ExoPAG News and Announcements - Archive

ExoPAG News and Announcements (November 26, 2024)

Save the Date: Towards the Habitable Worlds Observatory: Visionary Science and Transformational Technology (July 28-31, 2025; Washington, DC)
Call for HWO AAS Splinter Session Pops Presentations (NOTE: new extended deadline to December 6, 2024)
ROSES-24 Amendment 73: D.13 Astrophysics Pioneers Substantial Revisions

1. Save the Date: Towards the Habitable Worlds Observatory: Visionary Science and Transformational Technology (July 28-31, 2025; Washington, DC)

We are pleased to announce the inaugural open community conference for NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), to be held at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC, from July 28–31, 2025. This milestone event will bring together scientists, engineers, industry, and community stakeholders to propel the development of HWO, a mission poised to usher in a new era of astrophysics discovery and address one of humanity’s oldest questions: Are we alone?

The Habitable Worlds Observatory is the next flagship mission for NASA Astrophysics, designed to directly image and characterize Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zones of nearby stars. Building on the foundation of the Hubble, Webb, and Roman telescopes, HWO will deploy advanced ultraviolet, optical, and infrared technologies to identify potentially habitable worlds and analyze their atmospheres for signs of life. This same technology will confront fundamental astrophysical questions about cosmology, galaxy evolution, the origins of elements, and our Solar System's place in the universe—questions that have persistently eluded answers due to the limitations of current technology. By overcoming these barriers, HWO will act as a disruptive force, driving a paradigm shift in our understanding of the universe.

Significant progress has been made in the past year, with NASA establishing a dedicated Technology Maturation Project Office at Goddard Space Flight Center, working in close collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Ames Research Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center. This initiative is advancing critical technologies and science areas while fostering collaboration across government, academia, and industry. Results of HWO working groups will be showcased together with contributions from the global astronomy research community, and the conference proceedings will form a first HWO community science book.

Join us at this first-ever open community conference to learn more, share your insights, and help shape the future of this transformative mission. Additional details about registration and abstract submissions will follow in early 2025. Keep apprised of updates through our mailing list, save the date, and be part of this exciting journey!

HWO Mailing List: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScB6s1BrmewC-Ht8nxakg0jxgZGReyEQ9wh43sKdVzHUI5f-g/viewform

2. Call for HWO AAS Splinter Session Pops Presentations (NOTE: new extended deadline to December 6, 2024)

The HWO AAS Splinter session will have a dedicated "pop" session where participants can provide a brief (~1 minute) single-slide presentation of their work relevant to the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). The Splinter session is scheduled on January 16, 2025, from 9 AM to 12:45 PM ET and the pop session itself will tentatively be 10:45-11:15 AM ET. While the session will be presented in a hybrid fashion, due to logistical limitations, pop presenters must already be attending AAS in person.

Due to the limited number of pop slots, we will prioritize early career individuals (undergraduate, post-bac, graduate, postdoc, and those within 10 years of earning their PhD) who have not previously attended an HWO meeting in person. We will also strive to ensure diverse representation from different topics: for example, but not limited to, origins and evolution of galaxies (including dark sector, AGN, ionizing photons, IGM & ICM), star formation, stars and stellar population, cosmic explosions, and exoplanets.

Please fill out this form to apply for the pop presentation by 8pm ET (5pm PT) on December 6, 2024. Please circulate this announcement with your local institution and communities. If you have any questions, please contact Raissa Estrela (restrela@jpl.nasa.gov) and Rob Zellem (robert.t.zellem@nasa.gov).

3. ROSES-24 Amendment 73: D.13 Astrophysics Pioneers Substantial Revisions

Note: PIONEERS24 NOIs Due January 24, 2025

D13. Astrophysics Pioneers: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId=%7b8C8C2628-3976-F04F-DC88-70706B738C94%7d&path=&method=init

D.13 Astrophysics Pioneers solicits proposals for Astrophysics space and sub-orbital science investigations that are greater in cost, scope and capability than what is possible within the Astrophysics Research and Analysis (APRA) suborbital and CubeSat program (D.3 of ROSES-2024) but are smaller in cost than what is possible within the Astrophysics Explorers Mission of Opportunity (MO) program (e.g., PEA Q of SALMON-3 for the 2021 opportunity). Investigations are solicited using platforms that include CubeSats (including constellations), other SmallSats, and major balloon missions.

ROSES-2024 Amendment 73 makes several substantial changes to D.13 Astrophysics Pioneers:

ISS payloads are no longer solicited due to ISS decommissioning
(cis)-Lunar payloads are no longer solicited (see F.11 PRISM SALSA)
Additional options for launch are included
Sub-orbital launches are excluded, and
Numerous other small changes have been made including outdated references to the guidebook have been updated to refer and link to the new Grant and Cooperative agreement manual.

On or about November 26, 2024, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2024" (NNH24ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024 and will appear on SARA's ROSES blog at: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/solicitations/roses-2024/

Questions concerning D.13 Astrophysics Pioneers may be directed to Michael Garcia at michael.r.garcia@nasa.gov.

ExoPAG News and Announcements (November 5, 2024)

Briefing for Prospective Proposers to ROSES-2024 Solicitation NNH24ZDA001N-USCAPS: U.S. Contributions to Ariel Preparatory Science (November 20, 2024, 1:00 PM EST / 10:00 AM PST)
Town Hall for NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (NASA-DARES 2025) (November 8, 2024, 1:00 PM EST / 10:00 AM PST)
REMINDER: NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC) Meeting (November 7-8, 2024)
REMINDER: Know Thy Star, Know Thy Planet 2 Conference (Abstract Deadline: November 9, 2024)
HWO Working Groups F2F - October 2024 Rochester NY Meeting - Presentations Online
Pebbles in Planet Formation (February 10-13, 2025, Tokyo; Registration deadline for participants requiring an invitation letter: November 30, 2024; Abstract submission deadline: December 10, 2024)
Gas Accretion in Planet Formation (GAP) (March 10-12, 2025, Heidelberg, Germany; Deadline for Abstract Submission and Registration December 8, 2024)

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1. Briefing for Prospective Proposers to ROSES-2024 Solicitation NNH24ZDA001N-USCAPS: U.S. Contributions to Ariel Preparatory Science (November 20, 2024, 1:00 PM EST / 10:00 AM PST)

Briefing for Prospective Proposers to Solicitation NNH24ZDA001N-USCAPS
U.S. Contributions to Ariel Preparatory Science
ROSES 2024, Appendix D.21
Date: November 20, 2024
Time: 1:00 PM EST (10:00 AM PST)

Meeting Description:
This preproposal videoconference is designed to provide information for prospective proposers about the new ROSES program element entitled, “U.S. Contributions to Ariel Preparatory Science” (USCAPS; ROSES 2024, Appendix D.21) that was released on October 15, 2024. Topics covered in the presentation will include:

Background information about NASA’s plans to support U.S. community involvement in the European Space Agency’s Ariel mission;
Descriptions of the areas of research solicited under the USCAPS program;
NASA’s expectations regarding coordination between the selected investigations, the NASA Ariel Science Center (NASC), and the Ariel Science Consortium; and
Guidance for preparing and submitting complete and properly anonymized proposals in response to the solicitation.
Open Q&A

Participants can use the link and/or QR code (in the attached PDF) to submit questions in advance of the meeting.

URL for questions: https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/chs9/#!/dashboard
Webinar Link: https://tinyurl.com/v9s3tkw6
Webinar number: 2823 325 3009
Webinar password: jJqgT98JKz9 (55748985 from phone or video system)
Join by phone
+1-415-527-5035 United States Toll
+1-312-500-3163 United States Toll (Chicago)
Access code: 282 332 53009

2. Town Hall for NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (NASA-DARES 2025) (November 8, 2024, 1:00 PM EST / 10:00 AM PST)

Join us for an interactive NASA Astrobiology Town Hall where we will provide an overview of the forthcoming NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (NASA-DARES 2025). This new Strategy aims to address the evolving needs of the astrobiology community, reflecting its growth and increasing interdisciplinarity. NASA-DARES 2025 emphasizes astrobiology’s expanded role as a central pillar across NASA’s scientific research and mission portfolios, creating a framework that guides research and exploration over the next decade.

SUBMIT A QUESTION: https://arc.cnf.io/sessions/dgnp/#!/dashboard

JOIN THE WEBINAR: https://www.youtube.com/live/B_3bMaUIsBM

Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the ongoing Request for Information (RFI) process, accessible through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) at https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI. We will also discuss how the RFI feedback will be used to inform the Strategy’s direction, as well as additional opportunities for community involvement and engagement throughout the coming year.

Submit a Question:
Ask questions in advance by clicking the "Submit A Question" button above. Let us know what issues matter the most to you by upvoting questions already in the list.

Agenda (EST):
1:00PM Presentation - DARES Overview/Strategy (30 minutes – Rachel)
1:30PM Questions (30 minutes – Rachel/David)

Presenters:
David Grinspoon, Senior Scientist for Astrobiology Strategy, NASA HQ
Rachel Harris, NASA Postdoctoral Management Program Fellow, NASA HQ

For more information: https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI

3. REMINDER: NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC) Meeting (November 7-8, 2024)

The NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC) will be holding their next meeting November 7-8, 2024.

Agenda: https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/apac-nov-2024-agenda-draft102924.pdf

APAC: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/nac/science-advisory-committees/apac/

4. REMINDER: Know Thy Star, Know Thy Planet 2 Conference (Abstract Deadline: November 9, 2024)

A reminder that the deadline for abstracts for the “Know Thy Star, Know Thy Planet 2” Conference (to be held at Caltech in Pasadena, CA, February 3-7, 2025) is Saturday, November 9, 2024:

Abstract submissions: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/knowthystar2/abstracts
Know Thy Star, Know Thy Planet 2: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/knowthystar2/

The SOC is committed to building an inclusive conference agenda and is looking for ways to facilitiate vibrant, thoughtful, and respectful discussions between all participants. Attendees may submit abstracts for talks and/or posters. You may make multiple submissions and submit to more than one category. Please fill out the abstract form for each abstract you wish to submit. Abstracts will be anonymously ranked and selected by the SOC.

5. HWO Working Groups F2F - October 2024 Rochester NY Meeting - Presentations Online

The fourth Face-to-Face (F2F) meeting of the Habitable Worlds Observatory took place October 22 - October 24, 2024, in Rochester, NY. Presentations and posters from the poster session are now available online at: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/hwo-f2f-oct24/

6. Pebbles in Planet Formation (February 10-13, 2025, Tokyo; Registration deadline for participants requiring an invitation letter: November 30, 2024; Abstract submission deadline: December 10, 2024)

Pebbles in Planet Formation
10-13 February 2025
NAOJ Mitaka Campus, Tokyo, Japan and Online
https://indico2.riken.jp/event/5012/

Research on planet formation involves various approaches, including explorations of small solar system bodies, observations of protoplanetary disks, dust experiments, simulations, and theoretical studies. One of the primary objectives in this field is to develop a comprehensive theory that explains how kilometer-sized planetesimals form from micrometer-sized dust grains, drawing upon findings from these diverse research methods.

This workshop will focus on the concept of pebbles, which play a crucial role in the planet formation process. Pebbles — typically defined as solids ranging from millimeter to centimeter in size — are intermediate building blocks in planet formation, though their definition varies depending on the context. Assuming pebbles has led to theoretical advances in mechanisms such as streaming instability and pebble accretion, which promote the formation and growth of planetesimals. Additionally, pebbles have been linked to barriers against dust growth, such as the bouncing barrier. Furthermore, observations of protoplanetary disks have revealed the size distribution and porosity of solids, while the strength and thermal conductivity of comets obtained by the Rosetta mission suggest the accumulation of pebbles due to disk instabilities. However, inconsistencies have been pointed out between pebble formation and theories of dust growth.

This workshop aims to revisit and refine our understanding of solid materials implicated in planet formation, particularly in light of findings from solar system explorations and protoplanetary disk observations. We aim to reevaluate the definition and role of pebbles in the broader context of planet formation, with a special focus on the current challenges and open questions in the field. The workshop will include discussions of experiments and simulations of dust growth and collisions, and planetesimal formation mechanisms such as streaming instability. The workshop features keynote talks from the perspectives of explorations, observations, experiments, simulations, and theories, and we also call for presentations on related topics.

TOPICS:
Pebble-related: Solar system explorations, Protoplanetary disk observations, Experiments, Simulations, Theories, Planetesimal formation, Other related topics

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Carsten Güttler (University of Münster), Ryota Fukai (JAXA/ISAS), Takahiro Ueda (CfA), Bastian Gundlach (University of Münster), Min-Kai Lin (ASIAA), Misako Tatsuuma (RIKEN)

IMPORTANT DATES:
Registration deadline for participants requiring an invitation letter: Nov 30, 2024
Abstract submission deadline: Dec 10, 2024
Announcement of program: Early January 2025
In-person registration deadline: Jan 10, 2025

Zoom registration deadline: Feb 3, 2025
Workshop dates: Feb 10-13, 2025
(Feb 11: excursion due to the Japanese holiday)

ORGANIZERS:
Misako Tatsuuma (RIKEN iTHEMS), Akimasa Kataoka (NAOJ), Yuhito Shibaike (NAOJ), Tomomi Omura (Osaka Sangyo Univ.), Ryosuke Tominaga (Institute of Science Tokyo), Kiyoaki Doi (MIPA), Naoya Kitade (NAOJ)

SPONSORSHIP:
This workshop is co-organized by RIKEN and NAOJ and supported by JSPS KAKENHI grants and RIKEN iTHEMS.

7. Gas Accretion in Planet Formation (GAP) (March 10-12, 2025, Heidelberg, Germany; Deadline for Abstract Submission and Registration December 8, 2024)

Gas Accretion in Planet formation (GAP)
10 - 12 March 2025
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany
https://sites.google.com/view/gapconference1/

The most direct approach to studying the planet formation process is to identify and characterize young, forming planets still embedded in protoplanetary disks. The final stages of gas giant planet formation are influenced by the gas supply from the disk. Additionally, these studies offer insights into the relationship with isolated planetary-mass accretors and wide-orbit planets that are not embedded within disks. The aim of this meeting is to bring together researchers to discuss current understanding of gas accretion during planet formation and to explore future directions in this field.

The meeting will be held in person at the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany, from Monday 10:00 AM until Wednesday around 2:00 PM.

Due to the capacity of the conference room, the number of attendees is limited to 75.

Important dates:
Call for abstracts and registration open: 1 November 2024
Deadline for Abstract Submission and Registration: 8 December 2024
Program Release: Middle of December 2024
Meeting Dates: 10-12 March 2025

ExoPAG News and Announcements (October 30, 2024)

REMINDER: Habitable Worlds Observatory Seminar (October 30, 2024, 1:00pm ET/10:00am PT)
NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC) Meeting (November 7-8, 2024)
Astrophysics Virtual Town Hall (October 23, 2024) Presentation Slides Posted Online
Exoplanets in our Backyard 3: Last Call to Register (November 13-15, 2024, Louisville)
Exoclimes VII (July 7-11, 2025, Montreal)

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1. REMINDER: Habitable Worlds Observatory Seminar (October 30, 2024, 1:00pm ET/10:00am PT)

The rescheduled Habitable Worlds Observatory Seminar will be Wednesday, October 30, 2024 (1:00pm ET/10:00am PT)

Aki Roberge (NASA/GSFC)

“Introduction to the Habitable Worlds Observatory”

Humans have long wondered if there were worlds around other stars — and life on those worlds. Over the last two decades, astronomers have found that the answer to the first question is a resounding YES. Those accomplishments have put us in a position to possibly answer the second question. The 2020 US Astrophysics Decadal Survey laid out a path to the first telescope that can find out if truly Earth-like exoplanets are common or rare and search them for signs of life, while performing a wide range of transformative astrophysics studies and Solar System observations.

NASA has dubbed that space telescope the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). This presentation will briefly introduce HWO’s scientific goals and planned technical capabilities. I’ll then move on to NASA’s current efforts to mature the HWO mission concept, highlighting key activities. Science, technology, engineering, and many other areas must band together in the journey to realize this revolutionary endeavor.

Giada Arney (NASA/GSFC)

“The Scientific Potential of Habitable Worlds Observatory”

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is a future NASA flagship observatory following in the tradition of other transformative space-based observing platforms such as Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope. Due to its large aperture primary mirror, powerful instrument suite, and broad wavelength coverage in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared, the science capabilities of HWO will be broad and deep. Its major goals will include searching for signs of life on Earth-like exoplanets, understanding the origin of galaxies, studying the cycling of matter in our universe, placing our solar system in a broader cosmic context, and more. The presentation will briefly introduce HWO’s major science capabilities across astrophysics and planetary science. HWO will be capable of addressing some of the biggest questions we have today — and questions we can’t yet think to ask.

NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory website: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/

Connection Information: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/561/habitable-worlds-observatory-hwo-seminar-series/

2. NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC) Meeting (November 7-8, 2024)

The NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC) will be holding their next meeting November 7-8, 2024.

Agenda: https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/apac-nov-2024-agenda-draft102924.pdf

APAC: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/nac/science-advisory-committees/apac/

3. Astrophysics Virtual Town Hall (October 23, 2024) Presentation Slides Posted Online

Presentation slides from the NASA Astrophysics Division Town Hall from October 23, 2024 are now posted online at: https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/astro/documents/Town_Hall_Oct._2024_Gold-2_copy.pdf

4. Exoplanets in our Backyard 3: Last Call to Register (November 13-15, 2024, Louisville)

Purpose & Scope:
EioB3 is a workshop dedicated to addressing the complex challenges of exoplanet research through interdisciplinary collaboration. It brings together experts from solar system science, astrophysics, and related fields to foster cross-disciplinary partnerships and share insights on exoplanetary research — past, present, and future. The event emphasizes discussion, networking, and the exchange of knowledge, with invited speakers leading the discourse. Abstract submissions are encouraged but not mandatory. Researchers of all levels will benefit from the collaborative environment aimed at advancing the detection and characterization of exoplanets. The workshop schedule can be found here: Schedule and Abstracts and our sessions and invited speakers can be found here: Sessions, Themes, & Speakers.

Conference Location and Dates:
EioB3 will be held in Louisville, Kentucky at the Muhammad Ali Center, from November 13-15, 2024 and is in person only. Registration is $425 and will be open until November 1. https://www.exoplanetsbackyard.com/registration

Please note that space is limited, and no on-site registrations will be allowed. The event aims to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue and education and due to this there will not be an online/virtual component.

Registration & Additional Information:
For more information visit https://www.exoplanetsbackyard.com/ and/or send an email for the organizers to exoplanetsbackyard@bmsis.org.

5. Exoclimes VII (July 7-11, 2025, Montreal)

"Dear colleagues,

We are excited to announce that the Exoclimes VII conference will be organized by the Trottier Institute for Research in Exoplanets and held in Montréal (Canada) from July 7 to 11, 2025. To maintain the collaborative spirit of Exoclimes, the number of participants will be limited to 200. Exoclimes is a conference series devoted to the atmosphere, climate, and evolution of sub-stellar bodies from solar system worlds to exoplanets and brown dwarfs. It began at Exeter in 2010 and is coming back with a 7th edition.

Alongside this year’s Exoclimes conference, we will be holding a summer school program (ExoSLAM2) for early career researchers and those new to the field of atmosphere and climate sciences, focusing on observations. ExoSLAM (Exoclimes Summer School on Atmospheres and Modelling) will run from 3-5 July 2025 before the conference and will be open to up to 50 participants.

If you would like to receive further communications about this upcoming meeting, please fill out the interest form below. This will also help the LOC gauge the enthusiasm around the conference and the needs of potential attendees.

Let me know if you have any questions!

