[SPA] SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER, Volume XXIV, Issue 39

[Newsletter Editor]

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER
Volume XXIV, Issue 39
Jul.13,2017

***********************************************************************

Table of Contents

1. Call for Letters of Application for Membership on NASA’s Science and Technology Definition Team for the Geospace Dynamics Constellation mission

2. NSF Graduate Fellowship Program Review Panel Sign-Up -- WE NEED YOU

3. MEETING: SCOSTEP 14th Quadrennial Solar-Terrestrial Physics Symposium (STP14), Toronto, Canada, July 9-13, 2018 -- Interim Announcement

4. Monday Science Telecon

5. JOB OPENING: Postdoctoral Position “Mesospheric Monitoring of Ozone” in Sodankyla, Finland

***********************************************************************

Editor: Peter Chi
Co-Editor: Guan Le
Distribution Support: Sharon Uy, Marjorie Sowmendran, Todd King, Kevin Addison
E-mail: editor at igpp.ucla.edu

Announcement Submission Website: http://goo.gl/forms/qjcm4dDr4g

1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Call for Letters of Application for Membership on NASA’s Science and Technology Definition Team for the Geospace Dynamics Constellation mission

From: Jared Leisner (jared.s.leisner at nasa.gov)

The Heliophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate intends to conduct a study of mission options, including science and technology options, for its next major Living With a Star mission, Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC). This study will build on, but not be limited to, the National Research Council’s 2013 Heliophysics Decadal Survey “Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society” (available at https://www.nap.edu/catalog/13060/solar-and-space-physics-a-science-for-a-technological-society). NASA invites applications from scientists and other qualified and interested individuals at U.S institutions to participate in this Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT).

The STDT will be charged with conducting a mission concept study (or studies) and defining a design reference mission(s) for GDC. This charge will include an assessment and update of the science rationale for the mission and the provision of science parameters, investigation approaches, key mission parameters, and any other needed scientific studies.

NASA will select STDT members based upon demonstrated expertise in areas relevant to GDC goals, potential instrumentation, and related science and technologies. NASA anticipates the selection of approximately ten to twenty-five STDT members. Representatives from the NASA Heliophysics Division, and possibly other Agency representatives, may serve as ex officio members of the STDT.

The STDT will be formed in October 2017 and will be disbanded after the Heliophysics Advisory Committee accepts the STDT’s final report (expected July 2018). During this anticipated nine-month period of time, STDT members will participate in the following activities:
  1.  Weekly to biweekly teleconferences, as determined by the STDT
  2.  Several face-to-face meetings in the DC area, for which travel support will be provided by NASA
  3.  The preparation and review of materials for and the production of the STDT reports
  4.  Additional virtual and face-to-face meetings, as the STDT deems appropriate

Applications for membership on the GDC STDT are due no later than August 1, 2017 (11:59 EDT) and must be submitted by e-mail to Dr. Jared Leisner (address below). The subject line of the e-mail should be “GDC STDT Application”.

The application must consist of a single PDF that includes:
  1.  A cover letter that explains the reasons for the submitter’s interest in the STDT and the specific contribution, capabilities, and experience that they would bring to the STDT. This letter may be up to two pages in length.
  2.  A short statement confirming the submitter’s availability during the nine-month period that the STDT will be active and committing to perform the tasks assigned to the STDT. In cases where a submitter anticipates select, significant schedule constraints that could restrict engagement at critical times, this statement must state and discuss them. This statement may be up to one-half of a page in length.
  3.  A resume or CV that includes any relevant spacecraft mission involvement and publications. This document may be up to two pages in length.

Letters of Application are invited only from individuals; group applications, collaborations, and teams will not be considered.

This STDT is being chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Members of the STDT who are not Regular Government Employees (RGE) will be designated Special Government Employees (SGE). As an SGE, each STDT member will be required to submit an OGE 450 (Confidential Financial Disclosure Form).

NASA reserves the right to cancel this Call for Letters of Application at any time should programmatic and/or other reasons warrant it. The issuance of this Call for Letters of Application does not obligate NASA to accept any of the applications. Any costs incurred by prospective submitters in preparing responses to this Call are incurred completely at their own risk.

Dr. Jared Leisner
Heliophysics Division
Science Mission Directorate
jared.s.leisner at nasa.gov
202-358-2016


2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2

NSF Graduate Fellowship Program Review Panel Sign-Up -- WE NEED YOU

From: Michael Wiltberger (mwiltber at nsf.gov)

Dear Colleague:

On behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF), we invite you to register as a potential 2018 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) panelist. GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students pursuing research-based masters and doctoral degrees in science or engineering at accredited US institutions. (See the Program Solicitation, NSF 16-588, for more details on GRFP.)  NSF seeks GRFP panels composed of researchers and educators from a wide range of institutions, geographic locations, and disciplinary and interdisciplinary backgrounds.

