Newsletter 20-14

Issue 20-14, March 28, 2020

 

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  1. NASA SCIENCE DIVISION UPDATES TO THE COMMUNITY
  2. PLANETARY SCIENCE AND ASTROBIOLOGY DECADAL SURVEY 2023-2032 CALL FOR WHITE PAPERS
  3. JWST CYCLE 1 PROPOSAL DEADLINE DELAYED
  4. 2020B NASA IRTF CALL FOR PROPOSALS DEADLINE EXTENDED
  5. CANCELLATION OF NASA ASTROBIOLOGY SUMMER SCHOOL 2020
  6. NEOWISE 2020 DATA RELEASE AVAILABLE MARCH 26, 2020
  7. NASA PLANETARY DATA SYSTEM (PDS) ANNUAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY 2020
  8. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

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NASA SCIENCE DIVISION UPDATES TO THE COMMUNITY

 

The NASA Science Division Directors will provide community updates on Tuesday,

March 31, when they address the discipline committees of the National Academies’

Space Studies Board (SSB) during Space Science Week 2020. During the updates,

the Science Division Directors will discuss the President’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget

request for NASA Science and other Division specific updates of NASA’s science

programs.

 

NASA SMD Director of Heliophysics Nicola Fox will address the Committee on

Solar and Space Physics (CSSP) at 11 am EDT / 8 am PDT on Tuesday, March 31.

 

NASA SMD Acting Director of Earth Science Sandra Cauffman will address the

Committee on Earth Sciences and Applications from Space (CESAS) at 11:30 am

EDT / 8:30 am PDT on Tuesday, March 31.

 

NASA SMD Director of Astrophysics Paul Hertz will address the Committee on

Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA) at 12 noon EDT / 9 am PDT on Tuesday, March 31.

 

NASA SMD Director of Planetary Science Lori Glaze will address the Committee

on Astrobiology and Planetary Science (CAPS) at 4 pm EDT / 1 pm PDT on Tuesday,

March 31.

 

For the complete agenda of the four discipline committee meetings and instructions

for connecting to the meetings, visit the Space Science Week 2020 homepage at:  

https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/03-31-2020/space-science-week-2020

 

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PLANETARY SCIENCE AND ASTROBIOLOGY DECADAL SURVEY 2023-2032 

CALL FOR WHITE PAPERS

 

The Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey is now accepting white papers.  

Submissions will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Saturday, 4 July,

2020. 

 

Submit your white paper here. White paper formatting specifications are here.

 

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JWST CYCLE 1 PROPOSAL DEADLINE DELAYED

 

The novel coronavirus COVID19 is causing significant impact and disruption on

the worldwide community. The situation is evolving rapidly with no obvious conclusion

in sight. 

 

Given those circumstances, STScI, NASA, ESA, and CSA have decided to delay the

proposal deadline for JWST Cycle 1 GO proposals to no earlier than May 27th 2020.

We are continuing to monitor the situation, and will provide an update on the schedule

on April 15th 2020. 

 

These are stressful and challenging times. Our thoughts go out to all those affected by

the current situation. As always, please contact the jwst helpdesk if you have any questions.

 

To get regular updates on JWST, sign up for email alerts/subscriptions by updating your 

MyST account under message subscriptions (https://proper.stsci.edu/proper/authentication/auth ).

 

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2020B NASA IRTF CALL FOR PROPOSALS DEADLINE EXTENDED

 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its global impact, the 2020B IRTF proposal

deadline has been extended to Thursday, April 9. The IRTF form and website are

in the process of being updated to reflect the new dates. Please contact John Rayner

or Bobby Bus if you have any questions or concerns.

 

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CANCELLATION OF NASA ASTROBIOLOGY SUMMER SCHOOL 2020

 

We have been monitoring the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 and, after consultation

with our partners at the Centro de Astrobiologia, we regretfully have come to the

conclusion that we must cancel the 2020 Josep Comas i Solà International Astrobiology

Summer School.  For any students who applied, we thank you for your interest and

application, and hope that you will consider participating in next year’s school. Please

also subscribe to the NASA Astrobiology Program mailing list,
https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/mailing-list/ to be kept up to date with other opportunities. 

 

Rosaly Lopes (US Director, International Astrobiology Summer School)

 

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NEOWISE 2020 DATA RELEASE AVAILABLE MARCH 26, 2020

 

The Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) and IPAC

at the California Institute of Technology announce the NEOWISE 2020 Data Release.

 

The 2020 Data Release includes all data acquired during the sixth year of the NEOWISE
Reactivation mission (Mainzer et al. 2014, ApJ, 792, 30), 13 December 2018 to 13 December 2019. 
These data are combined with the Year 1-5 NEOWISE data into a single archive

that contains approximately 15.3 million sets of 3.4 and 4.6 micron images and a database

of over 114 billion source detections extracted from those images. 