We look forward to seeing you in Montréal,
The Exoclimes VII and ExoSLAM local organizing committees"

Exoclimes VII: https://exoclimes.org/about.html
Trottier Institute for Research in Exoplanets: https://exoplanetes.umontreal.ca/

Interest form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfAnAHLpGFWQkZniHTU2rA7pORBO0M5Z9EsYwbWWfRWD1ipqw/viewform

ExoPAG News and Announcements (October 23, 2024)

REMINDER: Astrophysics Virtual Town Hall (October 23, 2024; 3:00pm EDT / 12:00pm PDT)
ROSES-24 Amendment 60: New Opportunity: D.21 U.S. Contributions to Ariel Preparatory Science (Mandatory NOIs due December 12, 2024; Proposals Due Feburary 4, 2025; Pre-proposal Video Conference November 20, 2024)
2025 Sagan Summer Workshop Silver Jubilee: Exoplanet Demographics (July 21-25, 2025, Pasadena)
Sixth Workshop on Extremely Precise Radial Velocities (EPRV6) (June 30-July 3, 2025, Porto, Portugal)
Detection and Dynamics of Exoplanets (DDE): Interplay Between Theory and Observations (July 7-11, 2025, University of Coimbra, Portugal)
Habitable Worlds Observatory Exoplanet Spectral Retrieval Tutorial Workshop (November 18-19, 2024, Baltimore)
REMINDER: Call for Early Career Speakers at the ExoPAG 31 Meeting (January 11-12, 2025; Speaker Application Deadline October 25, 2024)
REMINDER: ExEP Postdoctoral Research Associate (Application Deadline: December 6, 2024)
REMINDER: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee (Member and Chair) of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) (Deadline for Nominations: January 31, 2025)
REMINDER: Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Seminar Series: First Talks (Aki Roberge & Giada Arney) (October 30, 2024; 1:00pm-2:00pm ET / 10:00am-11:00am PT)

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1. REMINDER: Astrophysics Virtual Town Hall (October 23, 2024; 3:00pm EDT / 12:00pm PDT)

NASA’s Astrophysics Division (APD) invites you to participate in an upcoming virtual community Town Hall on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, from 3:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time. Astrophysics Division Director Dr. Mark Clampin will provide an update on current Astrophysics Division activities of interest to the community and will answer questions submitted through the IO tool.

Submit your questions and upvote others ahead of and during the meeting using our IO tool: https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/n66j/#!/dashboard

IO is open now, and questions may be submitted at any time prior to or during the Town Hall. Thank you in advance for your questions!

Attendees must preregister to receive meeting connection information. Preregister at: https://nasaevents.webex.com/weblink/register/rba19ad70ee9e6c7adf8a2b49aaae6748

If you have any questions about the virtual town hall meeting, please contact David Morris at david.c.morris@nasa.gov.

2. ROSES-24 Amendment 60: New Opportunity: D.21 U.S. Contributions to Ariel Preparatory Science (Mandatory NOIs due December 12, 2024; Proposals Due Feburary 4, 2025; Pre-proposal Video Conference November 20, 2024)

ROSES-24 Amendment 60: New Opportunity: D.21 U.S. Contributions to Ariel Preparatory Science

Ariel is the fourth European Space Agency (ESA) Cosmic Vision medium class science mission which will use near- and mid-infrared spectroscopy to characterize the atmospheres of approximately 1000 exoplanets, thereby providing a systematic statistical assessment of the properties of exoplanet atmospheres. NASA is partnering with ESA on the Ariel mission through the Contribution to ARIEL Spectroscopy of Exoplanets (CASE) project which was selected as an Explorers Program Mission of Opportunity in 2019. CASE will extend the spectral coverage of the Ariel mission by contributing fine guidance sensor units capable of providing multiband photometry and low-resolution spectroscopy at optical/near-infrared wavelengths. The CASE observations will facilitate the detection of clouds and hazes in exoplanet atmospheres and measurements of geometric albedos of the planets.

The Ariel mission is currently working toward a launch date in late 2029 with a subsequent 4-year prime mission. Planning and execution of all aspects of Ariel mission science is the responsibility of the Ariel Science Consortium, a multinational coalition which includes representatives from 17 European countries as well as the United States, Canada, and Japan. To meet the ambitious goal of observing and characterizing 1000 exoplanet atmospheres, the Ariel Science Consortium has initiated a comprehensive Ariel Preparatory Science Program that encompasses a variety of activities to provide the characterization, prioritization, and selection of targets that will be required to optimize science operations and advance to science goals of the Ariel mission. D.21 U.S. Contributions to Ariel Preparatory Science (US-CAPS) is established to solicit proposals from the U.S. community for investigations that will integrate with and complement the ongoing activities of the Ariel Science Consortium.

ROSES-2024 Amendment 60 releases a new program element: D.21 U.S. Contributions to Ariel Preparatory Science (US-CAPS). Mandatory Notices of intent are due December 12, 2024, and proposals are due February 4, 2025.

A preproposal videoconference for prospective proposers to this program will be held at 1 PM EST (10 AM PST) on November 20, 2024. Topics covered will include a summary of NASA’s involvement in the Ariel mission, the scope of the work solicited under this program element and expectations of awardees, and specific considerations and requirements for proposals to the program. We will post the connection information for the preproposal videoconference in the “Other Documents” section on the NSPIRES page for this program element by November 1, 2024.

On or about October 15 2024, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2024" (NNH24ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024 and will appear on SARA's ROSES blog at: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/solicitations/roses-2024/

Questions concerning D.21 US-CAPS may be directed to Hannah Jang-Condell at Hannah.Jang-Condell@nasa.gov and Douglas Hudgins at Douglas.M.Hudgins@nasa.gov.

Ariel: https://arielmission.space/

D.21 U.S. Contributions to Ariel Preparatory Science: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId=%7bC0A12E83-6C51-94E8-FEE4-2512E1C29EA9%7d&path=&method=init

3. 2025 Sagan Summer Workshop Silver Jubilee: Exoplanet Demographics (July 21-25, 2025, Pasadena)

2025 Sagan Summer Workshop
Silver Jubilee: Exoplanet Demographics
July 21-25, 2025
Hosted by The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
https://nexsci.caltech.edu/workshop/2025/

The topic of the 2025 Sagan Summer Workshop will be the "Demographics of Exoplanets" and will address the contribution of each of the major planet-finding techniques to our overall knowledge of the architecture of exoplanet systems. Along with presentations about each technique and its particular strengths and biases, the workshop will address the synthesis of these results into a complete demographic picture for comparison with models of the formation and evolution of planetary systems. The Workshop will explore gaps in our knowledge and how future missions and surveys will address them. Of particular interest will be understanding the importance of a full demographic picture, including the incidence of Earth-sized planets in the Habitable Zones of their host stars, to future missions such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory.

The 2025 Sagan Summer Workshop will the 25th in this series of workshops. This "Silver Jubilee" will also address the demographics of Workshop attendees over the years with a presentation and discussion of their career trajectories.

The 2025 workshop will be hybrid with both in-person and on-line attendance. The Sagan Summer Workshops are aimed at advanced undergraduates, grad students, and postdocs, however all are welcome to attend. There is no registration fee for these workshops.

Scientific Organizing Committee: Alan Boss, Co-Chair (Carnegie Science/EPL), Courtney Dressing, Co-Chair (UC Berkeley), Chas Beichman (Caltech/IPAC-NExScI), Sarah Dodson-Robinson (University of Delaware), Debra Fischer (Yale), Scott Gaudi (OSU), Todd Henry (Georgia State), Eve Lee (McGill University), Eric Nielsen (New Mexico State University), Leslie Rogers (University of Chicago), Jason Rowe (Bishop's University)

Local Organizing Committee: Frank Aragon (Caltech/IPAC-NExScI), Tracy Chen (Caltech/IPAC-NExScI), Catherine Clark (Caltech/IPAC-NExScI), Megan Crane (Caltech/IPAC-NExScI), Melanie Swain (Caltech/IPAC-NExScI)

4. Sixth Workshop on Extremely Precise Radial Velocities (EPRV6) (June 30-July 3, 2025, Porto, Portugal)

This is the 1st announcement of the Sixth workshop on Extremely Precise Radial Velocities (EPRV6), 30 June - 03 July 2025, Porto, Portugal

High resolution spectroscopy and Doppler Radial Velocities (RV) are one of the main battle-horses of exoplanet research. Over the last years, a number of new instruments were commissioned and developed. The data analysis techniques have also been upgraded, with particular improvement on the correction of stellar variability. It is thus a great time to come together to discuss these advancements and pave the way for the next step in RV precision.

Following the tradition of previous workshops, EPRV 6 will provide the latest news on extreme precision RV, focusing on:

New instrumentation developments and challenges
Data reduction and post-processing
Stellar (and solar) variability, and methods of mitigation
New results in exoplanet research using high resolution spectroscopy

The maximum attendance (in person) will be 200 persons. The conference will be hybrid, with a reduced fee for online attendance.

Call for Splinters

In the context of the workshop, we have open a call for splinter sessions. The deadline for submission is the 29th of November of 2024.

The workshop will include a 2-hour block on 3 or 4 days for various splinter sessions. Please specify if you are proposing one block or more of two hours.

If you expect that proposed session will produce a work such as a white paper, data challenge, coordinated observations, or review article please let us know in the comments.

All are welcome to apply. We specially encourage applications on the following topics:

Integrated optics / photonic lanterns
LFC
Infrared instrumentation
Astrophysical and instrumental jitter

Splinter submission: https://www.iastro.pt/research/conferences/eprv6/splinters.html

SOC: Susana Barros (Co-Chair), Nuno Santos (Co-Chair), Xavier Dumusque, João Faria, Jason Wright, Jennifer Burt, Chris Schwab, Sharon Wang, Chad Bender, Rodrigo Diaz, Megan Bedell, Alejandro Suárez Mascareño, Heather Cegla, Courtney Dressing, Debra Fischer, Alex Wolszczan

Website: https://www.iastro.pt/research/conferences/eprv6/
Contact: eprv6@iastro.pt.

Best wishes,
Susana Barros and Nuno Santos for the SOC

5. Detection and Dynamics of Exoplanets (DDE): Interplay Between Theory and Observations (July 7-11, 2025, University of Coimbra, Portugal)

https://indico.cern.ch/event/1463154/

ABSTRACT

Detecting and characterizing planets in multiple systems is not an easy task, because the traces of each body overlap, and the observations can be reproduced by different orbital configurations. Additionally, in many systems, planets are involved in mean motion resonances or resonant chains, making it even more difficult to disentangle the individual contributions. In the DDE symposium, we aim to bring together communities of observers and theoreticians working on exoplanets. Through the exchange of knowledge and difficulties, we hope that it will be possible to develop common strategies to extract the maximum constraints from observational data and theoretical models.

KEY TOPICS

Stability and dynamics of planetary systems
Formation and evolution of planetary systems
Exomoons, exorings, and trojan systems
Planets in binary systems
Star-planet interactions and exoplanets' characterization
RV-detected multiple systems
TTVs and transit-detected compact systems
Astrometry and direct imaging
Future synergies between theory and observations

KEY SPEAKERS

Susana Barros (University of Porto, Portugal)
Anne-Marie Lagrange (Paris Observatory, France)
Adrien Leleu (University of Geneva, Switzerland)
Sarah Millholland (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA)
Cristobal Petrovich (Indiana University Bloomington, USA)
Sean Raymond (University of Bordeaux, France)
Amaury Triaud (University of Birmingham, UK)
Stéphane Udry (University of Geneva, Switzerland)

SOC

Alexandre Correia (chair, University of Coimbra, Portugal)
Anne-Sophie Libert (co-chair, University of Namur, Belgium)
Nuno C. Santos (co-chair, University of Porto, Portugal)
Rodrigo Diaz (National University of San Martin, Argentina)
Jacques Laskar (Observatoire de Paris, France)
Monika Lendl (University of Geneva, Switzerland)
Jack Lissauer (NASA Ames Research Center, USA)
Rosemary Mardling (Monash University, Australia)
Helena Morais (São Paulo State University, Brazil)

6. REMINDER: Call for Early Career Speakers at the ExoPAG 31 Meeting (January 11-12, 2025; Speaker Application Deadline October 25, 2024)

NASA's Exoplanet Program Analysis Group’s Executive Committee (ExoPAG EC) and NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) Office invites eligible early career scientists to consider presenting at the next ExoPAG meeting being held January 11-12, 2025 in conjunction with the American Astronomical Society’s 245th meeting in National Harbor, MD. The EC and ExEP are particularly interested in attendance and presentations by early career scientists from diverse backgrounds.

Eligibility

The following career levels are eligible to apply:

Undergraduate must be enrolled in school at the time of the conference or the semester immediately before the conference (if during break)
Post Bachelor
Graduate students must be enrolled at a university at the time of the conference or the semester immediately before the conference (if during break)
Post Doctoral

Selected speakers will be eligible for travel reimbursement which may consist of roundtrip airfare, lodging, car rental, meals, and conference registration based on approved government rates.

Focus of proposed ExoPAG 31 talks

Whether you are investigating how planets form, how they evolve or how to search for and characterize them, the ExoPAG EC invites you to share your work. Presentations should align with the priorities described in the current Exoplanet Exploration Program Science Gap List. https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/internal_resources/2749/ExEP_Science_Gap_List_2023_Final.pdf

Interested scientists must complete the speaker application, and attach an abstract of their proposed talk prior to the posted deadline, October 25th, 2024 8:00pm ET = 5:00pm PT. See additional information and application here https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag31/exopag31-abstracts/

7. Habitable Worlds Observatory Exoplanet Spectral Retrieval Tutorial Workshop (November 18-19, 2024, Baltimore)

HWO Exoplanet Spectral Retrieval Workshop: Registration is now open for the Habitable Worlds Observatory Exoplanet Spectral Retrieval Tutorial Workshop, set to take place at the Space Telescope Science Institute on November 18-19, 2024. Because the workshop takes place in a conference room with a 40-person capacity, in-person participants are required to complete a brief registration form: https://forms.gle/VXHkav916nXLDhaH8 . If you are certain that you will attend in person, please complete this form soon so that your place is reserved. A preliminary agenda is posted at https://seec.gsfc.nasa.gov/News_and_Events/Spectral_Retrieval_Tutorial_2024.html.

8. REMINDER: ExEP Postdoctoral Research Associate (Application Deadline: December 6, 2024)

The NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) Office at JPL invites applications for a postdoc interested in exoplanet-related research and programmatics.

The successful candidate will work with the Program Office Scientists to support the definition and implementation of current & future exoplanet space observatories and their required precursor science. Preferred research areas are defined by the ExEP Science Gap List (link below) and include:

Analyses of exoplanet demographics, Host star properties, Exozodiacal dust, Simulations of mission science return and signal extraction, Methods to mitigate stellar jitter in radial velocity datasets, Instrumentation for high contrast imaging or precision RV work, Or modeling of exoplanetary atmospheres and biosignatures.

Research connected to the exoplanet priorities of the Astro2020 Decadal Survey is especially encouraged. The appointee will be expected to divide their time between program-related activities and independent exoplanet research. Both facets of the position include interfacing with the science community and the general public.

The ExEP Office works with NASA HQ to implement the Agency's science vision for exoplanets with a portfolio of science analyses, technology development, mission concept development, and supporting ground-based observations. ExEP is a unique environment at the intersection of NASA science, policy, technology, engineering, and public engagement, all focused on the goals of discovering exoplanets, characterizing their properties, and identifying candidates that could harbor life. For further information on current ExEP activities and staff expertise, visit: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to do collaborative research with staff of the JPL Science Division (https:/science.jpl.nasa.gov) and the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI; http://nexsci.caltech.edu/) on the Caltech campus. The exoplanet research environment in Pasadena also includes academic researchers in the Caltech Astronomy and Planetary Science Departments. JPL postdocs can apply for observing time on the Palomar 5-m telescope, whose instruments include optical and near-infrared imagers & spectrographs, and an adaptive optics system.

ExEP Program Office Scientists Drs. Karl Stapelfeldt, Eric Mamajek, and Jennifer Burt will serve as advisors for the successful candidate. The appointee will carry out research in coordination with the advisors, resulting in publications in the open literature. A travel funding allowance will be provided. The selected candidate will be hosted within the NASA ExEP Office but have an organizational home in the Astrophysics & Space Sciences Section of JPL’s Science Division.

Required Qualifications:

Ph.D. in astronomy or planetary science. Candidates with an interest in science management are especially encouraged to apply. Candidates should familiarize themselves with ExEP Program Science Gap list (linked at https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/science-overview) and propose a research plan congruent with these science priorities and the candidate's independent exoplanet research.

Applicants may be subject to additional program requirements by NASA. Postdoc positions are awarded for a minimum of one-year period and may be renewed up to a maximum of three years.

Applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, and 3–5-page research plan. Please arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to exep_postdoc_2024@jpl.nasa.gov by the application deadline of December 6, 2024.

For more information, see the full description at: https://www.jpl.jobs/job/R5051/Postdoc-Exoplanet-Exploration-Program-Postdoctoral-Research-Associate

9. REMINDER: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee (Member and Chair) of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) (Deadline for Nominations: January 31, 2025)

"To: Astrophysics and Planetary Science Community
From: Astrophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Date: October 1, 2024
Subject: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee (Member and Chair) of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG)

Dear Colleagues:

The Astrophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is pleased to issue this open call for nominations to serve on the Executive Committee (EC) of NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG), both as an EC member and/or as Chair. In the coming months, NASA anticipates making several new appointments to the ExoPAG EC, replacing four current members of the committee who have reached the end of their terms. NASA also anticipates making a new appointment to serve as Chair of the ExoPAG EC. New appointments will start in the Spring of 2025 and will be for a period of three years.

NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP, https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/) is the NASA program office that serves as the focal point for exoplanet science and technology, and devises strategies to help NASA achieve its goals in the area of exoplanet science. The ExoPAG is an open, interdisciplinary forum that provides a way for the scientific community to give input to ExEP, and for conducting analyses in support of ExEP science objectives and their implications for planning and prioritization of Program activities. The ExoPAG is led by a Chair who also serves on NASA’s Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC). The Chair works with a volunteer Executive Committee, whose membership is chosen to reflect the broad range of scientific disciplines and interests represented in the exoplanet field (e.g. spanning Astrophysics, Planetary Science, Heliophysics, and Earth Science). Together, the ExoPAG Chair and Executive Committee are responsible for capturing and organizing community input, overseeing ExoPAG analyses, reporting ExoPAG findings and inputs to the Astrophysics Division Director, and keeping the scientific community apprised of ongoing activities and opportunities within ExEP. Detailed information about the structure and function of the ExoPAG, including the current and past membership of the EC, can be found at https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag.

Nominations for the ExoPAG EC and/or EC Chair should be submitted via email to the address: john.p.wisniewski@nasa.gov . Nominations must include both a cover letter and a one-page CV summarizing the nominee’s relevant background. The cover letter should provide a description of the nominee’s area of expertise, qualifications for service, commitment to NASA’s core value of inclusion, and anticipated contributions to the ExoPAG Executive Committee. Cover letters should indicate whether the applicant is interested in serving on the EC or in chairing the EC (or both). Nominations will only be accepted for scientists who are employed at a U.S. institution for the period of the service. There are no citizenship restrictions. Nominations from individuals at academic institutions—university, college, or non-NASA research laboratory—are strongly encouraged. Self-nominations are welcome and treated equally as external nominations. The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2025, with announcement of selections anticipated in Spring of 2025. Selections will be announced by the ExoPAG mailing list (https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/announcementList).

We look forward to working with all of our stakeholders to develop a robust and compelling Exoplanet Exploration Program.

Sincerely,
Dr. John Wisniewski, NASA Headquarters
Deputy Exoplanet Exploration Program Scientist, ExoPAG Executive Secretary"

10. REMINDER: Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Seminar Series: First Talks (Aki Roberge & Giada Arney) (October 30, 2024; 1:00pm-2:00pm ET / 10:00am-11:00am PT)

[Due to a technical issue, the HWO Seminar Series talk originally scheduled for October 9, 2024 has been rescheduled to October 30, 2024]

The NASA COR, PhysCOS, and ExEP program offices invite you to the new seminar series presenting the science and technology of the Habitable Worlds Observatory!

Habitable World Observatory Seminar
30 October 2024, 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/561/habitable-worlds-observatory-hwo-seminar-series/

Aki Roberge, NASA/GSFC
"Introduction to the Habitable Worlds Observatory"

Humans have long wondered if there were worlds around other stars – and life on those worlds. Over the last two decades, astronomers have found that the answer to the first question is a resounding YES. Those accomplishments have put us in a position to possibly answer the second question. The 2020 US Astrophysics Decadal Survey laid out a path to the first telescope that can find out if truly Earth-like exoplanets are common or rare and search them for signs of life, while performing a wide range of transformative astrophysics studies and Solar System observations.