Serving as a GRFP panelist is an excellent opportunity to apply your research and career expertise to help identify future science and engineering leaders, and to gain valuable perspective to share with faculty and students at your institution. Panelists will also receive a flat rate payment of $200 per day for each full four-hour virtual panel session they attend. However, panelists who are Federal employees, citizens of foreign countries who are not permanent residents, and special visa holders are not entitled to the flat rate payment.

Below are details of the 2018 panels:

All reviews and panels will be conducted online without travel requirements.  There will be no on-site participation for the GRFP panels; the panels are completely virtual.   
   
In November, panelists must attend an orientation session webinar, selecting one from several available sessions. This is required for both new and returning panelists, as orienting information is subject to change.

Panelists review graduate school-like applications that include one 3-page statement, one 2-page statement, transcripts, and three reference letters.

Each panelist will review approximately 30 assigned applications in early December, over the course of about 4 weeks. 

Panelists will enter their reviews and ratings online.

In January 2018, panels will convene online using WebEx for two virtual panel sessions scheduled on two different days (either Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday) to discuss the applicant pool and make selection recommendations to NSF.

If you would like to be considered as a 2018 GRFP panelist, please visit https://nsfgrfp.org/panelists to register in the panelist system. If you have not been a GRFP panelist, you may create a new profile by clicking “Create an account.” If you have been a GRFP panelist, please log in with your email address and password, and update your profile. Registering in the panelist system or creating a profile does not commit you to serving as a GRFP panelist. Based on anticipated needs, NSF will send formal invitations to registered panelists starting in late September. See https://www.nsfgrfp.org/panelist_info for additional panelist information.

NOTE: If you have a student applying for the 2018 GRFP program or you will write a letter of recommendation for an applicant in a particular field of study, we request that you do not register to be a panelist in that field due to the conflict of interest. Since GRFP applicants are early in their scientific training and are still developing their interests, most panelists are qualified to review in a range of fields. If you register in a particular field and subsequently learn of a conflict of interest, please inform us so we can remove your name from the list of potential panelists or attempt to place you on a different panel.

Please share this opportunity to review GRFP applications with your colleagues.

We thank you in advance for your interest. If you have any questions, please contact the GRFP Operations Center at panelists at nsfgrfp.org or (866) 673-4737.

Take care,
Mike 

on behalf of 
Susan Brennan, Ty Mitchell, and Gisele Muller-Parker
Program Directors 
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program


3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3

MEETING: SCOSTEP 14th Quadrennial Solar-Terrestrial Physics Symposium (STP14), Toronto, Canada, July 9-13, 2018 -- Interim Announcement

From: Marianna Shepherd (mshepher at yorku.ca)

The SCOSTEP 14th Quadrennial Solar-Terrestrial Physics Symposium (STP14) will provide an excellent opportunity to discuss the scientific accomplishments of the current scientific program VarSITI (Variability of the Sun and Its Terrestrial Impact) and look forward to SCOSTEP’s future programs. The scientific sessions of STP14 will feature the three major chains of physical processes operating in the solar-terrestrial domain: (i) the mass chain in the form of plasma and particles emitted from the Sun, (ii) the electromagnetic radiation chain in the form of irradiance and flare emissions, and (iii) the intra-atmospheric chain representing energy flow from the Earth into space.   

The Symposium will take place at York University in Toronto, the capital of the province of Ontario and the biggest city in Canada, situated along Lake Ontario’s northwestern shore. Toronto is an international center of business, finance, arts, and culture, and is recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world. The world’s famous Niagara Falls are only 128 km from Toronto. 

Scientific Organizing Committee: Nat Gopalswamy, (Chair, USA), Franz–Josef Lübken, (Vice-Chair, Germany), Kyung-Suk Cho (South Korea), Vladimir Kuznetsov (Russia), Mark Lester (UK), Daniel Marsh (USA), Takuji Nakamura (Japan), Craig Rodger (New Zealand), Annika Seppälä (New Zealand), Katya Georgieva (Bulgaria), Kazuo Shiokawa (Japan), Jacob Bortnik (USA), Paul Charbonneau (Canada), Donald Danskin (Canada), Ian Mann (Canada), Petrus Martens (USA), Dibyendu Nandi (India), Vladimir Obridko (Russia), Jean-Pierre St. Maurice (Canada), David Sibeck (USA), Manuela Temmer (Austria), William Ward (Canada), Yihua Yan (China), Andrew Yau (Canada), Gary Zank (USA), and Jie Zhang (USA).

