Early Career Venus Scholars Student Opportunities
LPI Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science
The LPI Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to perform cutting-edge research, learn from widely respected planetary scientists, and discover exciting careers in planetary science. During the 10-week internship, students have opportunities to participate in enrichment activities, including lectures and career development workshops.
Deadline for Application: December 13, 2021
MARCH 2021 EARLY CAREER SCIENTIST SPOTLIGHTS - NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Would you like to learn about the early career researchers currently working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)? Check out this month's Early Career Scientist Spotlight (ECSS) articles, published here: https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/600/ECSS/index.html
ECSS articles are posted monthly and showcase the research interests, science motivations, and achievements of early career scientists at NASA GSFC. The ECSS project was initiated to facilitate networking during the pandemic. With almost all current communication limited to virtual interactions, it may be a challenge to keep in touch with colleagues and make new research connections - two very important aspects of having a successful career in research!
The primary goal of the ECSS project is to increase the visibility of the Goddard early career scientists both locally and to the broader scientific community. Please feel free to share the featured articles with your colleagues!
PH.D. POSITION IN EXO-PLANETARY SCIENCE AT UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Prof. Ramses Ramirez is seeking a qualified Ph.D. student to join his new research team within the UCF Planetary Sciences Group (Department of Physics) in either the Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 semesters.
The qualified candidate will work with Prof. Ramirez and develop an original project to model the atmospheres of potentially habitable exoplanets or Solar System worlds. Theoretical projects involving climate, atmospheric escape, photochemistry or atmospheric-surface interactions (among other topics) are all welcome.
Programming experience is a must. Highly-motivated individuals with relevant astronomy, planetary science, geoscience, or engineering backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply.
UCF offers a rigorous research program in Planetary Sciences, where students are paired with Ph.D. advisors upon admission. We offer robust academic and research mentoring programs and have strong ties to the Florida Space Institute, Arecibo, and the NASA Kennedy Space Center.
More information about Prof. Ramirez and the Planetary Sciences Group (plus Ph.D. program), respectively, can be found here:
https://habitableplanets.wordpress.com/
https://planets.ucf.edu/
For more information, reach Prof. Ramirez at [email protected]
Call for Student Abstract Submissions
Do you know students who would benefit from presenting their research to a global audience in an international conference setting? Encourage them to submit abstracts for consideration in the 2021 Sigma Xi Student Research Conference (http://www.sigmaxi.org/meetings-events/annual-meeting-and-student-research-conference/student-research-conference), taking place November 4–7 in conjunction with the Sigma Xi Annual Meeting in Niagara Falls, New York.
Please share this conference flyer with your students and colleagues. The PDF file may also be downloaded and printed out to help you spread the word.
High school, undergraduate, and graduate students are invited to submit abstracts for both oral and poster presentations across all research disciplines. The conference includes awards for top presenters as well as networking opportunities with peers and STEM professionals.
To learn more about the conference, including abstract tips and submission guidelines, please visit www.sigmaxi.org/src.
If you have any questions, please contact event organizers ([email protected]).
PH.D. AND M.S. OPPORTUNITIES IN PLANETARY SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
The UCF Planetary Sciences Group, with members in the Department of Physics, Florida Space Institute, Arecibo Observatory, and College of Optics and Photonics, announces graduate research opportunities in: Exoplanet and brown-dwarf characterization (Karalidi, Harrington) Lunar and asteroid surface science and exploration, including spacecraft and laboratory studies (Bennett, Britt, Dove, Colwell) Planetary rings and accretion experiments (Colwell)
We encourage applications in all program research areas. Visit http://planets.ucf.edu or contact the group member closest to your interests.
UCF offers a research-intensive Ph.D. Students join research groups upon admission, and a submitted lead-author paper is a candidacy requirement. UCF has laboratory facilities for regolith, microgravity, and meteorite studies as well as cubesat and ground-based instrumentation. UCF research instruments have flown on numerous suborbital rockets and the ISS. Our scientific staff in Puerto Rico leads the effort to rebuild Arecibo and operate its LIDAR and other instruments. We have strong academic and research mentoring programs, participate in the APS Bridge program, and have strong research ties with NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Application review begins 15 January and continues until positions are filled. We are strongly committed to inclusion and diversity.
PI Launchpad: Developing Your First Flight Mission Proposal Important Dates:
Applications due via NSPIRES: March 22, 2021
Workshop Dates: June 14th-June 25th
Workshop Location: Virtual via WebEx
Are you thinking about developing your first flight mission proposal in the next few years but have no idea where to start? If you are a researcher or engineers who would like to submit a NASA space mission proposal in the next few years but don’t know where to start, this June virtual workshop is for you! We are interested in broadening the pool of potential NASA space mission PIs. People with marginalized identities are strongly encouraged to apply. There is no cost to attend the workshop.