Giada Arney, NASA/GSFC
"The Scientific Potential of Habitable Worlds Observatory"

NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory website: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/

Connection Information will be posted before the event at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/561/habitable-worlds-observatory-hwo-seminar-series/

ExoPAG News and Announcements (October 10, 2024)

Astrophysics Virtual Town Hall (October 23, 2024; 3:00pm EDT / 12:00pm PDT)
ExoPAG 31: Agenda Now Posted (January 11-12, 2025, National Harbor, MD)
REMINDER: Call for Early Career Speakers at the ExoPAG 31 Meeting (January 11-12, 2025; Speaker Application Deadline October 25, 2024)
ExEP Postdoctoral Research Associate (Application Deadline: December 6, 2024)
REMINDER: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee (Member and Chair) of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) (Deadline for Nominations: January 31, 2025)
RESCHEDULED: Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Seminar Series: First Talks (Aki Roberge & Giada Arney) (October 30, 2024; 1:00pm-2:00pm ET / 10:00am-11:00am PT)
NASA Establishes New Class of Astrophysics Missions, Selects Studies
Request for Information (RFI): Development of NASA-DARES 2025: The NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy
REMINDER: Know Thy Star Know Thy Planet 2 (Abstract submission deadline: November 9, 2024)
Third Penn State SETI Symposium (August 18-21, 2025, State College, PA)
Rogue Worlds 2024: Uniting Theory and Observation (December 11-14, 2024, Osaka, Japan; Abstract Deadline: October 20, 2024)

+ more

1. Astrophysics Virtual Town Hall (October 23, 2024; 3:00pm EDT / 12:00pm PDT)

Submit your questions and upvote others ahead of and during the meeting using our IO tool: https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/n66j/#!/dashboard

IO is open now, and questions may be submitted at any time prior to or during the Town Hall. Thank you in advance for your questions!

Attendees must preregister to receive meeting connection information. Preregister at: https://nasaevents.webex.com/weblink/register/rba19ad70ee9e6c7adf8a2b49aaae6748

If you have any questions about the virtual town hall meeting, please contact David Morris at david.c.morris@nasa.gov.

2. ExoPAG 31: Agenda Now Posted (January 11-12, 2025, National Harbor, MD)

The 31st meeting of the ExoPAG will be held January 11-12, 2025 in National Harbor, MD as part of the American Astronomical Society’s 245th conference scheduled for January 12-16, 2025. The ExoPAG will be a hybrid meeting.

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag31/exopag31-overview/

The draft agenda has been posted at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/internal_resources/3124/ExoPAG%2031%20agenda_100824.pdf

3. REMINDER: Call for Early Career Speakers at the ExoPAG 31 Meeting (January 11-12, 2025; Speaker Application Deadline October 25, 2024)

Eligibility

The following career levels are eligible to apply:

Undergraduate must be enrolled in school at the time of the conference or the semester immediately before the conference (if during break)
Post Bachelor
Graduate students must be enrolled at a university at the time of the conference or the semester immediately before the conference (if during break)
Post Doctoral

Selected speakers will be eligible for travel reimbursement which may consist of roundtrip airfare, lodging, car rental, meals, and conference registration based on approved government rates.

Focus of proposed ExoPAG 31 talks

4. ExEP Postdoctoral Research Associate (Application Deadline: December 6, 2024)

The NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) Office at JPL invites applications for a postdoc interested in exoplanet-related research and programmatics.

Required Qualifications:

Applicants may be subject to additional program requirements by NASA. Postdoc positions are awarded for a minimum of one-year period and may be renewed up to a maximum of three years.

For more information, see the full description at: https://www.jpl.jobs/job/R5051/Postdoc-Exoplanet-Exploration-Program-Postdoctoral-Research-Associate

[Please note that job ads are only posted via the exopagannounce email list that directly support ExEP activities at NASA HQ or the program office at JPL.]

5. REMINDER: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee (Member and Chair) of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) (Deadline for Nominations: January 31, 2025)

Dear Colleagues:

We look forward to working with all of our stakeholders to develop a robust and compelling Exoplanet Exploration Program.

Sincerely,
Dr. John Wisniewski, NASA Headquarters
Deputy Exoplanet Exploration Program Scientist, ExoPAG Executive Secretary"

6. RESCHEDULED: Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Seminar Series: First Talks (Aki Roberge & Giada Arney) (October 30, 2024; 1:00pm-2:00pm ET / 10:00am-11:00am PT)

[Due to a technical issue, the HWO Seminar Series talk originally scheduled for October 9, 2024 has been rescheduled to October 30, 2024]

The NASA COR, PhysCOS, and ExEP program offices invite you to the new seminar series presenting the science and technology of the Habitable Worlds Observatory!

Habitable World Observatory Seminar
30 October 2024, 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/561/habitable-worlds-observatory-hwo-seminar-series/

Aki Roberge, NASA/GSFC
"Introduction to the Habitable Worlds Observatory"

Giada Arney, NASA/GSFC
"The Scientific Potential of Habitable Worlds Observatory"

NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory website: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/

Connection Information will be posted before the event at: https://cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/studies/habitable-worlds/events/seminars/01-30-Oct-2024/30-Oct-2024.php

7. NASA Establishes New Class of Astrophysics Missions, Selects Studies

NASA Establishes New Class of Astrophysics Missions, Selects Studies

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-establishes-new-class-of-astrophysics-missions-selects-studies/

Two proposals for missions to observe X-ray and far-infrared wavelengths of light from space were selected by NASA for additional review, the agency announced Thursday. Each proposal team will receive $5 million to conduct a 12-month mission concept study. After detailed evaluation of those studies, NASA expects to select one concept in 2026 to proceed with construction, for a launch in 2032.

The resulting mission will become the first in a new class of NASA astrophysics missions within the agency’s longstanding Explorers Program. The new mission class, Probe Explorers, will fill a gap between flagship and smaller-scale missions in NASA’s exploration of the secrets of the universe.

“NASA’s Explorers Program brings out some of the most creative ideas for missions that help us reveal the unknown about our universe. Establishing this new line of missions – the largest our Astrophysics program has ever competed – has taken that creativity to new heights,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Both of the selected concepts could enable ground-breaking science responsive to the top astrophysics priorities of the decade, develop key technologies for future flagship missions, and offer opportunities for the entire community to use the new observatory, for the benefit of all.”

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s 2020 Decadal Survey, Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s, recommended NASA establish this new mission class, with the first mission observing either X-ray or far-infrared wavelengths of light. Mission costs for the new Probe Explorers are capped at $1 billion each, not including the cost of the rocket, launch services, or any contributions.

NASA evaluated Probe Explorers proposals based on their scientific merit in alignment with the Decadal Survey’s recommendations, feasibility of development plans, and use of technologies that could support the development of future large missions.

The selected proposals are:

Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite

This mission would be an X-ray imaging observatory with a large, flat field-of-view and high spatial resolution. It would study the seeds of supermassive black holes; investigate the process of stellar feedback, which influences how galaxies evolve; and help determine the power sources of a variety of explosive phenomena in the cosmos. The observatory would build on the successes of previous X-ray observatories, capturing new capabilities for X-ray imaging and imaging spectroscopy.

Principal investigator: Christopher Reynolds, University of Maryland, College Park
Project management: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland

Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics

This observatory would be a 5.9-foot (1.8-meter) telescope studying far-infrared wavelengths, helping bridge the gap between existing infrared observatories, such as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, and radio telescopes. By studying radiant energy that only emerges in the far-infrared, the mission would address questions about the origins and growth of planets, supermassive black holes, stars, and cosmic dust.

Principal investigator: Jason Glenn, NASA Goddard
Project management: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California

The Explorers Program is the oldest continuous NASA program designed to provide frequent, low-cost access to space using principal investigator-led space science investigations relevant to the Science Mission Directorate’s astrophysics and heliophysics programs. Since the Explorer 1 launch in 1958, which discovered Earth’s radiation belts, the Explorers Program has launched more than 90 missions, including the Uhuru and Cosmic Background Explorer missions that led to Nobel prizes for their investigators.

The Explorers Program is managed by NASA Goddard for the Science Mission Directorate, which conducts a wide variety of research and scientific exploration programs for Earth studies, space weather, the solar system and universe.

For more information about the Explorers Program, visit: https://explorers.gsfc.nasa.gov

Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-617-4977
alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov

8. Request for Information (RFI): Development of NASA-DARES 2025: The NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy

Request for Information (RFI): Development of NASA-DARES 2025: The NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy

Number: NNH25ZDA002L
Release Date: October 8, 2024
Response Date: February 4, 2025
Short URL: https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI

Dear Colleagues:

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is pleased to announce a Request for Information (RFI) to gather community responses for the development of the forthcoming 2025 NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (NASA-DARES).

The need for a new Strategy is timely. Since the publication of the 2015 Astrobiology Strategy, the field has experienced transformative growth, driven by numerous scientific discoveries and technological advancements. “Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023 – 2032" (OWL) identifies decadal priorities for astrobiology within the context of planetary science missions. Recognizing astrobiology’s emergence as a cross-cutting pillar of NASA’s scientific and mission portfolios, NASA-DARES 2025 will broaden the scope of astrobiology to reflect the full breadth and potential of astrobiology research and exploration at NASA in support of a growing interdisciplinary community.

This RFI seeks responses broadly from U.S. industry, universities, non-profit organizations, individuals, NASA centers, Federal Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and other U.S. federal, state, local, tribal government agencies as well as the international science community. Responses are subject to the restrictions placed on NASA by the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, P.L. 118-42, Sec. 526” that prohibit bilateral relationships with China. Details of that restriction are at https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ103/PLAW-117publ103.pdf.

This email is a partial summary of the RFI. For the full text of the RFI and response instructions, visit the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) at https://nspires.nasaprs.com, choose/click on “Solicitations” at the top of the page, and on the next page input number “NNH25ZDA002L” in the search box or use the direct short URL above. In the event of any future lapses to the NASA operations, RFI respondents should visit NSPIRES, the official NASA source for this RFI.

All responses to this RFI must be submitted in an electronic format per section “6. Response Instructions” via NSPIRES. The RFI Response should address the requested information found in section “5. Requested Information”, including an indication of the primary Topic addressed followed by no more than three secondary Topics as outlined in section “3. Requested Response Topics”.

Please email questions and comments concerning this RFI to the email address below, no later than January 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM Eastern, with the subject line: “NASA-DARES 2025 RFI Question/Clarification”. NASA intends to respond to received questions by January 29, 2025. Depending on the nature of received questions, NASA may respond on an individual basis by email or may post responses to inquiries in a “Questions and Answers” (Q&A) document available at https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI. Any posted Q&As will be edited to preserve the anonymity of persons and institutions who submit questions and are intended to address inquiries of broader interest and general clarification.

The following email address is not to be used for RFI response submissions. Any RFI submissions made via email will not be considered.

Questions and comments concerning this RFI may be sent to HQ-RFIastrobio@mail.nasa.gov.

Dr. Rachel L. Harris
Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, D.C. 20546

Dr. David Grinspoon
Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, D.C. 20546

9. REMINDER: Know Thy Star Know Thy Planet 2 (Abstract submission deadline: November 9, 2024)

"This is a reminder that abstract submission for “Know Thy Star Know Thy Planet 2” is due one month from today, on Saturday, November 9th.

https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/knowthystar2/

The conference will be held on the Caltech Campus in Pasadena, California, the week of February 3rd-7th, 2025. The conference is a follow-on to the 2017 “Know Thy Star, Know Thy Planet”. This conference will focus on the ways that stars both enable and limit our ability to determine planetary masses, orbits, bulk compositions, and atmospheric abundances, as well as the state-of-the-art knowledge and techniques that have been developed to characterize and mitigate stellar effects. The preliminary agenda can be found here:

https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/knowthystar2/page/KTS2%20Agenda

Important Dates:

Deadline for abstract submission: 09 November 2024
Deadline for in-person registration: 05 January 2025
(Optional) Deadline for conference dinner: 05 January 2025
Deadline for late in-person registration: 31 January 2025
Deadline for online-only registration: 31 January 2025

The meeting is primarily organized around in-person attendance, but online streaming of the talks will be available. Please send questions to knowthystar2@ipac.caltech.edu.

Dr. Catherine A. Clark | she/her
Scientific Outreach Coordinator
NASA Exoplanet Science Institute
Caltech/IPAC"

10. Third Penn State SETI Symposium (August 18-21, 2025, State College, PA)

The Third Penn State SETI Symposium will be held
August 18–21, 2025 at
The Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel
State College, PA
https://sites.psu.edu/setisymposium2025/

This symposium will be a broad look at SETI, including new technosignature search results and upper limits, new search methodologies and instrumentation, theory, and social aspects of the field including the post-detection protocols, message construction, and the historical roots of the field. Interdisciplinarity will be emphasized. As with previous instances, we encourage the submission of proposals for breakout sessions for workshops, tutorials, or special sessions on narrower topics.

Early career researchers are especially encouraged to attend.

To receive updates including announcement of the opening of abstract submission and registration, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/BcXwwNGQkLwkpyf5A

Inquiries to the LOC and SOC should be directed to PSETI.symposium@gmail.com.

11. Rogue Worlds 2024: Uniting Theory and Observation (December 11-14, 2024, Osaka, Japan; Abstract Deadline: October 20, 2024)

Rogue Worlds 2024: Uniting Theory and Observation
Dec. 11-14, 2024
Osaka, Japan
https://rogueworlds2024.org

Rogue Worlds 2024 is the first international workshop dedicated to advancing the understanding of free-floating planets. With new probes of this population launching in the coming years, now is the time to bridge the gap between theoretical predictions and observational prospects. This workshop will bring together leading researchers from both theory and observation to foster collaboration and new insight on these exciting, little-understood worlds.

We seek a large breadth of researchers from different fields, including but not limited to:

Planet formation theory
Planetary dynamics
Gravitational microlensing
Direct imaging
Brown dwarfs
Stellar flares and astrophysical transients

If you are interested in becoming involved in this exciting new field, please submit an abstract at the link below no later than October 20, 2024. We hope to see you in Osaka!

Website: https://rogueworlds2024.org

Contact the SOC: rogueworlds2024@gmail.com

ExoPAG News and Announcements (October 2, 2024)

Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee (Member and Chair) of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) (Deadline for Nominations: January 31, 2025)
Call for Early Career Speakers at the ExoPAG 31 Meeting (January 11-12, 2025; Speaker Application Deadline October 25, 2024)
Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Seminar Series: First Talks (Aki Roberge & Giada Arney) (October 9, 2024; 1:00pm-2:00pm ET / 10:00am-11:00am PT)
Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Technology Roadmap Webinar (November 14, 2024; 1:00pm ET/10:00am PT)
Save the Dates! The 2025 PI Launchpad (August 11-15, 2025; NASA/ARC)
A Future Space Mission with Very High Precision Astrometry Conference: Talk Slides Posted

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1. Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee (Member and Chair) of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) (Deadline for Nominations: January 31, 2025)

Dear Colleagues:

We look forward to working with all of our stakeholders to develop a robust and compelling Exoplanet Exploration Program.

Sincerely,
Dr. John Wisniewski, NASA Headquarters
Deputy Exoplanet Exploration Program Scientist, ExoPAG Executive Secretary"

2. Call for Early Career Speakers at the ExoPAG 31 Meeting (January 11-12, 2025; Speaker Application Deadline October 25, 2024)

Eligibility

The following career levels are eligible to apply:

Undergraduate must be enrolled in school at the time of the conference or the semester immediately before the conference (if during break)
Post Bachelor
Graduate students must be enrolled at a university at the time of the conference or the semester immediately before the conference (if during break)
Post Doctoral

Selected speakers will be eligible for travel reimbursement which may consist of roundtrip airfare, lodging, car rental, meals, and conference registration based on approved government rates.

Focus of proposed ExoPAG 31 talks

3. Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Seminar Series: First Talks (Aki Roberge & Giada Arney) (October 9, 2024; 1:00pm-2:00pm ET / 10:00am-11:00am PT)

The NASA COR, PhysCOS, and ExEP program offices invite you to the new seminar series presenting the science and technology of the Habitable Worlds Observatory!

Habitable World Observatory Seminar
9 October 2024, 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/561/habitable-worlds-observatory-hwo-seminar-series/

"Introduction to the Habitable Worlds Observatory"

Aki Roberge, NASA/GSFC

"The Scientific Potential of Habitable Worlds Observatory"

Giada Arney, NASA/GSFC

NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory website: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/

Connection Information for the presentations can be found at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/561/habitable-worlds-observatory-hwo-seminar-series/

4. Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Technology Roadmap Webinar (November 14, 2024; 1:00pm ET/10:00am PT)

The NASA Astrophysics Division ExEP and PhysCOS/COR program offices invite you to a Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Technology Roadmap Webinar taking place November 14, 2024 at 10:00 Pacific/1pm Eastern.

Please join HWO Chief Technologist Matt Bolcar and HWO Deputy Chief Technologist Feng Zhao, who will describe the HWO technology roadmap, and ways that the astrophysics technology community can get involved in achieving the goals of the roadmap. HWO is the concept for NASA’s next flagship space observatory, to be designed around the capability to discover and characterize potentially habitable plants orbiting other stars. This ambitious mission science goals requires new technology - particularly in the areas of coronagraphy, ultra-stable telescopes, and ultra-violet instrumentation.

The event will consist of 45 minutes of talks followed by 45 minutes of Q&A/Discussion, where attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on the roadmap. The connection link via Microsoft Teams will be announced closer to the event. Please see the event web page here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/560/habitable-worlds-observatory-hwo-technology-roadmap-webinar/

5. Save the Dates! The 2025 PI Launchpad (August 11-15, 2025; NASA/ARC)

The Science Mission Directorate’s 2025 PI Launchpad Event Dates Announced

Are you thinking about developing your first space mission proposal to NASA in the next few years but have no idea where to start? If so, then this forthcoming, in-person workshop is for you!

The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) expects to support a PI Launchpad event from August 11th to 15th, 2025 at NASA Ames Research Center, in Mountain View, California. https://www.nasa.gov/ames/

Details about previous workshops, including workbooks, presentations, and videos, can be found here: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/pi-launchpad/.

SMD will accept applications to attend the 2025 event only via the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) starting in early calendar year 2025. The 2025 application will be similar to, but not identical, to the PI Launchpad Workshop 2023 NNH23ZDA008L, which is available at: https://go.nasa.gov/ApplyPILP23.

Depending on the availability of NASA resources, up to 40 competitively selected applicants may be invited to attend. Likewise dependent on the availability of funds, travel, lunch, and lodging for eligible attendees may be provided.

It is not possible to apply now. One way to learn when PI Launch Pad is open for applications is to subscribe to the SMD announcement list available from NSPIRES. If you are not yet a NSPIRES member, then click the “Create an Account” button on the top right of the page at https://nspires.nasaprs.com/. After you create an account, log in and subscribe to the Science Mission Directorate Mailing list (list serv), as well as any other lists of interest to you. In addition to receiving information about when the PI Launch Pad is accepting applications, you will receive emails about other opportunities. You may need to check you spam filter and add the address, e.g., smd@listsrv.nasaprs.com or smd@listsrv2.nasaprs.com to your safelist.

Sincerely,
The 2025 NASA PI Launch Pad Organizers
hq-smd-piworkshop@mail.nasa.gov

6. A Future Space Mission with Very High Precision Astrometry Conference: Talk Slides Posted

Talk slides from the conference "A Future Space Mission with Very High Precision Astrometry", held September 11-13, 2024 at Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, are now posted at: https://astrometry.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/10

ExoPAG News and Announcements (September 25, 2024)

ExoPAG 31 (January 11-12, 2025, National Harbor, MD)
REMINDER: 2025A NN-EXPLORE Observing Time Available for Exoplanet Research Through NSF NOIRLab Proposal Call (Proposal Deadline September 30, 2024)
REMINDER: Input to ExEP Science Gap List (Input Requested by September 30, 2024)
Call for Habitable Worlds Observatory F2F Poster Session (Due Friday September 27, 2024)
ROSES-24: D.14 Roman Participation Opportunities - Comments Due 1 October 2024
ROSES-24: F.18 MOSAICS 5-Year Collaboration Awards DRAFT Text Released
Town Hall for Planetary Science Research Programs (October 15, 2024)

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1. ExoPAG 31 (January 11-12, 2025, National Harbor, MD)

The 31st meeting of the ExoPAG will be held January 11-12, 2025 in National Harbor, MD as part of the American Astronomical Society’s 245th conference scheduled for January 12-16, 2025. The ExoPAG will be a hybrid meeting.