Local Organizing Committee: Marianna Shepherd (Chair), Spiros Pagiatakis, James Whiteway, William Ward.

National Advisory Committee (NAC): Andrew Yau (Chair), Bernie Shizgal, Donald Danskin, Greg Enno, Ian Mann, John Manuel, Jean-Pierre St. Maurice.

Contact Information: 
Dr. Nat Gopalswamy, SOC Chair
Dr. Marianna G. Shepherd, LOC Chair and Scientific Secretary; Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP)
http://www.yorku.ca/scostep/


4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4

Monday Science Telecon

From: David Sibeck (david.g.sibeck at nasa.gov)

At 12:00 noon EST on Monday (July 17), we plan to hold the next in our ongoing series of science telecons. The speaker this Monday will be Lora Price from University of Maryland. The topic will be "Turbulence Associated with Magnetopause Reconnection".

The telecom will be broadcast live via webex. If you would like to join, please
go to http://uclaigpp.webex.com/, search for the ‘Dayside Science' meeting, enter your name and contact information, and then the meeting password, which is Substorm1!

To hear the audio, do not dial the number that pops up on the webex website. Instead, please dial the following toll free (in the United States) number:
1-844-467-6272
with passcode 901533

Please remember to mute your telephone if you are not speaking.

Looking forward to speaking with you.


5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5

JOB OPENING: Postdoctoral Position “Mesospheric Monitoring of Ozone” in Sodankyla, Finland

From: Thomas Ulich (thomas.ulich at sgo.fi)

Deadline for application is 31st July, 2017.
Apply here: https://rekry.saima.fi/certiahome/open_job_view.html?did=5600&jc=1&id=00004066&lang=en

Project description

The project "Mesospheric Monitoring of Ozone above the Polar Vortex" (MeMO) uses TV satellite receivers to monitor radio emissions from mesospheric ozone, a method pioneered by MIT’s Haystack Observatory. This project will build improved instruments, which will monitor the mesosphere above Sodankyla, Finland and above the polar vortex/in the auroral zone.

Using these data we will study the effects of, e.g., energetic particle precipitation and sudden stratospheric warmings on ozone, as well as the ozone climatology. A prototype receiver provides already more than four years of initial data.

The position is located at Sodankyla, Finland, and available immediately or later as per mutual agreement.

Research group: Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory (www.sgo.fi) is a highly versatile geophysical observatory north of the Arctic Circle operating various types of measurements at over 20 locations. Measurements of the geomagnetic field as well as radio observations of the upper atmosphere are at the core of SGO’s operations. Within the CHAMOS project (chamos.fmi.fi), SGO in collaboration with the Finnish Meteorological Insitute (FMI, www.fmi.fi) develop the Sodankylä Ion-Neutral Chemistry (SIC) model for interpreting space weather effects on the lower ionosphere.

Colocated with SGO is the Arctic Research Centre of FMI, which provides a wealth of tropospheric and stratospheric measurements including ozone measurements using sounding balloons and ground-based spectrometers since the late 1980s. FMI researchers are experts in satellite observations of the middle atmosphere.

MeMO is a collaboration between SGO and FMI-ARC, aiming to extend current ozone measurements in altitude and spatial coverage and put them into context of other observations.

Qualification requirements: The successful candidate will have a background in atmospheric physics or chemistry and/or experience in the use of radiometers and/or experience in the use of atmospheric computer models. For the further development of the instrument, experience working with hardware and experience in a high-level programming language are highly beneficial. Excellent command of both spoken and written English are essential.

Contact person for further information. Dr. Thomas Ulich, email: thomas.ulich(at)sgo.fi, tel.: +358405490403


***** SUBSCRIPTION AND ANNOUNCEMENT REQUESTS *****

The AGU Space Physics and Aeronomy (SPA) Section Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. Back issues are available at:

http://spa.agu.org/category/newsletters/

To request announcements for distribution by the newsletter, please use the online submission form at:
http://goo.gl/forms/qjcm4dDr4g

To subscribe to the newsletter, please go to the web page at:
http://lists.igpp.ucla.edu/mailman/listinfo/spa
(IMPORTANT: Do not use this web page to post announcements.)

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR MAJOR CONFERENCES: Due to the large number of SPA-related sessions at major conferences, the SPA Newsletter can no longer accept announcement requests for individual sessions at AGU, AOGS, COSPAR, EGU, or IAGA Meetings. Titles and web links (if available) of these sessions will be distributed in a special issue of the Newsletter before the abstract deadline.

SPA Web Site: http://spa.agu.org/

*************** END OF NEWSLETTER ****************