due by June 5, 2015, and full Step-2
proposals are due by July 20, 2015.
Go to: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/
and: http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2015/
Questions concerning this program element may be directed to:
Curt S. Niebur
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JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
A) ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN SOLAR-SYSTEM EXPLORATION SCIENCE
University of Tokyo, Tokyo Japan
The Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, the
University of Tokyo invites applications for a position as an assistant professor in
the area of Solar-System exploration science. We seek a creative individual with
leadership ability in the field of solid planetary science based on planetary exploration
and observations including instrumental development. The successful candidate can
have a science background other than solid planetary science. The successful candidate
will be appointed at the earliest possible date after September 1, 2015, and is expected
to teach laboratory classes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. A Ph.D. or
equivalent qualification at the time of appointment is required. If not already fluent in
Japanese, he or she will be expected to achieve fluency sufficient for giving lectures
and performing administrative duties within several years. Applications must be
received by June 22, 2015 via either e-mail or postal mail.
More information is available at: http://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/open-positions/2458/
B) APPLICATION EXTENSION – DIRECTOR, NASA ASTROBIOLOGY INSTITUTE
Application deadline extended to July 10, 2015.
NASA seeks a new Director for the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI).
The ideal candidate will be an internationally recognized scientist
with proven experience in leading or managing large interdisciplinary
research programs or projects, possessed with a vision for leading the
Institute into the future. Applicants for this position should have a
broad scientific perspective on astrobiology, experience in conducting
interdisciplinary scientific research, and demonstrated skills needed
to harness the strengths of disparate research communities towards a
greater goal. S/he should understand how to grow a research endeavor
and respond to changing budget climates while focusing on maximizing
the scientific return on NASA’s investments in astrobiology. S/he
should have experience in leading a diverse staff ranging from
established scientists to support personnel, resource planning, and
executing budgets and schedules. S/he should be comfortable with
modern information technologies and distributed research teams. NASA
is interested in applicants who will find ways to infuse astrobiology
into NASA flight missions.
Apply at:
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/393518700
You can also go to USAJobs at:
In the keyword search box, type vacancy number “AR15S0001”. Select
“Director, NASA Astrobiology Institute”, then click “Apply Online”.
C) RESEARCH SCIENTIST IN IMAGE PROCESSING
California Institute of Technology
The Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences at Caltech seeks an experienced
image processing technician or scientist to run the new Bruce Murray Laboratory
for Planetary Visualization. The Murray Labe will be a focal point for innovation in
the use of remote sensing data sets and development of image processing tools to
bring geospatial and three-dimensional information essential for geosciences into
the hands of students and researchers.
https://jobs.caltech.edu/postings/3010
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UPCOMING MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS
A) WORKSHOP PRIOR TO METSOC MEETING
A workshop about the first billion of years of impact records in the
Solar System will be held in Berkeley on the Saturday and Sunday (July
25–26) immediately preceding the Meteoritical Society meeting (which
will be held in Berkeley on July 27–31).
Title: The First Billion Years of Impact Records: Evidence from Lunar
Samples and Meteorites
July 25-26, 2015, Saturday and Sunday
Organizers: Audrey Bouvier (University of Western Ontario), William
Hartmann (Planetary Science Institute), Marc Norman (Australian
National University) and Vera Assis Fernandes (Museum für Naturkunde,
Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung)
Abstract deadline – May 19th using USRA meeting portal:
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meeting_portal/abstract_submission/
Early registration fee (using the MetSoc registration portal) – $50
until June 29th
Main themes are:
– Radiometric clocks: what they tell us and what they don’t
– Cratering statistics: production functions and anchor-ages
– Dynamical models
– Impacts in the asteroid belt
– Shock effects in planetary materials and constraints on P-T-t shock
conditions
For more information:
http://metsoc2015.ssl.berkeley.edu/program/workshops/
Audrey Bouvier ([email protected])
B) EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE WITH JWST
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scheduled for launch
in October 2018, will be one of the great observatories of the next
decade. JWST and its suite of 4 instruments will provide imaging,
spectroscopic and coronagraphic capabilities over the 0.6 to 28.5
micron wavelength range and will offer an unprecedented combination
of sensitivity and spatial resolution to study targets ranging from our
Solar System to the most distant galaxies.
With JWST’s launch date approaching steadily and a first call for
proposals scheduled for the end of 2017, it is important to give the
astronomical community opportunities to present, highlight and
discuss scientific programs that will be made possible by JWST.
This is the context for the scientific symposium JWST-2015 “Exploring
the Universe with JWST”, which will take place during the week of
12-16 October 2015 at ESTEC, one of the centers of the European
Space Agency (ESA).
This conference will cover a broad range of scientific topics that will be
organized in the following categories:
- The end of the “dark ages”: first light and reionisation.
- The assembly of galaxies.
- The formation and evolution of stars and planets.
- Planetary systems and the origins of life (exoplanets)
- Our Solar System.
Visit the meeting web page for more information:
http://congrexprojects.com/2015-events/15a02/introduction
Abstract deadline is June 1.
C) LUNGRADCON
The sixth annual Lunar and Small Bodies Graduate Conference (LunGradCon 2015)
will be held at NASA Ames on Monday, July 20, 2015. LunGradCon will address the
following research topics of the
NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute:
- Dust/Regolith and Plasma
- Geology and Geophysics
- Volatiles/Exospheres
- Missions and Human Exploration
LunGradCon will also present opportunities for social networking among LGC
participants and senior scientists and engineers from NASA ARC and the NASA
Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute.
http://impact.colorado.edu/lungradcon/2015/
Abstract deadline: June 5, 2015
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Send submissions to:
Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected])
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—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325