ExoPAG 31: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag31/exopag31-overview/

ExoPAG 31 Registration: If you intend to participate in ExoPAG 31 in person or remote, organizers ask that you register on the website https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag31/exopag31-registration/ no later than January 3rd, 2025. Registered participants may pick up their name badge at the check in table outside of the meeting room on January 11th and all participants will receive remote connection information prior to the meeting. In-person attendees must register for AAS https://aas.org/meetings/aas245/registration to attend ExoPAG.

Highlights from the agenda are as follows:

Presentations from Habitable Worlds Observatory working group leads on their current activities and future plans.
Roman Project Involvement: A dedicated talk on how early-career scientists can contribute to the Roman Space Telescope’s scientific goals.
Early career talks aligned with the priorities described in the current Exoplanet Exploration Program Science Gap List. (APPLICATION COMING SOON!)
Open Mic Session: Engage in an open discussion where all attendees can provide feedback on exoplanet-related topics, submit new suggestions, and directly influence the ExoPAG Executive Committee, the Exoplanet Exploration Program, and NASA Headquarters.
Reports from Science Interest Groups and Study Analysis Groups: Hear updates on studies related to exoplanet demographics, synergies between exoplanet and solar system research, the impact of exo-zodiacal dust on direct imaging surveys, technosignatures, and more.

ExoPAG meetings offer a forum for deep discussions on scientific and technical issues in exoplanet exploration, with a strong emphasis on community input to guide NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP). We encourage all interested members of the space science community to attend, participate, and contribute to the ongoing prioritization of activities that will advance our understanding of exoplanets.

Suggestions and Findings:

Have you participated in the ExoPAG and thought “this meeting could more useful if…” or “I have really found ExoPAG to benefit me by…” or “If they improved this, it would contribute greatly to the broader community.” There is a form for that!! All members of the ExoPAG community are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions to the ExoPAG Executive Committee (EC) via a known or anonymous submission via the online form. All submissions will be reviewed and discussed by the EC. Please submit your suggestions any time, and no later than October 11th for potential discussion at the January 2025 ExoPAG meeting. https://forms.gle/d3BRXawE8KBJGHSL9

Have you ever thought, “NASA really needs to…” or “My peers and I are severely impacted by… and NASA should do something” There is a form for that too! https://forms.gle/yTfzef8bMEGwBe5m6

Proposed findings will be discussed by the EC and possibly brought to the ExoPAG for review and voting. Examples of past findings can be found here https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopagFoundingDocuments/exopag-findings/

2. REMINDER: 2025A NN-EXPLORE Observing Time Available for Exoplanet Research Through NSF NOIRLab Proposal Call (Proposal Deadline September 30, 2024)

From Dr. David Ardila (NN-EXPLORE Program Manager & NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program Deputy Program Manager):

"NN-EXPLORE observing time available for exoplanet research

NN-EXPLORE is a partnership between NASA and the NSF to support community exoplanet science. NN-EXPLORE will make available about 40 nights of observing time at the WIYN telescope, 300 hours of observing time at SMARTS/CHIRON, and 150 hours of observing time in MINERVA-Australis. The proposals will be managed via the NOIRLab time allocation process. NOIRLab will release the new announcement of opportunity the first week of September 2024. All researchers associated with US institutions are encouraged to apply. More information at https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/NNExplore/overview/."

NSF NOIRLab Call for Standard Proposals: Semester 2025A

https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/call-for-proposals/

This Call for Proposals 2025A (CfP25A) covers the observing time period from 1 February 2025 – 31 July 2025.

Proposal Deadline: 30 September 2024 at 11:59 pm Mountain Standard Time (MST)

Proposals for standard observing programs at all ground-based facilities coordinated by the NSF NOIRLab, which include US time on the telescopes of Gemini, CTIO (including SOAR), and KPNO (WIYN), as well as community-access time with other observatories (which for 2025A include Magellan, CHARA, Keck, and MINERVA-Australis), can be submitted twice per year.

More details about the process of submitting observing proposals to NOIRLab can be found at:

https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/preparing-standard-proposal-instructions.pdf

3. REMINDER: Input to ExEP Science Gap List (Input Requested by September 30, 2024)

The NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) is seeking community input on the ExEP Science Gap List (SGL) through September 30, 2024, with the goal of providing an updated version in early 2025:

The current 2023 version of the SGL is posted on the ExEP Program Science page (https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/science-overview/) at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/internal_resources/2749/ExEP_Science_Gap_List_2023_Final.pdf)

The Science Gap List (SGL) curates from community inputs program “science gaps”, which are defined as the difference between knowledge needed to define requirements for specified future NASA exoplanet missions and the current state of the art, or knowledge which is needed to enhance the science return of current and future NASA exoplanet missions. This gap list is a resource for the broader community, pointing to where focused science investigations are needed over the next 3-5 years in support of community ExEP goals. The ExEP Science Gap List represents activities and investigations that will advance the goals of NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program and provides brief summaries in a convenient tabular format. The ExEP Science Gap list is meant to assist proposers in describing the relevance of their work to Program goals as they respond to SMD ROSES and mission observing proposal solicitations. All ExEP approaches, activities, and decisions are guided by science priorities, and those priorities are presented and summarized in the ExEP Science Gap List.

UPDATE: You can submit your suggestions either anonymously or with your name and email via the new Google form at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18-QkF1PXc8YgZ-X3KLy18MmgcwRmeNBuLYa9up-2wys/

For any questions on the ExEP Science Gap List, you are welcome to contact ExEP scientists Karl Stapelfeldt (Karl.R.Stapelfeldt@jpl.nasa.gov) & Eric Mamajek (Eric.Mamajek@jpl.nasa.gov).

The ExEP Exoplanet Program Science documents are available at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/science-overview/

4. Call for Habitable Worlds Observatory F2F Poster Session (Due Friday September 27, 2024)

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Face-to-Face meeting will take place in Rochester, NY, from October 22nd through 24th.The event will feature an in-person poster session on Wednesday, October 23. Additionally, there will also be a "pop" poster session on Thursday October 24, where participants can provide a brief (~1 minute) overview of their poster work, allowing virtual attendees to engage with their research.

If selected to present a poster, participants will also receive an invitation to attend the meeting in person and travel funds will be available.

Due to the limited number of poster slots, we will prioritize early career individuals (undergraduates, post-bacs, graduate students, postdocs, and those within 10 years of earning their PhD) who have not previously attended an HWO meeting in person. We will also strive to ensure diverse representation from various working groups.

Please fill out this form to apply for a poster presentation by 5pm PT (8pm EST) on Friday September 27.

Please feel free to circulate this announcement at your local institution and communities.

If you have any questions, please contact Raissa Estrela (restrela@jpl.nasa.gov) and Rob Zellem (robert.t.zellem@nasa.gov).

5. ROSES-24: D.14 Roman Participation Opportunities - Comments Due 1 October 2024

NASA’s Astrophysics Division would like to call attention to the draft solicitation, D.14 Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Research and Support Participation Opportunities, that has been open for comments through 1 October 2024.

Please send any questions or comments regarding this draft text to Dominic.Benford@nasa.gov, with the subject line "D.14 Roman Draft".

6. ROSES-24: F.18 MOSAICS 5-Year Collaboration Awards DRAFT Text Released

When it is solicited, F.18 Mentorship and Opportunities in STEM with Academic Institutions for Community Success (MOSAICS) Five-Year Collaboration Awards (M5YCA) will solicit proposals for up to five years of funding to support longer-term research and mentoring collaborations between scientists and engineers at NASA Centers or Facilities and faculty at institutions historically underfunded by NASA. Three funding categories are available: Small, Medium, and Large, corresponding up to ~$200,000/year, ~$500,000/year, and ~$1M/year, respectively, including indirect costs.

ROSES-2024 Amendment 50 releases DRAFT text of F.18 M5YCA for community comment. Comments and questions concerning this draft are due by 1 November 2024, either anonymously via this Google form or via email to hq-smd-bridge@mail.nasa.gov with the subject line "Feedback on ROSES-2024 F.18 DRAFT".

Please direct questions concerning F.18 M5YCA to Patricia (Padi) Boyd at hq-smd-bridge@mail.nasa.gov.

7. Town Hall for Planetary Science Research Programs (October 15, 2024)

On October 15, 2024, at 3 PM Eastern Time, NASA’s Planetary Science Division (PSD) will host a webinar to discuss changes made to select upcoming Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES)-24 programs and anticipated program changes for ROSES-25.

The following topics will be included in this discussion: 1) General overview for broad scale changes, 2) Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) including requirements for ROSES-24 and implementation of Dual Anonymous Peer Review (DAPR), 3) Merging of Emerging Worlds (EW), Solar System Workings (SSW), Solar System Observations (SSO) into a single program for ROSES-25, 4) Changes to Astrobiology Programs including scope modification of Habitable Worlds (HW), Exobiology (Exo), and Exoplanet Research Programs (XRP).

In advance of and during the webinar, questions may be submitted and upvoted on at: https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/qfp6/#!/dashboard

Join the webinar link: https://nasaevents.webex.com/nasaevents/j.php?MTID=m4b97dc236100544c4e6154fbb9c999cb

Webinar number: 2819 527 2926
Webinar password:
H84dpKbJ7Pu (48437525 when dialing from a phone or video system)

Join by phone
+1-415-527-5035 United States Toll
+1-312-500-3163 United States Toll (Chicago)
Access code: 281 952 72926

Questions regarding this announcement may be directed to Kathleen Vander Kaaden at kathleen.e.vanderkaaden@nasa.gov.

ExoPAG News and Announcements (September 12, 2024)

2025A NN-EXPLORE Observing Time Available for Exoplanet Research Through NSF NOIRLab Proposal Call (Proposals Due September 30, 2024)
Know Thy Star Know Thy Planet 2 (February 3-7, 2025, Pasadena; Registration and Abstract Submission Open)
2025 NASA Astrophysics Mission Design School (AMDS) (Applications Due November 4, 2024)
NASA Hubble Fellowship Program is Open for Applications (Application Deadline October 30, 2024)
2025A NASA IRTF Call for Proposals (Proposals Due October 1, 2024)

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1. 2025A NN-EXPLORE Observing Time Available for Exoplanet Research Through NSF NOIRLab Proposal Call (Proposal Deadline September 30, 2024)

From Dr. David Ardila (NN-EXPLORE Program Manager & NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program Deputy Program Manager):

"NN-EXPLORE observing time available for exoplanet research

NSF NOIRLab Call for Standard Proposals: Semester 2025A

https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/call-for-proposals/

This Call for Proposals 2025A (CfP25A) covers the observing time period from 1 February 2025 – 31 July 2025.

Proposal Deadline: 30 September 2024 at 11:59 pm Mountain Standard Time (MST)

More details about the process of submitting observing proposals to NOIRLab can be found at: https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/preparing-standard-proposal-instructions.pdf

2. Know Thy Star Know Thy Planet 2 (February 3-7, 2025, Pasadena; Registration and Abstract Submission Open)

From Dr. Catherine A. Clark, Scientific Outreach Coordinator, NExScI:

"We are pleased to announce the opening of registration and abstract submission for “Know Thy Star Know Thy Planet 2”. The conference will be held on the Caltech Campus in Pasadena, California, the week of 03-07 February 2025. The conference is a follow-on to the 2017 “Know Thy Star, Know Thy Planet”. This conference will focus on the ways that stars both enable and limit our ability to determine planetary masses, orbits, bulk compositions, and atmospheric abundances, as well as the state-of-the-art knowledge and techniques that have been developed to characterize and mitigate stellar effects.

The preliminary agenda can be found at: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/knowthystar2/page/KTS2%20Agenda

Important Dates:

Deadline for abstract submission: 09 November 2024 - https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/knowthystar2/abstracts
Deadline for in-person registration: 05 January 2025 - https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/knowthystar2/page/registration
(Optional) Deadline for conference dinner: 05 January 2025
Deadline for late in-person registration: 31 January 2025
Deadline for online-only registration: 31 January 2025

The meeting is primarily organized around in-person attendance, but online streaming of the talks will be available. Please send questions to knowthystar2@ipac.caltech.edu."

3. 2025 NASA Astrophysics Mission Design School (AMDS) (Applications Due November 4, 2024)

Offered by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, AMDS is a 3-month long career development experience to learn the development of a hypothesis-driven robotic space mission in a concurrent engineering environment while getting an in-depth, first-hand look at instrument design, mission life cycle, costs, schedule & the inherent trade-offs.

Engineering students close to completion of their MS degree, science & engineering, Doctoral candidates, recent PhDs, Postdocs, & Junior Faculty who are U.S. Citizens or Legal Permanent Residents are eligible. Applicants from diverse backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply; we highly value diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Preparatory Sessions: February 6 – April 17.
Culminating Week at JPL with Team-X: April 21 – April 25.

AMDS is roughly equivalent in workload to a rigorous 3-credit graduate course, requiring an average effort of 10-12 hours per week. Participants act as a space science mission team during the first 10 weeks of preparatory webinars, with the final culminating week mentored at JPL by JPL’s Advance Project Design Team or Team-X for refining the mission concept design & presenting it to a mock review board of NASA Center experts.

For more information and to apply, visit: https://go.nasa.gov/missiondesignschools

4. NASA Hubble Fellowship Program is Open for Applications (Application Deadline October 30, 2024)

On behalf of the NASA Astrophysics Division, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) announces the call for applications for postdoctoral fellowships under the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program (NHFP) beginning in the fall of 2025.

The NHFP supports promising postdoctoral scientists to pursue independent research which contributes to NASA Astrophysics using theory, observation, experimentation, or instrument development. Once selected, fellows will become an NHFP Einstein, Hubble, or Sagan Fellow depending on the area of research. The NHFP preserves the legacy of NASA's previous postdoctoral fellowship programs. The Space Telescope Science Institute administers the NHFP on behalf of NASA, in collaboration with the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) at the California Institute of Technology and the Chandra X-ray Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

The NHFP is open to English-speaking applicants of any nationality who have earned their doctoral degrees in astronomy, physics, or related disciplines on or after January 1, 2021, or who will receive their degree before September 2025. The duration of the Fellowship is up to three years: an initial one-year appointment, and two annual renewals contingent on satisfactory performance and availability of NASA funds.

We anticipate offering up to 24 NHFP Fellowships this year. The Fellowships are tenable at a U.S. host institution of the fellow's choice, subject to a maximum of two new fellows per host institution per year, and no more than five fellows at any single host institution, except for short periods of overlap. Host institutions must have verified their compliance with the NHFP employment policy. The policy and a list of those hosts can be found at https://www.stsci.edu/stsci-research/fellowships/nasa-hubble-fellowship-program/nhfp-host-institution-employment-policy/host-institutions.

The Announcement of Opportunity, which includes detailed program policies and application instructions, is available at the website: http://nhfp.stsci.edu. The application submission page will be open from September 3 until the application deadline on October 30, 2024.

Applicants should follow the instructions given in the Announcement and also examine the Frequently Asked Questions (https://www.stsci.edu/stsci-research/fellowships/nasa-hubble-fellowship-program/announcement-of-opportunity/frequently-asked-questions). Please send any further inquiries about the NHFP to nhfp@stsci.edu.

Important dates:

Applications are due Wednesday, October 30, 2024 (7 PM EDT, 4 PM PDT, 23:00 UTC).
Letters of reference are due Wednesday, November 6, 2024 (7 PM EST, 4 PM PST, 24:00 UTC).

Offers will be made in early February 2025 and new appointments should begin on or about September 1, 2025. All applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, creed, color, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, or national origin. Women and members of U.S. minority groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

NHFP Class of 2025 Announcement of Opportunity: https://www.stsci.edu/stsci-research/fellowships/nasa-hubble-fellowship-program/announcement-of-opportunity

5. 2025A NASA IRTF Call for Proposals (Proposals Due October 1, 2024)

2025A NASA IRTF Call for Proposals
Solicitation Number: NN2025AOBSERV_IRTF
Proposals Due: 10/01/2024
Call for Proposals https://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/callforproposals/index.php
IRTF Home Page: https://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/

The call for NASA Infrared Telescope Facility semester 2025A observing proposals has been released. Proposal Deadline for Semester 2025A (February 1, 2025, to July 31, 2025) is Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 5PM Hawaii Standard Time. Available instruments are listed at https://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/instruments/. Remote observing is offered from any location with broadband Internet access for any project that utilizes IRTF facility instruments. Information about IRTF Computer and Remote Observing Information is at: https://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/computer/. Please see the announcement for available instruments and for further information. Please review the information and use our Online Application Form: https://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/applicationForms.php.

Questions may be directed to Miranda Hawarden-Ogata at hawarden@hawaii.edu.

ExoPAG News and Announcements (August 29, 2024)

SAVE THE DATE: ExoPAG 31 @ AAS245 (January 11-12, 2025, National Harbor, MD)
NN-EXPLORE 2025A Observing Time Available for Exoplanet Research
EPRV 6: The Sixth Workshop on Extremely Precise Radial Velocities (June 30-July 3, 2025, Porto, Portugal)
Exoplanets in Our Backyard 3 (EioB3; November 13-15, 2024, Louisville; Registration Now Open - Deadline October 18, 2024)

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1. SAVE THE DATE: ExoPAG 31 @ AAS245 (January 11-12, 2025, National Harbor, MD)

ExoPAG 31 will be held Saturday January 11, 2025 (9:00am - 5:15pm ET) and Sunday January 12, 2025 (9:00am - 12:15pm ET) in National Harbor, MD at the 245th AAS Meeting. The agenda will be posted in the coming weeks.

2. NN-EXPLORE 2025A Observing Time Available for Exoplanet Research

From David Ardila (NN-EXPLORE Program Manager & NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program Deputy Program Manager):

"NN-EXPLORE observing time available for exoplanet research:

3. EPRV 6: The Sixth Workshop on Extremely Precise Radial Velocities (June 30-July 3, 2025, Porto, Portugal)

Please mark your calendars for The Sixth Workshop on Extremely Precise Radial Velocities (EPRV 6), which will take place June 30 – July 3, 2025 in Porto, Portugal!

Following the tradition of previous workshops, EPRV 6 will provide the latest news on extreme precision RV, focusing on:

New instrumentation developments and challenges
Data reduction and post-processing
Stellar (and solar) variability and methods of mitigation
New results in exoplanet research using high resolution spectroscopy

The conference will be hybrid with a small fee for online attendance. The maximum attendance will be 200 persons.

Additional details, including calls for splinter sessions and contributed talks and information on conference registration, will be released this fall on the conference website: https://www.iastro.pt/research/conferences/eprv6/

--Susana Barros & Nuno Santos

On behalf of the EPRV6 SOC

Note: The following key dates are envisaged (subject to change):

29 November 2024: Splinter deadline submission
14 March 2025: Early registration deadline and call for abstracts deadline
30 June 2025: Late registration deadline

https://www.iastro.pt/research/conferences/eprv6/index.html?opt=keydates

4. Exoplanets in Our Backyard 3 (EioB3; November 13-15, 2024, Louisville; Registration Now Open - Deadline October 18, 2024)

Registration is now open for Exoplanets in Our Backyard 3 (EioB3)!

Purpose & Scope:

EioB3 is a workshop dedicated to addressing the complex challenges of exoplanet research through interdisciplinary collaboration. It brings together experts from solar system science, astrophysics, and related fields to foster cross-disciplinary partnerships and share insights on exoplanetary research — past, present, and future. The event emphasizes discussion, networking, and the exchange of knowledge, with invited speakers leading the discourse. Abstract submissions are encouraged but not mandatory. Researchers of all levels will benefit from the collaborative environment aimed at advancing the detection and characterization of exoplanets.

Conference Location and Dates:

This iteration of EioB will be held in Louisville, Kentucky at the Muhammad Ali Center, from November 13-15, 2024.

Early Bird Registration is $340 USD and will be open until October 18, 2024.

Please note that space is limited and no on-site registrations will be allowed. The event aims to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue and education and due to this there will not be an online/virtual component.

Registration & Additional Information:

For more information and registration, visit https://www.exoplanetsbackyard.com/ and/or send an email for the organizers to exoplanetsbackyard@bmsis.org. EioB3 is managed by the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science.