 

NEOWISE scanned the sky nearly twelve complete times during the first six years

of survey operations, with approximately six months between survey passes.  With

twelve or more independent 3.4 and 4.6 micron exposures made on each point of the

sky during each survey epoch, the NEOWISE archive is a time-domain resource for

extracting multiple, independent thermal flux and position measurements of solar

system small bodies, as well as background galactic and extragalactic sources.

 

A quick guide to the NEOWISE data release, data access instructions and supporting
documentation is available at http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/neowise/.

 

Access to the NEOWISE data products is available via the on-line and API services of
the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA) at https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu.

 

NEOWISE is a joint project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of

Technology and the University of Arizona.  NEOWISE is funded by the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration Planetary Science Division.

 

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NASA PLANETARY DATA SYSTEM (PDS) ANNUAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY 2020

 

NASA’s PDS customer satisfaction survey of the Planetary Data System (PDS) is still

open. This survey will be used to set priorities for the PDS, identify areas for improvement,
determine what new services are needed, and ensure that the needs of the scientific

community are well met both now and in the future. Your input is needed now to help

the PDS become more responsive to community needs.

 

The survey is available at the following anonymous link: Below is the anonymous survey
link that can be posted to any website: https://feedback.app.cfigroup.com/l/r/NASAPDSGen

Alternatively, you may have also received an email invitation with a link from our consultant,
CFI Group, which is working on behalf of NASA and the PDS to administer the survey.

Note that no personal data are tracked and the survey will remain anonymous.

 

We hope to get the widest response possible and appreciate your support in helping

us to improve the PDS. Please contact the PDS at [email protected] with

questions on the survey.

 

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JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

 

A) UPCOMING NASA SMD JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: SENIOR PROGRAM

     EXECUTIVE FOR SCIENTIFIC DATA & COMPUTING (AST-TECHNICAL   

     MANAGEMENT) – GS-801-15

 

This upcoming NASA SMD job announcement will open on March 30 and close

on April 3. The USAJOBS announcement number will be HQ20H0013.

 

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) leads the nation on a great journey of

discovery, seeking new knowledge and understanding of Earth, the Sun and solar

system, and the universe. SMD will be releasing a USAJOBS announcement to fill

the position of Senior Program Executive for Scientific Data and Computing (AST,

Technical Management/GS-801-15).

 

This will be a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) announcement through USAJOBS, so

it will only be open for 5 days. The short period that the announcement is open is

due to the type of hiring authority, which streamlines the hiring process and assists

with rapidly filling competitive positions.  This is a term position of up to three years,

with an option to extend an additional three years.

  

In the interest in getting a broad pool of qualified applications, please work with your

networks to ensure this opportunity is announced as broadly as possible, due to the

short USAJOBS window.  Please note that this is a fair and open competition to which

all U.S. Citizens and Status candidates may apply.

 

Given the short period the announcement is open, interested applicants are encouraged

to log into USAJOBS ahead of time and update your username, password, resume, etc.,

to facilitate the timely submission of an application.

 

B) POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW POSITION AT THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY

 

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow

to work with Dr. Catherine Elder to study lunar surface processes using a combination

of thermal modeling and observations by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)

Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (Diviner). Diviner observations can constrain

the material properties of the lunar surface and shallow subsurface which leads to a

better understanding of the geologic history of the Moon. Topics of particular interest

include volcanism, regolith formation and evolution, and impact processes.

 

Candidates should have a recent PhD in planetary science, physics, geology, or a related 

field. Candidates should have experience with numerical modeling and a strong background 

in physics. Experience using remote sensing data is preferred but not required. Candidates 

who have received their PhD within the past five years since the date of their application 

are eligible. 

 

Applications are due by April 25, 2020 or until filled and should be submitted at: 

https://jpl.jobs/jobs/2020-11715-JPL-Postdoctoral-Fellow

 

For more information contact [email protected]

 

C) ASTRONOMY LECTURER AT UCF 

UCF Physics seeks an astronomy lecturer (a ranked, career position).  Lecturers 

teach Astro 101, Stellar Atmospheres, Life in the Universe, Galaxies and Cosmology,

and General Relativity, and are encouraged to conduct research.  UCF manages

Arecibo Observatory and has a strong planetary science program with 30% women

faculty.  UCF is a Hispanic Serving Institution.  We have strong mentoring for all

faculty, paid parental leave for both parents, maternity parking, and other benefits

and programs to ensure a successful career and support for faculty with families.

Applicants must have defended their PhDs by 16 April (position closing date) and

have taught a class as instructor of record. The position starts in Fall 2020. 

UCF posting and application: 
https://jobs.ucf.edu/en-us/job/498747/lecturer-physics 

AAS Job Register posting: 
https://jobregister.aas.org/ad/83fc48db 

Apply ASAP, as we are scheduling phone interviews. Letters solicited only for interviewees. 

For more about astronomy at UCF, see: 
https://planets.ucf.edu/ 
https://fsi.ucf.edu/ 

See postings for contact details. 

 

The full job posting can be found at the following link: 

https://cresst2.umd.edu/opportunities/researchopp.html

 

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