Dear Ocean Worlds Community,
NASA has indicated support for forming a joint Ocean Worlds Working Group (OWWG) under the umbrella of the Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG), Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG), and Network for Ocean Worlds (NOW) as a vehicle to communicate the goals and needs of the Ocean Worlds (OW) community to NASA. This Cross-AG OWWG should reflect the intellectual diversity that bridges planetary science and astrobiology, and cover the rich diversity of targets that provide unique opportunities for mission and technology development.
The OWWG will enable the OW community to directly define research and analysis needs, organize mission development and strategic planning efforts, and identify supporting technology development priorities. There has already been significant development of OW priorities in both the Roadmap to Ocean Worlds and the 100+ community white papers that fed into the recent Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey which provide a foundation for the OWWG efforts. This working group will also provide the necessary community infrastructure to hear, share, and document new ideas as the science continues to evolve. The OWWG will communicate their findings through OPAG, SBAG, and NOW to NASA’s Planetary Science Advisory Committee (PAC).
As a first step, the OPAG, SBAG, and NOW have formed a committee to select co-chairs for the OWWG. These co-chairs will be empowered to establish the operational structure of the WG in collaboration with the OPAG, SBAG, and NOW leadership and will initiate a call for members of the working group.
The Cross-AG OWWG will have two co-chairs chosen by representatives of the OPAG, SBAG, and NOW steering committees. We are currently seeking a minimum term of two years for the inaugural co-chairs.
Nomination Process
We are requesting self-nominations packages that include the following information:
- A 1-page cover letter that includes:
- A discussion of your experience with Ocean World science and related activities
- A discussion that describes your vision for the OWWG and engagement of the broader OW community
- A discussion of your leadership style and values that you would bring to the role of co-chair
- A discussion of your experience with IDEA best practices within the planetary community
- An explanation of why you wish to serve as co-chair and how the role would align with your other professional responsibilities.
- A 2-page CV describing relevant experience/skills indicated above.
Click here for more details on the co-chair position and the selection process.
Upload complete applications by February 15, 2023, at https://www.dropbox.com/request/WVcUvgAbCrifbIrqzcBK.
If you have questions or difficulty uploading your application, please contact Kennda Lynch ([email protected]) or Carol Paty ([email protected]).