[GEM] THE GEM MESSENGER, Volume 29, Number 35

Tue Oct 8 15:15:08 PDT 2019

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     THE GEM MESSENGER
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Volume 29, Number 35
Oct.08,2019

Announcement submission website:
https://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawiki/messenger_form/

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Table of Contents

1. Call for Proposals for New GEM Focus Groups – Deadline November 22, 2019 

2. NASA LPAG Call for Community Input to New Strategic Science Area: Solar Impacts on Climate

3. Assistant or Associate Professor – Experimental/Instrumentational Space Plasma Physics at West Virginia University

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1. Call for Proposals for New GEM Focus Groups – Deadline November 22, 2019 
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From: Paul Cassak (Paul.Cassak at mail.wvu.edu)

The GEM Steering Committee (SC) is now accepting proposals for new Focus Groups (FGs), which are due by 5 pm (ET) Friday, November 22, 2019. The official guidelines are given in the GEM by-laws: https://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawiki/index.php/GEM_Bylaws and a more informal description is given at this page (now linked from the main page of the wiki): http://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawiki/pdf/GEM_ForFocusGroupLeaders.pdf

Proposals should be no more than 4 pages in length and must include: 
1) An abstract of the Focus Group proposal.
2) A description of the topic.
3) A statement on the timeliness of the FG idea.
4) A description of how the FG would relate to existing FGs.
5) A specific goal that includes a deliverable. Deliverables can be GGCM modules, empirical relations that lead to modules, solutions to specific science problems, challenges, data sets for validation and metrics, or paper collections.
6) The names of the proposed co-chairs.  (Voting members of the SC and graduate students are not permitted to be co-chairs.)
7) The Research Area with which it will be associated.
8) The length of the term, not more than 4 years, and a justification for the term length. 
9) Expected activities, for example, topics of WG sessions or challenges and approaches to encourage an interactive “GEM-Style” focus group.

Please note two important changes to the focus group proposal process from past years.  First, the length of the term is now limited to four years instead of five (less than four is acceptable, as well), and there should be a brief justification for the number of years being proposed.  A focus group can apply for an extension to a fifth year if desired.  Second, graduate students are not permitted to be co-chairs.

The currently active FGs, their descriptions, research areas, and terms are available on the GEM website: https://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawiki/index.php/GEM_Focus_Groups 

Please keep in mind that on one hand we want to have active FGs operating under the umbrella of each Research Area, but there is no upper limit to the number within a research area. The GEM SC will consider all proposals received before the submission deadline. 

Submitted proposals will be sent to the SC. A breakout session at the Mini-GEM workshop will be held to allow proposers to present their proposals (~5-10 minutes) and answer questions from the SC and the community. The SC will discuss the proposals and vote at its Fall Mini-GEM meeting which FGs to implement. The website (https://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawiki/index.php/GEM_Bylaws) contains a new list of criteria that are commonly used to assess FG proposals.

Please send FG proposals to the GEM Steering Committee Chair Paul Cassak (Paul.Cassak at mail.wvu.edu) and Chair-Elect Vania Jordanova (vania at lanl.gov). Questions should be directed to the SC Chair or to the specific Research Area Coordinator for your topic, available at 
https://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawiki/index.php/Organization_and_People

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2. NASA LPAG Call for Community Input to New Strategic Science Area: Solar Impacts on Climate
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From: Brian Walsh (bwalsh at bu.edu)

NASA LPAG Call for Community Input to New Strategic Science Area:
Solar Impacts on Climate

Dear Heliophysics Community,

The NASA Living with a Star Program Analysis Group (LPAG) serves as a community-based interdisciplinary forum for soliciting and coordinating community analysis and input for Living with a Star objectives and of their implications for architecture planning and activity prioritization and for future exploration. This year, the LPAG Executive Committee is focusing on a re-examination of the Strategic Science Areas (SSAs), developed in 2014 as long-term targeted areas of system science to guide LWS activities (see https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/pdf/LWS_10YrVision_Oct2015_Final.pdf). The Executive Committee met in April to reexamine these SSAs, keeping in mind the overall Living with a Star goals, the ways in which these SSAs are now used by the community to develop new Focused Science Topics, and the ways in which the LWS program can complement the Space Weather Action Plan and NASA’s new Space Weather Science and Applications (SWxSA) program.

Based on these discussions, the LPAG Executive Committee expanded, refocused, and reordered the SSAs into nine draft SSAs. These draft SSAs were released to the community for feedback this past summer. The draft SSAs and the community feedback are available for viewing at https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/lpag. The Executive Committee then met in July of 2019 to incorporate this feedback into the draft SSAs.

In response to community feedback, the Executive Committee undertook the project of incorporating what was formerly known as the LWS Sun-Climate theme into a new draft SSA, “SSA IX: Solar Impacts on Climate”. The Executive Committee is now soliciting community input on this new draft SSA. The draft will be posted on our website in the next few days, and will be available for community comment through November 15, 2019 at
https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/lpag.

After this comment period closes, the committee will review the community feedback on this SSA, will incorporate this feedback into the SSA, and will include this SSA with the other nine draft SSAs in our annual report to NASA Headquarters.

Note: with “Solar Impacts on Climate” now being assigned SSA number IX, the draft SSA released this summer as “Stellar Impacts on Planetary Habitability” will now be assigned SSA number X.

We look forward to your feedback on this draft SSA.

Sincerely,
Mark Linton & Anthea Coster (co-chairs)
On behalf of the Living with a Star Program Analysis Group Executive Committee

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3. Assistant or Associate Professor – Experimental/Instrumentational Space Plasma Physics at West Virginia University
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From: Paul Cassak (Paul.Cassak at mail.wvu.edu)

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at West Virginia University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in experimental or instrumentational space plasma physics. We anticipate filling this position at the Assistant Professor level, but exceptional candidates may be considered at Associate Professor. The creation of the position was facilitated by an NSF Faculty Development in the Space Sciences grant. The preferred start date is Aug. 14, 2020. The position requires a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in physics or a closely related field and a commitment and ability to establish an independent externally funded research program, excel in teaching physics at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and support departmental efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The successful candidate will present an excellent record of research productivity as evidenced by publication record and scientific collaborations. WVU’s space plasma physics program has existing strengths of: (1) cubesat technology development; (2) space-relevant laboratory experiment; (3) solar observations; (4) solar theory/simulation; (5) magnetospheric theory/simulation and machine learning; (6) magnetospheric observations; and (7) atmospheric drag. The department moved into a new facility with state-of-the-art research laboratories in 2012, and there is available clean room space and on-campus shared facilities. The department energetically supports DEI (https://physics.wvu.edu/about/diversity-equity-and-inclusivity). WVU is a comprehensive land grant university with R1 Carnegie Classification. WVU is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, including minorities, females, individuals with disabilities, and veterans.

To apply, go to https://careers.wvu.edu/career-opportunities, click View Faculty Positions, and navigate to the job title. Required documents include: (1) cover letter, (2) curriculum vitae including complete list of publications, (3) succinct five-year research plan, and (4) statement of teaching philosophy and experience. Arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to plasmasearch at mail.wvu.edu. Review of applications will begin Nov. 15, 2019, and will continue until the position is filled. This is an abridged ad - please see https://physics.wvu.edu/research/plasma-and-space-physics/wvu-space-plasma-physics-job-opening and contact Paul.Cassak at mail.wvu.edu with questions.

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