PI Launchpad applications and instructions on how to apply are available on the NSPIRES page for this opportunity. Applications may be submitted via NSPIRES until 11:59 pm Eastern Time on March 22nd, 2021. All applications must be submitted as a "Notice of Intent" via NSPIRES as a self-contained PDF file that includes your name, organization, and contact information. To submit an application, an NSPIRES account is required. To create a new account, please see the NSPIRES User Registration Page.
Additional details are below. Answers to FAQs and an accessibility statement are available at https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/pi-launchpad. Please share this message with others who may be interested. If you’d like to send a notification of this opportunity to a mentor, colleague, or mentee, please use the form here: http://bit.ly/PIL_nom
USGS ASTROGEOLOGY SCIENCE CENTER TERRESTRIAL ANALOGS WORKSHOP
Save the Date: The USGS Astrogeology Science Center will be hosting its first Terrestrial Analogs Workshop June 16-18, 2021. The meeting is intended to highlight a wide range of scientific investigations of planetary analog terrains and processes, as well as exploration strategies and orbit-to-ground comparisons. This meeting is planned in coordination with the Annual Meeting of Planetary Geologic Mappers (June 14-16). A decision as to whether the meetings will be virtual, in person, or hybrid will be made later this spring.
EARLY CAREER SCIENTIST SPOTLIGHTS - NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Would you like to learn about the early career researchers currently working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)? Check out the first dozen Early Career Scientist Spotlight (ECSS) articles, published here: https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/600/ECSS/index.html
ECSS articles are posted monthly and showcase the research interests, science motivations, and achievements of early career scientists at NASA GSFC. The ECSS project was initiated to facilitate networking during the pandemic. With almost all current communication limited to virtual interactions, it may be a challenge to keep in touch with colleagues and make new research connections - two very important aspects of having a successful career in research!
The primary goal of the ECSS project is to increase the visibility of the Goddard early career scientists both locally and to the broader scientific community. Please feel free to share the featured articles with your colleagues!
The Parker Solar Probe science teams are pleased to announce the inaugural meeting of the Parker Conference Series.
A hybrid conference (partial in-person presence and a virtual attendance) is being considered in Laurel, Maryland. A decision on the in-person presence at the conference will be made in mid-April 2021, based on the COVID-19 pandemic situation. If it is evident that the health risk is likely to remain high by mid-2021, the conference will be fully virtual. Registered attendees will receive an email with additional details.
NASA Parker Solar Probe mission launched on August 12, 2018. On March 9, 2021, it will have completed seven of its 24 scheduled orbits about the Sun, flying as close as 20.3 Rsun from the Sun's center. On February 20, 2021, the spacecraft will fly by Venus for the fourth time since launch. This maneuver reduced perihelion to 15.97 Rsun. The main science objectives of the PSP mission are to: (1) Trace the flow of energy that heats and accelerates the solar corona and solar wind; (2) Determine the structure and dynamics of the plasma and magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind; and (3) Explore mechanisms that accelerate and transport energetic particles.
Data from the first five orbits have been released to the public. The data returned so far is a treasure trove that holds potential for breakthrough discoveries. Parker Solar Probe is crossing new boundaries of space exploration.
The first annual Parker Solar Probe conference will be held from June 14 to 18, 2021 in Laurel, Maryland at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. The meeting will highlight discoveries from the first two and half years of operations. The conference is open to the entire heliophysics community. Abstracts involving relevant theory, simulations, data analysis, and coordinated observations are encouraged. There will be space for both oral and poster presentations, as well as splinter sessions.
This is not a NASA-sponsored conference and registration in NCTS is not required.
Whole Heliosphere and Planetary Interactions Workshop
13 - 17 September, 2021
NCAR/HAO
Virtual Meeting
Whole Heliosphere and Planetary Interactions (WHPI) is an international initiative focused around the solar minimum period that aims to understand the interconnected sun-heliospheric-planetary system. The simpler magnetic configuration and infrequency of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) makes solar minimum an ideal time to follow how the solar magnetic and radiative output propagates through the heliosphere and affects the Earth and planets' atmospheres and magnetospheres. The role of WHPI is to facilitate and encourage interdisciplinary activities through a series of coordinated observing campaigns and a dedicated workshop where observers and modelers get together to discuss, compare, and combine research results.