ExoPAG News and Announcements (August 22, 2024)

Virtual Town Halls for Roman’s Core Community Surveys Begin August 26, 2024
HWO Technology Maturation Project Office Now Established
2024 Sagan Summer Workshop (Advances in Direct Imaging: From Young Jupiters to Habitable Earths) and PROTO (PROfessional Tools and Opportunities) Workshop: Presentations and Videos Posted Online
2025 Astrophysics Small Explorer Announcement of Opportunity Community Announcement
REMINDER: 2025A NASA Keck Call for Proposals (Proposals due September 12, 2024)
REMINDER: Input to ExEP Science Gap List (Input Requested by September 30, 2024)
NASA Astrobiology Program Early Career Collaboration Awards (Deadline October 1, 2024)
ROSES-24 C.20 Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research Clarification
Circumplanetary Disks and Satellite Formation III (January 27-31, 2025, Kyoto, Japan)
Addendum: Habitable Worlds Observatory Spectral Retrieval Data Challenge Tutorial Workshop — SAVE THE DATE and SURVEY

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1. Virtual Town Halls for Roman’s Core Community Surveys Begin August 26, 2024

Dear Colleague,

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will devote a majority of the first five years of the mission to surveys that are being defined by the science community. This includes Roman’s Core Community Surveys, which serve to meet Roman’s mission-level science requirements for investigating the nature of dark energy and the fate of the universe, and the demographics of exoplanets. The surveys consist of the Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), High Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), and High Latitude Wide Area Survey (HLWAS). The primary goal for the definition of each of these is to maximize the science performed with Roman’s infrared surveys.

To define the details of each survey (e.g., field selection, filter selection and depth, observation cadence, etc.), a definition committee has been formed for each of the three Core Community Surveys comprised of members of the community. The committee membership was selected to ensure that the breadth of interests of the scientific community in using Roman were well represented. The committees have been charged with assessing community input, investigating various observational strategies to maximize the science return of the surveys, and producing a recommendation for multiple survey options (such as a minimal, nominal, and optimal survey definition). The committees are expected to deliver a report summarizing the recommended survey options, including a discussion of the scientific tradeoffs, the time required, and the observational constraints of each option to the Roman Project at NASA Goddard by November 2024 for dissemination to the Roman Observations Time Allocation Committee (ROTAC). The ROTAC will review the input of the committees and make a recommendation to the Roman Project on the implementation of the surveys and the amount of time to be dedicated to each survey.

The three definition committees would like feedback and input on the survey options and strategies they are considering. Each definition committee will hold two virtual town halls spread over two weeks, in late August / early September, to give a progress report and hear from the community. The times of the town halls aim at maximizing attendance over different time zones.

Dial-in Info:

Webex link: https://nasaenterprise.webex.com/nasaenterprise/j.php?MTID=mc21600f4a19d761d3ccebeac0b77ec67

Meeting number (access code): 2821 833 2150

Meeting password: sBVgvmR@337 (72848671 when dialing from a phone or video system)

Schedule:

Mon Aug 26 - 7pm EDT: GBTDS - Daniel Huber
Wed Aug 28 - 10am EDT: HLTDS - Brad Cenko
Thu Aug 29 - 7pm EDT: HLWAS - Ryan Hickox
Tue Sep 03 - 7pm EDT: HLTDS - Masao Sako
Wed Sep 04 - 10am EDT: GBTDS - Jessie Christiansen
Thr Sep 05 - 10am EDT: HLWAS - Ryan Hickox

We look forward to having you join us in the coming weeks.

On behalf of the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope’s Project Scientist Team at NASA Goddard’s Project Science Office (PSO), the Science Support Center (SSC) at IPAC, and the Science Operations Center (SOC) at STScI.

2. HWO Technology Maturation Project Office Now Established

From Josh Pepper (NASA HQ):

"Hi everyone,

The HWO Technology Maturation Project Office (referred to below as the Project Office), led out of GSFC and with significant leadership from JPL and participation from other NASA Centers, was officially initiated on August 1, 2024. The team is led by Principal Architect Lee Feinberg (GSFC), interim Project Scientist Giada Arney (GSFC), Pre-Formulation Architect John Ziemer (JPL), interim Pre-Formulation Scientist Aki Roberge (GSFC), interim Pre-Formulation Scientist Bertrand Mennesson (JPL), Mission Systems Engineer Mike Menzel (GSFC), and interim Project Manager Scott Smith (GSFC). The NASA Astrophysics Director, Mark Clampin, announced the initiation of the Project Office at recent the Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC) meeting July 23 & 24.

The establishment of the Project Office involves the formal stand-down of the START and the TAG and an evolution into a new structure. However, it does not change the overall timeline and scope of HWO Working Group (WG) activities through the end of calendar year (CY) 2024. The work of the hundreds of HWO WG members continues, and the development of their science cases as well as their architecture and technology studies remain crucial for the next stages of HWO. Note that while the Science, Joint, and Community WGs will continue with their activities through the end of CY 2024, some Technology WGs are being re-structured into the new Project Development Team under the Project Office to avoid conflict-of-interest issues with upcoming industry solicitations. Going forward, the community will continue to have opportunities to participate in HWO via competitive solicitations for technology development, architecture analyses, and science team involvement.

We could not have made it this far without the commitment and dedication of the members of the START and TAG. We wish to thank every one of them for their tremendous service to NASA and the community. We would especially like to thank the START and TAG co-chairs: Courtney Dressing, John O’Meara, Bertrand Mennesson, John Ziemer, Aki Roberge, and Lee Feinberg, all of whom remain deeply involved in HWO in various ways.

Thanks to everyone for all of your work on behalf of HWO, and particularly the WG and subgroup co-chairs who are still hard at work developing science cases, performing analyses, and assembling tools that will take HWO planning to the next stage. We look forward to an exciting meeting in October and more discussions about HWO science and technology ideas coming up.

From your HWO Team at NASA HQ,

Megan, Josh, Julie"

3. 2024 Sagan Summer Workshop (Advances in Direct Imaging: From Young Jupiters to Habitable Earths) and PROTO (PROfessional Tools and Opportunities) Workshop: Presentations and Videos Posted Online

Presentation slides and videos from the 2024 Sagan Summer Workshop https://nexsci.caltech.edu/workshop/2024/ are posted online:

2024 Sagan Summer Workshop: Advances in Direct Imaging: From Young Jupiters to Habitable Earths: https://nexsci.caltech.edu/workshop/2024/agenda.shtml

and

PROTO (PROfessional Tools and Opportunities) Workshop: https://nexsci.caltech.edu/workshop/2024/proto.shtml

4. 2025 Astrophysics Small Explorer Announcement of Opportunity Community Announcement

The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has released a Community Announcement via a www.SAM.gov special notice NNH24ZDA008L stating its intention to solicit investigations for the Astrophysics Explorers Program.

SMD’s Astrophysics Division’s (APD) Explorer Program plans to release draft text for comment for a future Announcement of Opportunity (AO) entitled “2025 Astrophysics Small Explorer (SMEX)”. The planned selection process has two steps. In Step 1, it is anticipated that approximately two or three investigations will be selected to conduct nine-month, $3.0M/each Phase A concept studies. In Step 2, NASA will conduct a review of the Phase A concept study reports. At the conclusion of the study report review, it is anticipated that up to one SMEX investigation will be down-selected to continue into Phase B and subsequent mission phases.

No Missions of Opportunity (MO) proposals will be solicited.

When available, the draft and final AO text will be posted on the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES): https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/.

AO participation will be open to all categories of U.S. organizations, including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit organizations, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, NASA Centers, and other Government agencies and non-U.S. organizations with some restrictions.

Cost Cap: The Principal Investigator-Managed Mission Cost (PIMMC) for Phases A-F of investigations will be capped at $170M (Fiscal Year 25 dollars), excluding NASA-provided launch services. The cost of any mission specific and special launch services is the responsibility of the PI and must be included within the PIMMC. Lower-cost investigations and cost-efficient operations are encouraged.

Access to Space: The standard launch performance capability will be consistent with the available certified Launch Vehicles on the NASA Launch Services II (NLS II) contract. The cost of mission specific and special launch services will be charged against the PIMMC. PI-provided access to space may not be proposed.

Space Communications: The NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) will not be available to support missions proposed to this AO. Missions may propose the use of Direct-To-Earth (DTE) communication services through NASA’s Near Space Network (NSN) with the charges reflected as a reduction to the cost cap. Alternatively, proposers may choose to procure commercial services, either for DTE or as space relay communications, as an expense against the PIMMC. As information becomes available regarding NASA communication services, it will be provided in the “2025 Astrophysics SMEX Acquisition Program Library” to be hosted by the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) website.

Contributions: Contributions, including contributions from foreign partners, are welcome and will not be counted against the PIMMC, but the value of such contributions is constrained. The sum of contributions of any kind to the entirety of the investigation is not to exceed one-third (1/3) of the proposed PIMMC.

Additional Opportunities: Proposals for Student Collaborations and their evaluation are deferred to the Step-2 mission concept study. Proposals for Science Enhancement Options and their evaluation are deferred to the Step-2 mission concept study. Technology Demonstration Opportunities may not be proposed.

NASA is committed to a culture of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility where all employees feel welcome, valued, respected, and engaged. The AO will require an “Inclusion Plan” to capture the project vision for operating in an inclusive, equitable, and safe manner, and to improve the work environment over the course of the project. SMD provides general information about inclusion plans at: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/inclusion.

The time frame for the solicitation is intended to be:

Release of draft AO	December 2024
Release of final AO	March 2025
Pre-proposal conference	~3 weeks after final AO release
Notice of Intent	NET 45 days after AO release
Proposals due	NET 90 days after AO release
Step 1 Selection announced	1st Quarter CY2026 (target)
SMEX Down-selection	Fall CY2027 (target)
SMEX launch readiness date	NLT 2nd Quarter CY 2031

NASA has not approved the issuance of the Astrophysics Division’s 2025 SMEX AO, and this community announcement does not obligate NASA to solicit proposals. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this community announcement (CA) are incurred at the submitter's own risk. The forthcoming draft and final AOs may contain provisions that differ from this preliminary notice, in which case the provisions in the AO will take precedence. The draft and final AOs will be based on the Standard PI-led Mission AO Template available at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/sao_templates.html.

Additional information will be posted, as it becomes available, by the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Science Office for Mission Assessments (SOMA) on its 2025 Astrophysics SMEX Acquisition website at https://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/APSMEX25/SMEX/index.html.

Questions or comments about this intention to release an Astrophysics SMEX AO may be addressed via email only to Doris Daou, Astrophysics Small Explorers Program Lead Scientist, SMD, Doris.Daou@nasa.gov and E. Lucien Cox, Astrophysics Small Explorers Program Executive, SMD, elbert.l.cox@nasa.gov using subject line “APD 2025 SMEX CA”. Email questions/comments no later than September 20, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. Depending on the nature of the question(s), NASA may respond on an individual basis by email or may post responses to inquiries on the Questions and Answers (Q&A) pages on the SOMA Explorer Program Acquisition website. Anonymity of persons or institutions submitting questions will be preserved.

5. REMINDER: 2025A NASA Keck Call for Proposals (Proposals due September 12, 2024)

The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute is soliciting proposals to use NASA’s portion of time on the two 10m Keck Telescopes for the 2025A observing semester (February 1, 2025 - July 31, 2025).

The opportunity to propose as a Principal Investigator for NASA time on the Keck Telescopes is open to all U.S.-based astronomers. Investigators from institutions outside of the U.S. may participate as Co-Investigators on proposals for NASA Keck time.

NASA intends the use of the Keck telescopes to be highly strategic in support of on-going space missions and/or high priority, long-term science goals. Proposals are sought in the following discipline areas: (1) investigations of our own SOLAR SYSTEM; (2) investigations in support of EXOPLANET EXPLORATION science goals and missions; (3) investigations in support of COSMIC ORIGINS science goals and missions; and (4) investigations in support of PHYSICS OF THE COSMOS science goals and missions. Direct mission support proposals in any of these scientific areas are also encouraged.

Deadline: September 12, 2024: all proposals due to NExScI by 4 pm PDT
Website: http://nexsci.caltech.edu/missions/KeckSolicitation/index.shtml
Contact: KeckCFP@ipac.caltech.edu

6. REMINDER: Input to ExEP Science Gap List (Input Requested by September 30, 2024)

The NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) is seeking community input on the ExEP Science Gap List (SGL) through September 30, 2024, with the goal of providing an updated version in early 2025:

The Science Gap List (SGL) curates from community inputs program “science gaps”, which are defined as the difference between knowledge needed to define requirements for specified future NASA exoplanet missions and the current state of the art, or knowledge which is needed to enhance the science return of current and future NASA exoplanet missions. This gap list is a resource for the broader community, pointing to where focused science investigations are needed over the next 3-5 years in support of community ExEP goals. The ExEP Science Gap List represents activities and investigations that will advance the goals of NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program, and provides brief summaries in a convenient tabular format. The ExEP Science Gap list is meant to assist proposers in describing the relevance of their work to Program goals as they respond to SMD ROSES and mission observing proposal solicitations. All ExEP approaches, activities, and decisions are guided by science priorities, and those priorities are presented and summarized in the ExEP Science Gap List.

Please contact ExEP scientists Karl Stapelfeldt (Karl.R.Stapelfeldt@jpl.nasa.gov) & Eric Mamajek (Eric.Mamajek@jpl.nasa.gov) with any input for revisions to the SGL. Please put "ExEP Science Gap List Input" in the subject line.

The ExEP Exoplanet Program Science documents are available at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/science-overview/

7. NASA Astrobiology Program Early Career Collaboration Awards (Deadline October 1, 2024)

NASA Astrobiology Program Early Career Collaboration Awards
Deadline October 1, 2024
astrobiology.nasa.gov/education/ecc/

The ECCA offers research-related travel support for undergraduate, graduate students, postdocs, and junior scientists. Applicants are encouraged to use these resources to circulate among two or more laboratories supported by the NASA Astrobiology Program (see https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/research/astrobiology-at-nasa/), however any travel that is critical for the applicant’s research will be considered. Requests are limited to $5,000. Travelers must be formally affiliated with a U.S. institution.

8. ROSES-24 C.20 Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research Clarification

C.20 Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (ICAR) seeks proposals that describe an interdisciplinary approach to a single compelling question in astrobiology, and address at least one aspect of the 2015 Astrobiology Strategy.

Section 3.3 "Step-1 Proposal Content and Submission Process" of C.20 Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research has been clarified to remind proposers that the references do not count against the 5-page limit for the technical / scientific section of the Step-1 proposal. New text is in bold. The proposal due dates remain unchanged: Step-1 proposals are due September 24, 2024, and Step-2 proposals are due January 16, 2025.

Questions concerning C.20 ICAR may be directed to Lindsay Hays at lindsay.hays@nasa.gov.

C.20 Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId=%7b3D196E9B-0D83-A882-C488-CA112557D945%7d&path=&method=init

2015 Astrobiology Strategy: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/about/astrobiology-strategy/

9. Circumplanetary Disks and Satellite Formation III (January 27-31, 2025, Kyoto, Japan)

Circumplanetary Disks and Satellite Formation III
January 27-31, 2025, Kyoto, Japan
Deadline for registration: December 31, 2024
Deadline for abstract submission: October 31, 2024
https://sites.google.com/view/cpdsf2025/home

The conference goal is active discussion of satellites' origins, including formation environments and processes, gas and particle dynamics around terrestrial and giant planets, and constraints from the Solar System and protostellar disk observations.

Topics:

Formation and evolution of circumplanetary disks
Observation of circumplanetary disks, rings and exomoons
Satellite formation around terrestrial and giant planets
Orbital evolution of moons
Surface and internal evolution of moons
Formation of planetary atmosphere
Interaction between protoplanetary disk and embedded planet
Space missions related to satellite formation

Scientific Organizing Committee: Yuri I. Fujii (Kyoto University, Chair), Jun Hashimoto (NAOJ), Shigeru Ida (Tokyo Institute of Technology), Jun Kimura (Osaka University), Takanori Sasaki (Kyoto University)

Local Organizing Committee: Yuri I. Fujii (Kyoto University, Chair), Shigeru Ida (Tokyo Institute of Technology), Takanori Sasaki (Kyoto University)

10. Addendum: Habitable Worlds Observatory Spectral Retrieval Data Challenge Tutorial Workshop — SAVE THE DATE and SURVEY

The first Habitable Worlds Observatory Spectral Retrieval Workshop will be held on November 18-19, 2024, at the Space Telescope Science Institute. This workshop will be designed (1) to familiarize community members with the use of HWO spectral data, and (2) to prepare community members for the HWO Spectral Retrieval Community Data Challenge planned for 2025. We anticipate hosting up to 30 participants in person, with the potential for online viewing. Travel support may be available for U.S.-based participants. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please fill out the following survey to help us with planning the program: https://shorturl.at/dEWws.

ExoPAG News and Announcements (August 12, 2024)

2025A NASA Keck Call for Proposals (Deadline: September 12, 2024, 4pm PDT)
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Call for Self-Nominations for the Roman Observations Time Allocation Committee (NOTE: Deadline: August 12, 2024)
JWST: Cycle 4 (Proposals due October 16, 2024)
JWST: Call for Community Input on Rocky Worlds DDT Targets & Nominations for its Science Advisory Committee (Targets due September 6, 2024; Nominations to SAC due August 27, 2024; Information Session August 16, 2024, 11am EDT)

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1. 2025A NASA Keck Call for Proposals (Deadline: September 12, 2024, 4pm PDT)

The call for proposals for NASA Keck time in observing semester 2025A (February 1, 2025-July 31, 2025) is now open for professional research using the NASA allocation for telescope observing time at the W.M. Keck Observatory.

The opportunity to propose as a Principal Investigator (PI) for the NASA time on the Keck Telescopes is open to all U.S.-based astronomers, i.e. those with their principal affiliation at a U.S. institution.

2025 Call for Proposals for NASA-Allocated Observing Time on the Keck Telescopes: https://nexsci.caltech.edu/missions/KeckSolicitation/gen-info.shtml

Instruments Available for Semester 2025A: https://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/observing/instavail.html

NASA Keck 2025A Proposal Submission Form: https://catcopy.ipac.caltech.edu/nasakeck/proposal.php

Proposer Guidelines for NASA Keck Dual Anonymous Reviews: https://nexsci.caltech.edu/missions/KeckSolicitation/DAPR_proposer.shtml

Important Dates:

August 9, 2024: NASA Keck Call for Proposals released
September 12, 2024: All NASA Keck proposals due by 4 pm PDT
December 1, 2024: Notification of NASA Keck TAC results
February 1, 2025: Start of 2025A observing semester

Questions? KeckCFP@ipac.caltech.edu

2. Call for Self-Nominations for the Roman Observations Time Allocation Committee (NOTE: Deadline August 12, 2024)

The primary goal of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is to maximize the scientific return from wide field near-infrared surveys. Roman's WFI observing program will include both Core Community Surveys and General Astrophysics Surveys (for which a minimum of 25% of Roman’s observing time will be reserved in the first five years), defined by a community-led process (https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/core_community_survey_definition.html) and traditional peer-reviewed calls for proposals. The majority of observing time during Roman’s primary 5-year mission will be devoted to community-defined surveys. It is the task of the Roman Observations Time Allocation Committee to review the survey implementation options recommended by the committees tasked with defining Roman’s community-defined surveys, and to advise the Roman Project at NASA/GSFC on which of the implementation options for each survey should be adopted. This committee will be charged with considering the balance between community-defined surveys and PI-led General Astrophysics Surveys.

Roman’s community-defined surveys include Roman’s Core Community Surveys (https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/observing-with-roman-surveys) as well as an Early Definition General Astrophysics Survey of the Galactic Plane (https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/Early-definition_Astrophysics_Survey_Assessment.html). Roman’s Core Community Surveys will include a High Latitude Wide Area survey, a High Latitude Time Domain survey, and a Galactic Bulge Time Domain survey. All Roman’s community-defined surveys will enable a wide range of general astrophysical investigations.

The ROTAC will be composed of members representing both the breadth and diversity of science to be enabled with the surveys, and that of the scientists who will use Roman through the community-defined surveys and the PI-led General Astrophysics Surveys. The ROTAC will be formed by late summer, 2024 and is expected to be active for approximately one year.

This call for self-nominations is the first step in forming the ROTAC. The full committee membership will be drawn from various sources, including but not limited to self-nominations.

For full details and context on this call for self-nominations, as well as submission instructions, please visit: https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/roman_time_allocation_committee.html.

For specific questions related to a submission, please email roman-help@bigbang.gsfc.nasa.gov with the subject line: “Roman ROTAC self-nomination.”

3. JWST: Cycle 4 (Proposals due October 16, 2024)

STScI Invites Scientists To Submit Proposals for JWST Cycle 4
Release Date: August 01, 2024
Proposal Deadline: Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Call for Proposals:

https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/jwst-opportunities-and-policies/jwst-call-for-proposals-for-cycle-4

We are pleased to announce the release of the Cycle 4 Call for Proposals for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) General Observer time and funding for Archival Research and Theoretical Research programs.

Participation in this program is open to all categories of organizations, both domestic and foreign, including educational institutions, profit and nonprofit organizations, NASA Centers, and other government agencies.

Proposals are due by 8 p.m. US Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The version of the Astronomer's Proposal Tools (APT) required for proposal submission is 2024.5 or higher (https://www.stsci.edu/scientific-community/software/astronomers-proposal-tool-apt). This version will be delivered around August 22, 2024. We encourage prospective investigators to start preparing their proposals as soon as possible.

The Cycle 4 Telescope Allocation Committee will meet at the end of January/early February 2025, with selections announced in March 2025.

For details, please consult the full Call for Proposals (https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/jwst-opportunities-and-policies/jwst-call-for-proposals-for-cycle-4). There have been significant changes, notably to page lengths and Science Categories. Please be sure to consult the What's New section for more information. Questions may be submitted to the JWST Help Desk (https://stsci.service-now.com/jwst).

4. JWST: Call for Community Input on Rocky Worlds DDT Targets & Nominations for its Science Advisory Committee (Targets due September 6, 2024; Nominations to SAC due August 27, 2024; Information Session August 16, 2024, 11am EDT)

As recently announced (https://www.stsci.edu/contents/news/jwst/2024/stsci-initiates-a-concerted-search-for-atmospheres-around-m-dwarf-exoplanets), STScI is starting a large-scale, multi-year survey of rocky M-dwarf exoplanets — the Rocky Worlds DDT Program — using around 500 hours of Director’s Discretionary Time on the James Webb Space Telescope to search for atmospheres in more than a dozen nearby systems. Approximately 250 orbits of ultraviolet observations with the Hubble Space Telescope will be used to characterize the system’s host star UV properties.

The Program is currently seeking input from the community on:

The Targets Under Consideration (TUC) list as well as comments on the program observing strategy (due September 6, 2024). For more information on this call for input, please see the Dear Colleague Letter related to the TUC (https://outerspace.stsci.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=261161543).
Nominations (including self-nominations) to be part of the external Science Advisory Council (SAC; due August 27, 2024), whose aim is to provide advice on all aspects of the program, including target selection, data verification, and equitable community interactions. For more information on this call for nominations, please see the Dear Colleague Letter related to SAC Nominations (https://outerspace.stsci.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=261161545).

The Program’s Core Implementation Team’s (CIT) Leadership, Néstor Espinoza and Hannah Diamond-Lowe, will be holding a virtual information session focused on the process for those two calls for community input above on Friday, August 16th at 11 AM ET via WebEx. The call will be recorded. Please submit your questions for this session in advance via Slido.

Webex: https://stsci.webex.com/wbxmjs/joinservice/sites/stsci/meeting/download/eb72f96279f94fadaf825cee74d3f401?siteurl=stsci&MTID=maf80a9613a67aaef63c5144c2a4cd865

Slido: https://app.sli.do/event/6STUWBa9pgqJfr2nvKFJTv?_gl=1*fyxdoz*_gcl_au*MjA5MTg3NTgyMC4xNzIyNDg1OTUy

ExoPAG News and Announcements (July 15, 2024)

ROSES-24 Amendment 29: New Opportunity D.20 Exoplanet Mass Measurement Program (EMMP)
Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC; July 23-24, 2024; virtual)
Keck Science Meeting 2024 (September 12-13, 2024; Registration OPEN & Talk Deadline extended to July 17)
Roman Coronagraph Instrument: Test Results Info Session (August 26-27, 2024)
JATIS Special Issue on "Ultraviolet Science & Instrumentation: On the Way to Habitable Worlds Observatory and Beyond” (Submission Deadline October 1, 2024)

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1. ROSES-24 Amendment 29: New Opportunity D.20 Exoplanet Mass Measurement Program (EMMP)

D.20 Exoplanet Mass Measurement Program (EMMP) solicits investigations that will identify and mitigate systematics that currently limit the precision of radial velocity or astrometry observations from measuring the masses of temperate terrestrial planets orbiting Sun-like stars. Proposed investigations should advance tools, techniques, and understanding to extract small Keplerian signals buried in complex time-series stellar spectra or astrometric measurements. Proposed investigations may involve theory, observation, analysis of archival data, or a combination of these approaches.

ROSES-2024 Amendment 29 releases final text and due dates for D.20 EMMP. Mandatory NOIs are due January 23, 2025, and proposals are due February 26, 2025.

On or about July 12, 2024, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2024" (NNH24ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024 and will appear on SARA's ROSES blog at: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/solicitations/roses-2024

Questions concerning D.20 EMMP may be directed to Hannah Jang-Condell at hannah.jang-condell@nasa.gov.

D.20 Exoplanet Mass Measurement Program: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId=%7b4B711EDE-75AF-5D9D-963D-C5D15D5F9529%7d&path=&method=init

2. Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC; July 23-24, 2024; virtual)

The next meeting of the NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC) will be held virtually on July 23 and 24, per the schedule below. The meeting will be held for the purpose of soliciting, from the scientific community and other persons, scientific and technical information relevant to program planning.

Dates: Tuesday, July 23, 2024, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday, July 24, 2024, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The meeting will be available to the public by WebEx.

On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, the WebEx information for attendees is: https://nasaenterprise.webex.com/nasaenterprise/j.php?MTID=m650b5d5809f4592a126142f1cb65af4f.

The meeting number is: 2763 710 0487 and the meeting password is: Apac032024#.

To join by telephone the numbers are, 1-929-251-9612 or 1-415-527-5035. (Access Code: 2763 710 0487).

On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, the WebEx information for attendees is: https://nasaenterprise.webex.com/nasaenterprise/j.php?MTID=m09763dbba6a36db6999a2e6900a05f5d.

The meeting number is: 2823 194 9794 and the meeting password is: Apac032124#. To join by telephone the numbers are 1-929-251-9612 or 1-415-527-5035 (Access code: 2823 194 9794).

The Federal Register Notice and agenda for the meeting, will be posted on the Astrophysics Advisory Committee web page: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/nac/science-advisory-committees/apac

The public may submit and upvote comments/questions ahead of the meeting through the website at: https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/awz3/#!/dashboard.

Questions regarding APAC or this meeting may be directed to David Morris at david.c.morris@nasa.gov.

3. Keck Science Meeting 2024 (September 12-13, 2024; Registration OPEN & Talk Deadline extended to July 17)

Dear Keck Observatory Scientific Community,

The annual Keck Science Meeting will be held on Thursday, September 12 and Friday, September 13, 2024, in Pasadena, California. This annual meeting brings together Keck Observatory users from the University of California, Caltech, University of Hawaii, Yale University, Swinburne University of Technology, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, Subaru Observatory, and US access through NASA and NOIRLab. The Keck Science Meeting provides an opportunity to share exciting science results made possible by Keck Observatory while collaborating with colleagues from across the universe in a centralized location.

The deadline to submit a request for a talk or breakout session has been extended to July 17, 2024. Please complete the form here for talk, breakout or poster submissions. Talk and breakout applications are being accepted for remote and in-person presentations. Posters will be in-person only.

The Keck Science Steering Committee had decided that starting this year and moving forward, there will be a registration fee of $100 for in-person Keck Science Meeting attendance to help cover food and rental costs. In-person registration has opened and will and be accepted through August 16, 2024 or until we reach room capacity. If you are forwarding this to colleagues, please encourage them to sign up for these updates by emailing us at kecksciencemeeting@keck.hawaii.edu. Remote webinar attendance is being planned for and connection information will be posted on the website prior to the meeting. There is no need to register for remote only attendance.

For the most updated information about the meeting, including information on registration and abstract submission, please visit https://kecksciencemeeting.org.

Thank you,

John O’Meara, Keck Observatory Chief Scientist
Mansi Kasliwal (Caltech), Science Organizing Committee Co-Chair
Steph Sallum (UC Irvine) , Science Organizing Committee Co-Chair
Sherry Yeh (Keck Observatory)
David Ciardi (NASA)
Charlie Kilpatrick (Northwestern)
Roman Gerasimov (Notre Dame)
Duncan Forbes (Swinburne)
Michael Bottom (University of Hawaii, IfA)
Malena Rice (Yale)

4. Roman Coronagraph Instrument: Test Results Info Session (August 26-27, 2024)

Roman Coronagraph Instrument
Test Results Information Session
August 26-27, 2024, Caltech/IPAC, Pasadena, CA
https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/romancgi24/

The Roman Coronagraph Instrument passed its thermal vacuum (TVAC) tests successfully at JPL in April 2024, completing its instrument-level Integration & Testing (I&T).

In this 2-day info session, on August 26--27, 2024 at Caltech/IPAC and online, we will present the detailed CGI as-built capabilities, focusing on the technical performance demonstrated in TVAC. In particular, we will highlight results from:

Optical integration static tests,
Low- and high-order wavefront sensing and control tests,
Key subsystems such as pointing & focus control mechanisms, deformable mirrors, coronagraphic masks and precision alignment mechanisms,
Coronagraph modeling and error budget validation,
Instrument flight software tests

Looking to the future, we will also:

Present CGI plans for supporting Roman I&T, preparing for in-orbit commissioning and Tech demo operations
Discuss how far the Roman coronagraph will get us on the path to HWO, and how to maximize its value to prepare for HWO using the CPP

This will be a hybrid (mostly remote) meeting. Please register to participate remotely. If you would rather participate in person, please contact Marissa Rubio at marissa.r.rubio@jpl.nasa.gov. Please note that the meeting room capacity will be limited to ~50 people and we may not be able to accommodate all requests for in-person attendance.

Registration: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/romancgi24/page/4

Join mailing list at: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/romancgi24/subscriber

5. JATIS Special Issue on "Ultraviolet Science & Instrumentation: On the Way to Habitable Worlds Observatory and Beyond” (Submission Deadline October 1, 2024)

JATIS special issue on "Ultraviolet Science & Instrumentation: On the Way to Habitable Worlds Observatory and Beyond”

JATIS announces a special issue focusing on addressing the opportunities and challenges involved in doing science through ultraviolet observation, the gaps and capabilities of ultraviolet instrumentation and technologies, and the mission concepts necessary for achieving science objectives, in a variety of platforms, from CubeSats to the next astrophysics flagship: the Habitable Worlds Observatory. Areas of interest include:

Areas of interest for this special section include:

Enabling technologies (detectors, reflective coatings, gratings, filters, µ-shutters, etc.)
Modeling, simulations, and data analysis techniques and results
UV instrumentation, including reviews
UV science cases for HWO and other classes of missions
Mission concepts: all classes and in all stages of development and deployment

Submission deadline is October 1st, 2024. See link for more information: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/journal-of-astronomical-telescopes-instruments-and-systems/call-for-papers#_=

ExoPAG News and Announcements (July 3, 2024)

SAVE THE DATE: "Know Thy Star, Know Thy Planet 2" Conference (February 3-7, 2025, Pasadena)
REMINDER: Input to ExEP Science Gap List (Input Requested by September 30, 2024)
Slides and Recordings from START/TAG F2F Meeting (June 3-5, 2024) Now Available
Astrobiology and the Future of Life Meeting (October 16-18, 2024, Houston & Virtual)
ROSES-24 Amendment 24: D.18 Euclid General Investigator Program: Mission Involvement
ExoClimes VII (July 7-11, 2025) and ExoSlam Summer School (July 3-4, 2025; Montreal)

+ more

1. SAVE THE DATE: "Know Thy Star, Know Thy Planet 2" Conference (February 3-7, 2025, Pasadena)

From David Ciardi (NExScI/IPAC):

"Save the date for “Know Thy Star, Know Thy Planet 2” conference scheduled to be held on the Caltech Campus 03-07 Feb 2025 in Pasadena, CA

In 2017, the "Know Thy Star, Know Thy Planet" conference held in Pasadena, CA focused on understanding how stars affected our ability to discover and do initial characterization of exoplanets. Over the past seven years since that conference, the limits of exoplanet discovery and the field of exoplanet characterization have changed dramatically, with great strides made in the community to understand and account for, at any even more precise and complex levels, the characteristics and effects of the stellar hosts. “Know Thy Star Know they Planet 2” focuses on the effects that stars have in limiting our ability to determine planetary masses, orbits, bulk compositions, and atmospheric abundances - and the state of the art knowledge and techniques that have been developed to mitigate the stellar effects. By Knowing thy Star, we can better Know Thy Planet!"

2. REMINDER: Input to ExEP Science Gap List (Input Requested by September 30, 2024)

The Science Gap List (SGL) tabulates program “science gaps”, which are defined as the difference between knowledge needed to define requirements for specified future NASA exoplanet missions and the current state of the art, or knowledge which is needed to enhance the science return of current and future NASA exoplanet missions. Making the gap list public signals to the broader community where focused science investigations are needed over the next 3-5 years in support of ExEP goals. The ExEP Science Gap List represents activities and investigations that will advance the goals of NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program, and provides brief summaries in a convenient tabular format. The ExEP Science Gap list is meant to assist proposers in describing the relevance of their work to Program goals as they respond to SMD ROSES and mission observing proposal solicitations. All ExEP approaches, activities, and decisions are guided by science priorities, and those priorities are presented and summarized in the ExEP Science Gap List.

The ExEP Exoplanet Program Science documents are available at:

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/science-overview/

3. Slides and Recordings from START/TAG F2F Meeting (June 3-5, 2024) Now Available

https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/start-tag-f2f-0624/

4. Astrobiology and the Future of Life Meeting (October 16-18, 2024, Houston & Virtual)

Astrobiology and the Future of Life Meeting
October 16-18, 2024
Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, Texas
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/astrobiology2024/
Abstract submission deadline: August 2, 2024

Purpose and Scope:

This meeting is designed to explore the potential of new interdisciplinary, interdivisional research efforts organized around the theme of the Future of Life. Presentations related to astrobiology and NASA’s science divisions (Astrophysics, Biological and Physical Sciences, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Planetary Science) may include such topics as:

Technosignatures (Astrophysics, Planetary Science)
Future evolution of Earth (Biological and Physical Sciences, Earth Science, Planetary Science)
Long-term climate sustainability and the fates of biospheres and technospheres (Astrophysics, Earth Science, Planetary Science)
Modeling possible future Earths and exoplanet observations (Astrophysics, Earth Science, Planetary Science)
Survival of Earth life on other planets (Biological and Physical Sciences)
Multigenerational life in isolated habitats (Biological and Physical Sciences)
Solar/Stellar evolution and habitable zones (Astrophysics, Earth Science, Planetary Science)
The Sun's future path through the galaxy and possible climate implications (Astrophysics, Earth Science, Planetary Science)
Long-term biosphere/planetary feedback affecting the habitable lifetimes of planets (Planetary Science)
Stability of Planetary Systems (Astrophysics, Planetary Science)
Solar/stellar variability and limits on biospheres and technospheres (Astrophysics, Earth Science, Planetary Science)
Evolution of habitable zones during post-main sequence solar/stellar evolution (Astrophysics Heliophysics, Planetary Science)

Indication of Interest:

To be added to the mailing list to receive additional information about this meeting, submit an indication of interest: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meeting_portal/iofi/?mtg=astrobiology2024

Conveners: David Grinspoon (NASA Headquarters), Becky McCauley Rench (NASA Headquarters)

Science Organizing Committee: Eve Berger (NASA Johnson Space Center), Sharmila Bhattacharya (NASA Headquarters), David Grinspoon (NASA Headquarters), Madhulika Guhathakurta (NASA Headquarters), Kennda Lynch (NASA Headquarters), Nick Siegler (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Michael Way (NASA Headquarters), Jason Wright (Pennsylvania State University)

For information regarding the scientific content of the meeting:

David Grinspoon, NASA Headquarters Email: david.grinspoon@nasa.gov

For information regarding all other meeting details:

Alex Sanchez, Meeting Coordinator, USRA/Lunar and Planetary Institute Email: asanchez@hou.usra.edu

5. ROSES-24 Amendment 24: D.18 Euclid General Investigator Program: Mission Involvement

D.18 Euclid General Investigator Program (EGIP) solicits proposals for basic research focused on data from the ESA Euclid mission to which NASA contributed infrared detectors. The EGIP solicits research based on the analysis of data from the Euclid mission that is publicly available by the start of the selected project. See Section 1.3 for more information on types of proposals solicited.

ROSES-2024 Amendment 24 adds new requirement to D.18 EGIP to distinguish proposed work from that associated with missions. Section 1.4 and Table D.18-1 have been updated to specify that if the proposal includes individuals associated with an active mission team, then the proposal must demonstrate that the proposed work does not overlap with any mission-related activities as part of the “Expertise and Resources Not Anonymized” document. New text is in bold.

As a result of the addition of this new requirement, the due dates have been delayed: Mandatory NOIs are now due August 22, 2024, and proposals are due October 3, 2024. Also, the Planning start date is now March 2025.

On or about July 1, 2024, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2024" (NNH24ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024 and will appear on SARA's ROSES blog at: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/solicitations/roses-2024/

Questions concerning D.18 EGIP may be directed to Doris Daou at Doris.Daou@nasa.gov.

6. ExoClimes VII (July 7-11, 2025) and ExoSlam Summer School (July 3-4, 2025; Montreal)

Exoclimes VII
7th to 11th July, 2025
Université de Montréal, QC, CA
ExoSLAM
Summer School
3rd to 4th July, 2025
Université de Montréal, QC, CA

https://exoclimes.org/

Contact: exoclimesvi@gmail.com

ExoPAG News and Announcements (June 14, 2024)

ExoExplorer Science Series Talks (June 14, 2024, 2pm-3pm EDT/11am-12pm PDT)
ExoPAG Brief Questionnaire
NASA Exoplanet Science Institute: Job Openings
NASA Artificial Intelligence Town Hall (May 22, 2024) Recording Posted

+ more

1. ExoExplorer Science Series Talks (June 14, 2024, 2pm-3pm EDT/11am-12pm PDT)

The ExoExplorer Science Series presents talks by cohort members Zahra Ahmed (Stanford) & Maria Vincent (U Hawaii - Manoa) on June 14, 2024, from 11 AM - 12 PM PDT / 2 PM - 3 PM EDT

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/500/exoexplorer-science-series-zahra-ahmed-stanford-maria-vincent-u-hawaii-manoa/

"Exoplanet Detection and Characterization in the Ultraviolet using a Starshade Complement for Habitable Worlds Observatory"
Zahra Ahmed (Stanford)
"Entering a new Era of Adaptive Optics with more powerful Deformable Mirrors"
Maria Vincent (U Hawaii - Manoa)

2. ExoPAG Brief Questionnaire

From ExoPAG chair Ilaria Pascucci:

"The ExoPAG EC asks attendees of our recent meeting - both virtual and in-person - to fill out this brief questionnaire: https://forms.gle/EenXVqyyWFBWLXSf8 . Answers will help for planning future meetings."

3. NASA Exoplanet Science Institute: Job Openings

Scientific Outreach Coordinator
Applications due June 14th, 2024: https://aas.org/jobregister/ad/b84d5d70
The Scientific Outreach Coordinator will form an integral part of the NExScI Science Affairs team, building community engagement through coordinating and supporting NExScI conferences and meetings, assisting with telescope time allocations and awards, and representing NExScI at science conferences.
Staff Scientist, NASA Exoplanet Archive
Applications due June 28th, 2024: https://aas.org/jobregister/ad/9432db0c
The Staff Scientist will join the NASA Exoplanet Archive team, working with scientists and developers to populate the NEA, develop new tools and services for the NEA and the Exoplanet Follow-up Observing Program (ExoFOP) website, and carry out an independent research program.
Staff Scientist, Science Affairs Lead
Applications due June 28th, 2024: https://aas.org/jobregister/ad/e3abc338
The Science Affairs Lead will join the leadership team of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, overseeing many of the programs under NExScI’s purview, including NASA Keck time and the Sagan Summer Workshop, representing NExScI to our stakeholders both within in the community and in NASA, and carry out an independent research program.

Note: Although ExoPAG email list does not normally advertise positions outside of ExEPO and HQ, these are special circumstances given the large number of key positions at NExScI that need to be filled soon, and the people in the positions will be workly closely with ExEPO and HQ.