The WHPI hands-on workshop is scheduled to occur September 13-17, 2021. It will be primarily a virtual workshop, with possible small-scale in-person gatherings. We do not expect there to be a registration fee. The goal of the workshop will be to foster collaborations across disciplines by providing a forum for comparing models and observations of specific aspects of the extended solar minimum time period in a truly interactive and collaborative environment. In particular, we encourage participants to contribute and share observations, model products, and analysis tools. Information will be provided on a repository for these data in advance of the workshop.
Research on all aspects of solar minimum modeling and observations are encouraged, including: the global connected structure of the heliosphere and planetary space environments/atmospheres, the origins and impacts of high-speed solar wind streams, CMEs from sun-to-heliopause, and comparative solar minima. In order to focus these efforts, the workshop will facilitate smaller working groups. Likely topics for coordinated comparison of models and observations include the set of CMEs occurring during May 2019, the July 2, 2019 solar eclipse, the January 29, 2020 Parker Solar Probe fourth perihelion, the January 17, 2021 Parker Solar Probe seventh perihelion, as well as the recurring coronal holes and associated solar wind streams present throughout the solar minimum period.
DPS Professional Culture and Climate Subcommittee (PCCS) Seeking New Members
Are you interested in making the planetary science community more diverse and inclusive? If so, contact Julie Rathbun to volunteer to be part of the DPS Professional Culture and Climate subcommittee (PCCS). A list of our charge, duties, and expectations can be found at:
https://dps.aas.org/leadership/climate
Grants in Aid of Research Program
Application Deadlines: March 15 and October 1 annually.
The Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research (GIAR) program has provided undergraduate and graduate students with valuable educational experiences since 1922. By encouraging close working relationships between students and mentors, the program promotes scientific excellence and achievement through hands-on learning.The program awards grants of up to $1,000 to students from all areas of the sciences and engineering. Designated funds from the National Academy of Sciences allow for grants of up to $5,000 for astronomy research and $2,500 for vision related research. Students use the funding to pay for travel expenses to and from a research site, or for purchase of non-standard laboratory equipment necessary to complete a specific research project
AGU Honor awards
Africa Award for Research Excellence in Space Science
The Africa Award for Research Excellence in Space Science is given annually to an early career scientist from the African continent in recognition of "completing significant work that shows the focus and promise of making outstanding contributions to research in space science."
Established in 2015 by the generosity of Sunanda Basu, these awards will help to advance AGU's strategic mission by supporting diversity in the scientific community and acknowledging excellence in research in space, oceans and Earth sciences and providing opportunities for international collaboration and support.
Ambassador Award
The Ambassador Award is given annually to one or up to five honorees in recognition for "outstanding contributions to one or more of the following area(s): societal impact, service to the Earth and space community, scientific leadership, and promotion of talent/career pool."
Athelstan Spilhaus Award
The Athelstan Spilhaus Award is given annually to one honoree in recognition of their "enhancement of the public engagement with Earth and space sciences," through devoting portions of their career conveying to the general public the excitement, significance, and beauty of the Earth and space sciences.
Devendra Lal Memorial Medal
The Devendra Lal Memorial Medal is given annually to one honoree in recognition of "outstanding Earth and/or space sciences research by a scientist belonging to and working in a developing country."
Science for Solutions Award
The Science for Solutions Award is given annually to one student or postdoctoral scientist in recognition for "significant contributions in the application and use of the Earth and space sciences to solve societal problems."
James B. Macelwane Medal
The James B. Macelwane Medal is given annually to three or up to five honorees in recognition for "significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by an outstanding early career scientist."
Climate Communication Prize
The Climate Communication Prize is given annually to one honoree in recognition for "the communication of climate science."The prize was established in 2011 to highlight the importance of promoting scientific literacy, clarity of message, and efforts to foster respected and understanding of science-based values as they relate to the implications of climate change.
Whole Heliosphere & Planetary Interactions
It's solar minimum. In the tradition of Whole Sun Month (1996) and Whole Heliosphere Interval (2008), it's time for Whole Heliosphere & Planetary Interactions (2019) - WHPI!
Goal? A coordinated observing and modeling effort to characterize the three-dimensional interconnected solar-heliospheric-planetary system.By focussing on specific solar rotations near solar minimum, structures and activity can be unambiguously traced throughout the heliosphere and into planetary space environments.
When? Three target intervals:
Jul 2019 - Solar eclipse
Sep 2019 - Parker Solar Probe at perihelion
Dec 2019 - Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby
Who? Everyone is welcome - it's a grassroots effort. Sign up - we will have telecons and workshops to coordinate analyses.
For further details see:
https://whpi.hao.ucar.edu