4. NASA Artificial Intelligence Town Hall (May 22, 2024) Recording Posted

For decades, NASA has safely used artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to support missions and advance science and technology. As we continue to explore for the benefit of humanity, NASA remains committed to formalizing AI protocols and processes for AI usage and expanding efforts to further AI innovations across the agency.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3LH7Hd0L5s&t=1s

ExoPAG News and Announcements (June 3, 2024)

ExoPAG 30 Presentations Online
Habitable Worlds Observatory: Summer F2F Meeting (June 3-5, 2024)
Workshop: Exploring Servicing Capabilities for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (August 7-8, 2024, U. Maryland, hybrid)
Keck Science Meeting (September 12-13, 2024, Caltech)
Workshop: A Future Space Mission with Very High Precision Astrometry (September 11-13, 2024, Paris)

The ExEP Calendar for upcoming exoplanet-related conferences & workshops is at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/

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1. ExoPAG 30 Presentations Online

All presentation slides from ExoPAG 30, which was held May 5, 2024 in Providence, RI before AbSciCon, are posted at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-program/

2. Habitable Worlds Observatory: Summer F2F Meeting (June 3-5, 2024)

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is NASA’s next astrophysics flagship mission concept recommended by the 2020 Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics. The summer HWO F2F meeting will be held June 3-5, 2024. While in-person attendance is limited due to space considerations, online attendance is open to everyone. See the Meeting Notice.

More information on HWO can be found on the HWO NASA website https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory

Questions can be sent to the HWO Program Scientist, Megan Ansdell: megan.c.ansdell@nasa.gov

3. Workshop: Exploring Servicing Capabilities for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (August 7-8, 2024, U. Maryland)

Exploring Servicing Capabilities for the Habitable Worlds Observatory
August 7-8, 2024
University of Maryland, Iribe Center, Antonov Auditorium
Hosts: NASA in Collaboration with the
Aerospace Engineering Department,University of Maryland
Format: Hybrid (In-person and Remote Participation)
https://www.nasa.gov/nexis/isam/servicing-capability-for-habitable-worlds/

Join us for a two-day workshop hosted by NASA in collaboration with the University of Maryland, focused on advancing capabilities for servicing the Habitable Worlds Observatory at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (SEL2). This workshop aims to bring together subject matter experts from academia, industry, and government to discuss various architectural approaches to servicing at SEL2, and consider the balance between complexity for serviceability and the benefits of extended operations and enhanced scientific performance. Participants will engage in a series of panel discussions, keynote presentations, and breakout sessions, fostering a collaborative environment to inform the architecture trade space for early concepts of Habitable Worlds Observatory.

The workshop will explore servicing techniques aimed at expanding scientific capabilities with reduced risk, to maximize the return on science-dollar investment for the Habitable Worlds Observatory.

The workshop will offer participants a comprehensive agenda, including:

An overview of mission objectives for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) targeted for the servicing community.
A series of presentations on current satellite servicing and observatory renewal capabilities, featuring insights from government, industry, and academic perspectives.
Interactive discussions on the servicing trade space and the metrics, criteria, and framework for evaluating architectural cases.
An exploration of existing technology and solutions for maturation servicing at SEL2.
Networking opportunities and engagement for early-career professionals.

Registration Information:

The workshop is free, but registration is required.
Registration will open on June 30, 2024.
Options are available for both in-person and remote participation.
Registration is limited to 300 people.

4. Keck Science Meeting (September 12-13, 2024, Caltech)

Keck Science Meeting
September 12-13, 2024 (all day networking and talks)
Caltech Campus, Pasadena, CA
https://kecksciencemeeting.org/

This annual meeting brings together Keck Observatory users from the University of California, Caltech, the University of Hawaii, Yale University, Swinburne University, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Subaru Observatory, and US access through NASA and NOIRLab. The Keck Science Meeting provides an opportunity to share exciting science results made possible by Keck Observatory while collaborating with colleagues from across the universe in a centralized location.

Registration: https://kecksciencemeeting.org/registration/

Dates:

June 28, 2024: Deadline for requests for talks
July 1, 2024: In person registration opens
Poster and in-person registration submissions will be accepted through August 16, 2024 or until we reach room capacity.

Recipients of NASA Keck time are strongly encouraged to present their results at this meeting (funding is available for NASA Keck users, email KeckCFP@ipac.caltech.edu).

5. Workshop: A Future Space Mission with Very High Precision Astrometry (September 11-13, 2024, Paris)

A Future Space Mission with Very High Precision Astrometry
September 11-13, 2024
Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris
https://astrometry.sciencesconf.org/

Rationale: Given the fantastic success of Gaia, which provided us breakthroughs in our vision of the Milky Way, its satellite galaxies, and its own stars, it is time to think of the next generation of astrometric missions. The goals of the workshop are to:

identify a broad list of fundamental scientific questions of Exoplanetology, Astrophysics, Cosmology, and Particle Physics waiting for super-precision astrometry to achieve possible breakthroughs;
think about what type of telescope, instrument and observing strategy would be ideal to achieve sufficient astrometric precision to lead to such breakthroughs.

Deadlines:

July 7, 2024: Deadline for abstract submission
August 26, 2024: Deadline for (free) registration
September 11-13, 2024: Workshop in Paris

Sponsor: Centre national d'études spatiales CNES

Contact: astrometry@sciencesconf.org

ExoPAG News and Announcements (May 15, 2024)

Input to ExEP Science Gap List (Input Requested by September 30, 2024)
ExoExplorer Science Series: Michaela Leung (UC Riverside) & Galen Bergsten (U Arizona) (May 17, 2024, 2pm EDT/11am PDT)
REMINDER: ExEP Technology Colloquium Series Talk: The Coronagraph Design Survey (May 20, 2024, 1pm EDT/10am PDT)
Town Hall for Planetary Science Research Programs (May 21, 2024)
Job Opportunity: Senior Scientist for Mars Exploration, Planetary Science Division (NASA HQ)
Born in Fire: Eruptive Stars and Planet Formation Workshop (September 24-27, 2024; Santiago, Chile)

+ more

1. Input to ExEP Science Gap List (Input Requested by September 30, 2024)

The NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) is seeking community input on the ExEP Science Gap List (SGL) through September 30, 2024, with the goal of providing an updated version in early 2025:

The Science Gap List (SGL) tabulates program “science gaps”, which are defined as the difference between knowledge needed to define requirements for specified future NASA exoplanet missions and the current state of the art, or knowledge which is needed to enhance the science return of current and future NASA exoplanet missions. Making the gap list public signals to the broader community where focused science investigations are needed over the next 3-5 years in support of ExEP goals. The ExEP Science Gap List represents activities and investigations that will advance the goals of NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program and provides brief summaries in a convenient tabular format. The ExEP Science Gap list is meant to assist proposers in describing the relevance of their work to Program goals as they respond to SMD ROSES and mission observing proposal solicitations. All ExEP approaches, activities, and decisions are guided by science priorities, and those priorities are presented and summarized in the ExEP Science Gap List.

The ExEP Exoplanet Program Science documents are available at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/science-overview/

2. ExoExplorer Science Series: Michaela Leung (UC Riverside) & Galen Bergsten (U Arizona) (May 17, 2024, 2pm EDT/11am PDT)

“The ExoExplorer Science Seminar Series presents talks by cohort members Michaela Leung (UC Riverside) & Galen Bergsten (U Arizona) on Friday May 17, 2024, from 11 AM - 12 PM Pacific / 2 PM - 3 PM Eastern.

Please note that we are no longer using WebEx- see below and the attached calendar invite for the new connection details.

The talk and call-in info are below.

For more information about the ExoExplorers program, please visit our website here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-welcome/

And future talks are posted here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-events/

Please share this talk announcement at your local institution!

Marie Ygouf, on behalf of the ExoExplorer Organizing Committee"

3. REMINDER: ExEP Technology Colloquium Series Talk: The Coronagraph Design Survey (May 20, 2024, 1pm EDT/10am PDT)

In January 2023, the Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) kicked off the Coronagraph Design Survey, chartered to collect and document a broad range of coronagraph designs that may be applicable for NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). The working group that conducted the Survey, led by Rus Belikov (ARC) and Chris Stark (GSFC), cast a very wide net capturing known and never-heard-of-before novel coronagraph designs. They have completed their 17-month study and will be delivering a final report to the HWO Technical Assessment Group (TAG). Come hear their public briefing of what they learned, and how the results of their survey help point the way to future direct imaging of Earth-like planets.

Webex link: https://jpl.webex.com/jpl/j.php?MTID=m2b7e1eec21dba70cc3eb22f67957f6c5

About the ExEP Technology Colloquium series: The intention of these web seminars is to provide a forum for sharing key technology advances and results that enable or enhance the direct imaging and characterization of exoplanets. Topics may include recent coronagraph and starshade demonstration results, advances in detector technology, deformable mirrors, LOWFS/C, telescope stability, polarization, RV, starshade tutorials, etc. Our target audience is the engineers and scientists working on technology for Habitable Worlds Observatory, but all are welcome to attend. The presentation slides will be publicly archived so that they can be viewed at later dates.

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/technology/tech_colloquium/

Upcoming talks:

Deformable Mirror Technology Roadmap Study
June 7, 2024 9:30 am PDT
Speakers: Duncan Liu (NASA/JPL), Tyler Groff (NASA/GSFC)
Coronagraphy Technology Roadmap Study
June 11, 2024 10:00 am PDT
Speakers: Pin Chen (NASA/JPL), Lauent Pueyo (STScI)

4. Town Hall for Planetary Science Research Programs (May 21, 2024)

On May 21, 2024, at 1 PM Eastern, NASA’s Planetary Science Division (PSD) will host a webinar to discuss the Planetary Research Program, including upcoming changes, some data on programs to date, and plans to reduce the barrier to proposing for the planetary research community.

A large focus of this Town Hall will be to discuss requirements for proposals submitted under the Dual Anonymous Peer Review (DAPR) process, which will be the default for all proposals submitted to the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) under ROSES-2025 (with rare exceptions). In DAPR, not only are proposers unaware of the identity of reviewers, but the reviewers do not have explicit knowledge of the proposing teams and institutions during the scientific evaluation of the proposal. This portion of the Town Hall will discuss the motivation for DAPR and how SMD has used it to date, the process of DAPR reviews, and tips on how to be compliant with DAPR submissions.

Additionally, we will discuss some analytics for our Planetary Research programs and potential future ways of soliciting proposals for Planetary Research, with the goal of increasing accessibility and decreasing unnecessary barriers for proposing to Planetary Research programs.

In advance of the webinar, questions may be submitted and upvoted on at: https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/z18d/#!/dashboard

For more information on dual-anonymous peer review, please visit: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/dual-anonymous-peer-review

Join from the webinar link: https://nasaenterprise.webex.com/nasaenterprise/j.php?MTID=mce9d8fbdedb539f7f8039b05b08e1e1e

Webinar number: 2821 584 9322

General Webinar password: 3VzCbJ69Rj@ (38922569 from phones and video systems)

Join by phone

+1-929-251-9612 United States Toll (New York City)
+1-415-527-5035 United States Toll
Access code: 282 158 49322

Delia Santiago-Materese
Deputy Director of Planetary Research (acting)
delia.santiago-materese@nasa.gov

5. Job Opportunity: Senior Scientist for Mars Exploration, Planetary Science Division (NASA HQ)

Applications are now being accepted for this position. The Senior Scientist for Mars Exploration will serve as a senior science advisor to the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and other SMD leadership—on all matters concerning scientific content and strategy for Mars exploration, including the Mars Exploration Program and Mars Sample Return Program. They will also lead Agency science planning and coordination, in collaboration with international partners, in preparation for delivery of Mars samples, and serve as the principal SMD Mars science representative to the scientific community, NASA top management, Office of Management and Budget, Congress, and other agencies and organizations. For full details: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/790851400#hiring-paths

6. Born in Fire: Eruptive Stars and Planet Formation Workshop (September 24-27, 2024; Santiago, Chile)

"Dear Colleagues,

We're delighted to extend an invitation to the "Born in Fire: Eruptive Stars and Planet Formation Workshop," which will be held in Santiago, Chile, from September 24th to 27th, 2024. As we finalize logistics details, we're eager to give you some early information so that you can help in your planning.

Our website has been recently updated with confirmed invited speakers, venue details, and revised dates. Explore more at: https://fireborn2024.github.io/

This workshop fosters collaborative discussions on eruptive stars, planet formation, and computational modeling. We aim to cultivate an engaging environment for exploring a variety of topics, including Episodic Accretion, FUor/EXor phenomena, Planet Formation, Models of Episodic Accretion, Effects of Episodic Accretion on the Chemistry of Disks and Circumstellar Environments, Theoretical Modeling, and AI-assisted analysis prospects. The program will include a blend of talks, poster sessions, and discussion groups to facilitate interaction. We especially encourage PhD students, postdocs, and early-career researchers to participate. Moreover, limited travel support is available for those needing financial assistance to attend.

Registration is now open, and we invite you to submit your abstracts for contributions. We aim to notify acceptance of contributed talks by June 1st, 2024.

Additionally, we're organizing a special social event at the National Planetarium, featuring a cocktail reception and a captivating entire dome session. The Planetario USACH stands out as one of the few planetariums worldwide to integrate digital projection with an operational original Carl Zeiss camera.

Warm regards,
The Organizing Team"

ExoPAG News and Announcements (May 2, 2024)

ExoPAG 30 Agenda & Slack (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon, hybrid)
Announcement of a New Technosignature Study Analysis Group: SAG-25
ExEP Technology Colloquium Series Talk: The Coronagraph Design Survey (May 20, 2024, 1pm EDT/10am PDT)
NASA Astrophysics Technology Update 2024
Notice of Call for Community Input into the TESS Extended Mission Planning
Interdisciplinary Book and Workshop -- Exoplanets: Compositions, Mineralogy, Evolution (August 17-18, 2024, Chicago)

+ more

1. ExoPAG 30 Agenda & Slack (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon, hybrid)

A reminder that ExoPAG 30 is this Sunday at AbSciCon (and virtual). The overarching topic is the search for life in the Solar System and beyond/identification of overlapping science gaps and cross-divisional opportunities for progress with the Exoplanet and Astrobiology science communities.

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-overview/

In-person ExoPAG 30 attendees do NOT need to register for AbSciCon (https://www.agu.org/abscicon).

Agenda: The agenda is posted at the website https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-program/ and please note the lively Interdisciplinary Exchange discussions and opportunity for early career lightning talks.

In person attendees: Please share your topics of interest and background for the brain date discussions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RHBY0zcBAPVJhYrdnhNnMyRNopDV1BUJK6gn0qHctJ8/edit

Slack: The ExoPAG Slack space is open as well, join the discussion via this invite link: https://bit.ly/exopag30slackinvite

2. Announcement of a New Technosignature Study Analysis Group: SAG-25

Announcement of a new Technosignature Study Analysis Group: SAG-25

Background: The rise of astrobiology as an acknowledged frontier in astronomy is best represented by the Astro2020 decadal survey’s recommendation for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) as a flagship mission. The HWO, and more near-term observational platforms, will search for life via the identification of spectral imprints (signatures) in exoplanet atmospheres. Biosignature science has also gone beyond merely identifying potential biogenic atmospheric compounds (as well as surface features). Over the last decade, the field has matured by attempting to characterize false positives, explicitly treat the limitations of sparse datasets and move towards more agnostic approaches that do not rely on Earth’s specific biogeochemical history. Given the effort in developing a mature science of biosignatures, the time is ripe for developing a similar level of sophistication for signs of life which deploy technology i.e. technosignatures.

The field of technosignatures (also known as SETI) has seen rapid growth in recent years. Expanding beyond radio SETI, considerable work has begun to focus on other ways technology may be detected such as atmospheric features in exoplanetary spectra. Importantly, many of the same techniques currently used for biosignature studies, including atmospheric modeling and retrieval and standards for life detection, can also be applied to technosignature searches. As such, there are strong and growing connections between technosignature studies and the fields of exoplanetary research and astrobiology. Given that there is no a priori reason to expect either biosignatures or technosignatures to be more pervasive or unambiguous in their detection, the development of a robust portfolio of research in both domains of astrobiology is now warranted.

Call for Participation: It is now essential for the community to develop a detailed understanding of what efforts are required to develop a mature and robust technosignature science. For this reason, a new SAG has been convened to investigate and survey the field.

The scope of the SAG will be searches for technosignatures beyond Earth and its atmosphere, including the solar system and beyond, especially via means familiar to astronomers and planetary scientists. This SAG will produce analysis and findings on how NASA’s efforts in astrobiology, exoplanetary astrophysics, and other areas can better serve the search for technosignatures, consistent with NASA’s goals to understand the prevalence of life in the universe.

Specifically, the SAG seeks community involvement from both established technosignature researchers as well as those not involved in the field as it takes on the following tasks:

Investigate which technosignature investigations should play a role in NASA’s exoplanet and planetary science portfolios.
Identify the most promising technosignature investigations to prioritize for funding and mission development.
Identify science and technology gaps relevant to technosignature searches.
Identify existing NASA programs most relevant to technosignature searches, especially those in exoplanets and planetary science, and determine how they can be more responsive to and supportive of technosignature searches.
Identify best practices for NASA program officers to select and provide guidance for review panelists to grade and discuss technosignature proposals in XRP and other programs.
Identify potential new initiatives to build community and intercommunications with other astrobiology efforts.

We note that questions associated with phenomena occurring within Earth’s atmosphere (i.e. UAPs) fall explicitly outside the interests of this SAG. In alignment with NASA’s core value of inclusion, the SAG will be committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all participants and will invite candidates from all backgrounds to contribute fully, including in SAG-wide leadership roles. Applications to the SAG are easy and quick, and we encourage applications from community members at all career stages.

If interested, please fill out the form at this website (https://forms.gle/mZ8CiDV648gvCbor5) by May 31st, 2024. Questions may be addressed to the ExoPAG EC Chair (Ilaria Pascucci: pascucci@arizona.edu) and the SAG-25 lead (Sofia Sheikh: ssheikh@berkeley.edu).

3. ExEP Technology Colloquium Series Talk: The Coronagraph Design Survey (May 20, 2024, 1pm EDT/10am PDT)

Webex link: https://jpl.webex.com/jpl/j.php?MTID=m2b7e1eec21dba70cc3eb22f67957f6c5

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/technology/tech_colloquium/

Upcoming talks:

Deformable Mirror Technology Roadmap Study
June 7, 2024 9:30 am PDT
Speakers: Duncan Liu (NASA/JPL), Tyler Groff (NASA/GSFC)
Coronagraphy Technology Roadmap Study
June 11, 2024 10:00 am PDT
Speakers: Pin Chen (NASA/JPL), Lauent Pueyo (STScI)

4. NASA Astrophysics Technology Update 2024

https://apd440.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/tech/2024_ATU_Revision_040324B.pdf

This first Astrophysics Technology Update (ATU) highlights 12 examples of developments in technology maturation projects, from early 2022 to date, funded by NASA’s Astrophysics Division. These and dozens more technology projects are funded through multiple programs: Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT), Astrophysics Research and Analysis (APRA), Internal Scientist Funding Model (ISFM), Segmented Mirror Technology Program (SMTP), and others (e.g., one of the highlighted projects, NEID, was funded in collaboration with the National Science Foundation). These ATUs will appear in between issues of the Astrophysics Biennial Technology Report (ABTR). The coming ABTR will be published this September and the next ATU should come out in September 2025.

5. Notice of Call for Community Input into the TESS Extended Mission Planning

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission invites the astronomy community's input on science cases that should be prioritized in future extended missions. The format is short 1-2 paragraph science pitches. The call for community input can be viewed here.

Submit your science pitch here by June 14, 2024: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZCXVEhuzt62fp5IC-Pio2-f2kPkD8SGevzbODYDSp82OGGg/viewform

TESS science spans many areas of astrophysics and solar system science. As such, researchers from around the world, across all career stages, positions, and types of institutions are encouraged to submit their ideas. Please contact tesshelp@bigbang.gsfc.nasa.gov with any questions.

Call for input: https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/tess/docs/call-for-community-input.pdf

TESS website: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/tess/

Please direct questions to tesshelp@bigbang.gsfc.nasa.gov

6. Interdisciplinary Book and Workshop -- Exoplanets: Compositions, Mineralogy, Evolution (August 17-18, 2024, Chicago)

Many experts in their field have come together to create the Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (RiMG) volume, “Exoplanets: Compositions, Mineralogy, Evolution.” These chapters are primers, focused on understanding/learning about other disciplines and are catered to non-expert scientists. Below are the titles and arXiv links to each respective chapter. Also if you're hyped up about all of this great content (and you know you are), there will be a workshop at Goldschmidt2024 in support of this book, where the chapter authors are the speakers -- info at the bottom.

Host Stars and How Their Compositions Influence Exoplanets: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15422
Chemistry in Protoplanetary Disks: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15423
Planet formation - observational constraints, physical processes, and compositional patterns: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15555
Meteorites and Planet Formation: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15424
The evolution and delivery of rocky extra-solar materials to white dwarfs: https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.08767
The chemistry of extra-solar materials from white dwarf planetary systems: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15425
Exoplanet Mineralogy: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15426
From stars to diverse mantles, melts, crusts and atmospheres of rocky exoplanets: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15427
Some Tectonic Concepts Relevant to the Study of Rocky Exoplanets: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15428
Global Cycling of Volatile Elements on Exoplanets: will be released soon
Exoplanet Magnetic Fields: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15429
Transiting Exoplanet Atmospheres in the Era of JWST: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15430
An Overview of Exoplanet Biosignatures: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15431
The early Earth as an analogue for exoplanetary biogeochemistry: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15432
Exoplanet Geology: What can we learn from current and future observations? https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15433

Workshop information: https://tinyurl.com/Goldschmidt24Exoplanets

Dates: August 17-18, 2024 in Chicago, right before Goldschmidt2024

Registration: Cost is $260 (reg) / $210 (students). Includes lunch and coffee for both days, as well as a copy of the RiMG!

ExoPAG News and Announcements (April 12, 2024)

ExoPAG 30 Agenda, Slack, and Last Call for Lightning Talks
Welcome New ExoPAG Executive Committee Members
NASA Astrophysics Technology Gap List Webinar (May 14, 2024, 2pm EDT/11am PDT)
Challenging Theory with Roman: From Planet Formation to Cosmology (July 9-12, 2024; Abstract deadline April 12, 2024)

+ more

1. ExoPAG 30 Agenda, Slack, and Last Call for Lightning Talks (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon, hybrid)

Reminder that ExoPAG 30 is less than 1 month away! The overarching topic is the search for life in the Solar System and beyond/identification of overlapping science gaps and cross-divisional opportunities for progress with the Exoplanet and Astrobiology science communities.

No-cost meeting registration is requested whether attending in person or remote at https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-registration/, and a reminder that in-person ExoPAG 30 attendees do NOT need to register for AbSciCon.

The agenda has been added to the website, note the lively brain date discussions and an opportunity for early career lightning talks: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-program/.

In person attendees: Please share your topics of interest and background for the brain date discussions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RHBY0zcBAPVJhYrdnhNnMyRNopDV1BUJK6gn0qHctJ8/edit

The ExoPAG Slack space is open as well, join the discussion via this invite link: https://bit.ly/exopag30slackinvite

Early Career applications for in-person lightning talks will close April 16th at 6pm PDT. Submit yours here: https://forms.gle/J5exsHYthc83nJhR7

2. Welcome New ExoPAG Executive Committee Members

"Dear All,

We are very pleased to announce the new members of the ExoPAG Executive Committee (EC) for 2024:

Thomas Beatty (U. Wisconsin)
Chuanfei Dong (Boston University)
Julien Girard (STScI)
Sarah Peacock (U. Maryland Baltimore County/NASA/GSFC)

They bring new expertise and diverse perspectives to the ExoPAG Executive Committee. Please join me in welcoming Thomas, Chuanfei, Julien, and Sarah. We are grateful that they have accepted the invitation to join the EC and contribute for their three-year terms.

We are also grateful for the significant contributions of departing Executive Committee members:

Ofer Cohen (U. Massachusetts Lowell)
Knicole Colón (NASA/GSFC)
Michael Bottom (U. Hawaii)
Natalie Hinkel (Louisiana State U.)

Please join me in thanking them for their service over the years.

Sincerely,
Hannah Jang-Condell
ExoPAG Executive Secretary at NASA HQ
Deputy Exoplanet Exploration Program Scientist"

3. NASA Astrophysics Technology Gap List Webinar (May 14, 2024, 2pm EDT/11am PDT)

From Brendan Crill (Deputy Program Chief Technologist, NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program):

"The NASA Astrophysics Technology Gap List update in 2024 is underway and we are seeking input from the community to help NASA identify gaps between today’s state-of-the-art technologies and what will be needed for future strategic astrophysics missions. Please join technologists from the three NASA Astrophysics thematic Program Offices - Cosmic Origins (COR), Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP), and Physics of the Cosmos (PhysCOS) - on May 14, 2024 at 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern for a 60-minute public webinar that will provide an overview of the technology gap process. There will be time for Q&A.

Link to the webinar is here: https://nasaenterprise.webex.com/nasaenterprise/j.php?MTID=m0314443bad740fa5bcadc5752472945a

As a reminder, submissions of new technology gaps are welcome before 3 June 2024 – please see the technology gap submission form at https://apd440.gsfc.nasa.gov/tech_gap_priorities.html for instructions."

4. Challenging Theory with Roman: From Planet Formation to Cosmology (July 9-12, 2024; Abstract deadline April 12, 2024)

Dear colleague,

We are pleased to announce that registration is now officially open for the conference, "Challenging Theory with Roman: From Planet Formation to Cosmology," to be held July 9–12, 2024, on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, CA, and online. You can register for the conference at https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/roman2024/page/registration. Registration for both in-person and virtual attendance is free. We are committed to facilitating a meeting that is productive and enjoyable for everyone. In support of this, all participants are expected to review in advance and acknowledge the conference code of conduct when registering. All attendees are expected to adhere to the code and will be held accountable to its stated principles. The deadline for registration is June 25, 2024.

We remind you as well that abstracts are still currently being accepted at https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/roman2024/abstracts/, for contributed talks (in-person or virtual) and posters (in-person only).

The deadline for abstract submission is coming up soon, on April 12, 2024.

To submit an abstract and to register for the conference, you will first need to sign in; or, if you have never attended an IPAC-hosted conference before, sign up, create a profile, and then sign in.

We also encourage you to subscribe to our conference mailing list at https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/roman2024/subscriber, to receive future announcements about the conference.

This conference is being organized and hosted by the Roman Science Support Center at IPAC. The goal of this 4-day conference is to bring members of the community together to discuss how observations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will challenge theories, from exoplanets to the edge of the Universe. The conference will focus mainly on Roman surveys with the Wide Field Instrument, as well as on the Coronagraph Instrument. This conference, to take place on the Caltech campus and online, will be an active and exciting confluence of both observers and theorists to outline the potential breakthroughs that could be made possible by the Roman mission.

Invited speakers (confirmed):

John Debes (STScI) --- circumstellar disks, exoplanet observations
Yicheng Guo (U. Missouri) --- dwarf galaxies, joint data processing
Chang Hoon Hahn (Princeton) --- large-scale structure, cosmology surveys
Eve Lee (McGill Univ.) --- planet formation and populations
Julie McEnery (NASA GSFC) --- Roman project status
Zachary Slepian (U. Florida) --- dark energy, galaxy surveys
Tjitske Starkenburg (Northwestern/CIERA) --- galaxy populations, stellar streams
Tommaso Treu (UCLA) --- galaxies and dark matter
Jennifer Yee (Harvard CfA) --- microlensing and planet demographics

Conference website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/roman2024/.

If you have any questions or encounter any difficulties with the abstract submission or registration process, please email us at romanssc@ipac.caltech.edu.

Best regards,

SOC: Etienne Bachelet (Caltech/IPAC, co-chair), Takahiro Morishita (Caltech/IPAC, co-chair), Lee Armus (Caltech/IPAC), Sebastian Gomez (STScI), Claudia Scarlata (U. Minn.), Hee-Jong Seo (Ohio U.), Adam Smercina (U. Wash.), Aaron Smith (U. Texas), Takahiro Sumi (Osaka U.), Maria Vincenzi (Duke U.), Schuyler Wolff (U. Arizona)

LOC: Frank Aragon, Etienne Bachelet, Alexandra Greenbaum, Seppo Laine, Wanggi Lim, Teresa Molano, Takahiro Morishita, Schuyler Van Dyk

ExoPAG News and Announcements (April 3, 2024)

REMINDER: ExoPAG 30 (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon, hybrid)
ExoPAG 30: Call for Early Career Lightning Talks (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon; Deadline April 5, 2024, 9pm EDT = 6pm PDT)
ExoExplorer Science Series: Daniel Yaholomi (Columbia) and James Mang (UT Austin) (April 12, 2024, 2pm-3pm EDT/11am-12pm PDT)
ExoPAG SAG 26: Exoplanet Reflectance Spectroscopy for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (Indicate your interest by April 12, 2024)
The Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) 2024 (June 10-14, 2024, Ithaca, NY; Application Deadline April 5, 2024)
Emerging Researchers in Exoplanet Science Symposium IX (ERES IX; July 10-12, 2024, Ithaca, NY; Application Deadline and Abstract Submission Deadline April 12, 2024)
Interdisciplinary Exoplanet Workshop Ahead of Goldschmidt 2024 (August 17-18, 2024; Chicago)

+ more

1. REMINDER: ExoPAG 30 (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon)

The Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group is organizing its 30th meeting on May 5th, 2024 in Providence, RI as a splinter session of AbSciCon at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

The ExoPAG 30 meeting will focus on the search for life in the Solar System and beyond and include presentations from various Program Analysis Groups and cross divisional research networks.

Do not miss our 'brain dates' to identify cross-divisional science gaps and opportunities.

Let us know your background and top two interests by April 15, 2024 at the registration page.

An interactive business meeting will also be held.

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-overview/ (agenda will be posted soon!)

Attendees (whether remote or in-person) are urged to please register via the ExoPAG website for logistics and planning purposes https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-registration/. This is extremely helpful to the organizers.

2. ExoPAG 30: Call for Early Career Lightning Talks (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon; The EXTENDED deadline is now April 16th at 6pm PT = 9pm ET. )

Early Career Scientists: Whether you are investigating Mars, icy moons, or distant exoplanets, ExoPAG30 invites you to share your work on the search for life in the Solar System and Beyond through our 3-Minute Lightning Talks. The meeting will be held in conjunction with AbSciCon in Providence, RI on May 5th, 2024. Ten in-person talks will be selected, with an opportunity for others to post their work to the ExoPAG 30 Slack where participants can interact virtually.

Please complete the online application (Google sign on required) and attach one, 1 page engaging pdf file summarizing your results for review. The EXTENDED deadline is now April 16th at 6pm PT = 9pm ET. As a reminder, the ten lightning talk speakers must attend ExoPAG 30 in person. Selections will be announced in mid-April.

Please contact exopag-info@jpl.nasa.gov with any questions you may have.

Thank you!

ExoPAG 30: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-overview/
AbSciCon: https://www.agu.org/abscicon
ExoPAG 30 Lightning Talk Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMpjsGfCGYwilwe4gR6_1zNDWxicdfq-TC1wlOOJuXQiKgVw/viewform

3. ExoExplorer Science Series: Daniel Yaholomi (Columbia) and James Mang (UT Austin) (April 12, 2024, 2pm-3pm EDT/11am-12pm PDT)

"Hi all-

The ExoExplorer Science Seminar Series presents talks by cohort members Daniel Yahalomi (Columbia) & James Mang (UT Austin) on Friday April 12, 2024, from 11 AM - 12 PM Pacific / 2 PM - 3 PM Eastern.

"From Wobbles to Worlds: Exploring the Orbital Landscape of Exoplanet TTVs"
Daniel Yahalomi (Columbia)
and
"Modeling Water Clouds in Substellar Atmospheres in the Era of JWST"
James Mang (UT Austin)

Full connection information and abstracts are at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/498/exoexplorer-science-series-daniel-yahalomi-columbia-james-mang-ut-austin/

For more information about the ExoExplorers program, please visit our website here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-welcome/

And future talks are posted here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-events/

Please share this talk announcement at your local institution!

This the way,
Rob Zellem, on behalf of the ExoExplorer Organizing Committee"

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Weekly: https://caltech.zoom.us/meeting/tZ0oceyppjsqGNS-CBVTMJlJjeO5JmI44_Yu/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGhqz0vG9yVsBuHRpx5GY_oZ-vxiGJfjY1u0TzHNRR-SA_cPOdtZ5hyOYyE

Join Zoom Meeting
https://caltech.zoom.us/j/89565180020

Meeting ID: 895 6518 0020

One tap mobile
+12133388477,,89565180020# US (Los Angeles)
+16699006833,,89565180020# US (San Jose)

4. ExoPAG SAG 26: Exoplanet Reflectance Spectroscopy for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (Indicate your interest by April 12, 2024)

The Exoplanet Reflectance Spectroscopy Study Analysis Group (SAG 26) seeks new members.

Background: The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), a flagship mission recommended by the Astro2020 decadal survey, would deliver transformative science capabilities for direct imaging and spectroscopic characterization of terrestrial exoplanets, expanding the horizons of human exploration to potentially habitable planets around Sun-like stars. As HWO would push the frontier of exoplanet observations, the determination of its measurement requirements must be based upon the simulation of anticipated planetary spectra and statistical inference of planetary parameters from the spectra, i.e., the spectral retrieval. The notional specification of the wavelength coverage and spectral resolution of earlier mission concepts such as LUVOIR and HabEx were derived from a spectral retrieval exercise based on modern Earth’s spectrum as a template. Multiple groups in the country and abroad have now built spectral simulation and retrieval tools, and substantial progress has been made recently on the potential need for a wide spectral coverage for habitable exoplanets beyond modern Earth analogs.

In this context, it is essential to have a common understanding between different research groups and models about exoplanet reflectance spectroscopy, and this would be best achieved by community intercomparisons and a data challenge that focuses on spectral retrievals, under the auspices of SAG 26. We thus propose a community study to compare and converge on the practices of the simulation and retrieval of the exoplanet reflectance spectra, with a focus on terrestrial exoplanets relevant to HWO. We will aim to:

compare and cross-validate spectral retrieval tools, including elements as central as opacities,radiative transfer routines, and statistical evaluation algorithms;
compare and converge on appropriate levels of model complexities (such as the treatment of clouds and radiative transfer model sophistication) based on the expected data characteristics (e.g., wavelength, resolution, SNR);
organize a blind retrieval challenge open to the entire community and focusing on reflectance spectroscopy of terrestrial exoplanets;
achieve common understanding of how the wavelength range, spectral resolution, and prior constraints on the planetary mass impact the characterization of different types of terrestrial exoplanets;
identify key areas of disagreement that could adversely impact HWO science and design; and
identify the best practices for deriving atmospheric constraints from exoplanet reflectance spectra.

The SAG will provide useful tools and scientific inputs to HWO’s Science, Technology, Architecture Review Team (START), who will study specific science cases for the mission.

The SAG’s terms of reference has been reviewed and approved by the Astrophysics Advisory Committee. Anticipating formal approval by the NASA Astrophysics Division Director, the SAG co-chairs are now ready to solicit membership from the broad astronomy, Earth and planetary science, data science, and other relevant communities.

In alignment with NASA’s core value of inclusion, the SAG will be committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all participants and will invite candidates from all backgrounds to contribute fully, including in SAG-wide leadership roles. Applications to the SAG are easy and quick, and we encourage applications from community members at all career stages.

If interested, please fill out the form at this website (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdI8Yx0PaRNvaIGEfY-WKyMAG8mzMi2TkvlaEXrxZYPXTmXRA/viewform) by April 12. Questions may be addressed to the ExoPAG EC Chair (Ilaria Pascucci: pascucci@arizona.edu) and the SAG co-chairs Renyu Hu: renyu.hu@jpl.nasa.gov and Tyler Robinson: tdrobin@arizona.edu.

5. The Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) 2024 (June 10-14, 2024, Ithaca, NY; Application Deadline April 5, 2024)

The Astrobiology Graduate Conference 2024
Hosted at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Proposal Writing Retreat (PWR): June 7th - 10th, 2024, Adirondacks
Conference: June 10th - 14th, 2024
abgradcon.org

Applications are now open until April 5th!

The Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) is organized by graduate students for early career scientists who study the complex and diverse topics that astrobiology encompasses. For over two decades, this conference has been an integral part of the astrobiology community of graduate students and postdocs by fostering small group discussions, scientific presentations, and social activities that promote long-term professional relationships. AbGradCon seeks to build community, provide practical training for early career scientists, and be the catalyst for a more interdisciplinary and inclusive astrobiology community.

This year's conference will be held at Cornell University, located in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. The conference will consist of 2.5 days of scientific and collaborative sessions, a public outreach event dedicated to engaging with the general public, and an educational field trip. An intensive proposal writing retreat will be held the weekend before the conference at a lodge in the Adirondack Mountains for a group of 15 graduate students.

There is no registration fee and funding is available for graduate students. We encourage all graduate students and postdocs interested in astrobiology to apply. To learn more about the conference and submit an abstract, visit abgradcon.org!

6. Emerging Researchers in Exoplanet Science Symposium IX (ERES IX; July 10-12, 2024, Ithaca, NY; Application Deadline and Abstract Submission Deadline April 12, 2024)

Emerging Researchers in Exoplanet Science Symposium IX
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
2024 July 10-12
Registration and abstract submission open through April 12.
https://eres-planets.github.io/

About ERES:

The ninth Emerging Researchers in Exoplanet Science Symposium (ERES IX) will take place 2024 July 10-12 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

ERES is an annual conference by and for early-career scientists (e.g. graduate students, postdocs, postbacs, advanced undergraduates) working in planetary astronomy, Earth sciences, the search for life in the cosmos, and related fields. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity for these researchers to present their research to an interested audience and network with peers, as well as to stimulate collaborations among exoplanet, Solar System, and Earth science researchers.

ERES has been held annually on a rotating basis between partner institutions since 2015. The current partner institutions are Cornell, Penn State, Princeton, and Yale.

ERES IX Organizers: Chris O’Connor (Cornell; LOC chair), An Foster (Cornell; SOC chair), Jonas Biren (Cornell), Lígia F. Coelho (Cornell), Trevor Foote (Cornell), Veronica Hegelein (Cornell), Maura Lally (Cornell), Adam Langeveld (Cornell), JT Laune (Cornell), Garrett Levine (Yale; past LOC chair), Rixin Li (UC Berkeley), Darryl Seligman (Cornell), Yubo Su (Princeton)

7. Interdisciplinary Exoplanet Workshop Ahead of Goldschmidt 2024 (August 17-18, 2024; Chicago)

Exoplanets! Formation! Evolution! And you! Participate in a great interdisciplinary workshop that will feature talks+discussions from experts in astronomy and geology to help bridge the gap in exoplanet characterization. Because the study of exoplanets lies at the boundary of geology and astronomy, our goal is to expand communications between geologists – especially mineralogists and petrologists, planetary scientists, and astronomers. The hope for our workshop is to spur conversations and initiate collaborations, as well as explain the current state of the field and teach one another about our respective fields.

Dates: August 17-18, 2024 in Chicago, right before Goldschmidt2024

Registration: Cost is $260 (reg) / $210 (students). Includes lunch and coffee for both days, as well as copy of a Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry book on “Exoplanets: Compositions, Mineralogy, Evolution” written by the speakers and edited by Natalie Hinkel, Keith Putirka, and Siyi Xu!

Direct link to workshop information: https://tinyurl.com/Goldschmidt24Exoplanets

If you have any questions, please reach out to Natalie Hinkel at natalie.hinkel@gmail.com.

ExoPAG News and Announcements (March 13, 2024)

ExoPAG Operating Procedures Document
REMINDER: ExoPAG 30 (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon, hybrid)
REMINDER: UV Science and Instrumentation Workshop: On the Way to the NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory and Beyond (May 7-9, 2024; Registration Deadline March 25, 2024)
REMINDER: TESS Cycle 7 Call for Proposals (Deadline March 21, 2024)
ROSES-2024 F.3 Exoplanets Research Program (XRP) (Step-1 deadline April 2, 2024)
NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) Call for Proposals (due April 1, 2024)
NOIRLab Semester 2024B Call for Proposals (due April 1, 2024)
CHEOPS Guest Observers Program - 5th Announcement of Opportunity (Call closes April 25, 2024)

+ more

1. ExoPAG Operating Procedures Document

"Dear ExoPAG,

The ExoPAG Operating Procedures document is now available on the ExoPAG website!

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/internal_resources/2975/ExoPAG-Operating_Procedures.pdf

The document contains important information on how to form a SIG, a SAG, as well as how EC members are appointed. Please share this document with colleagues, on social media, and relevant slack channels.

Have a great weekend,

Ilaria

Professor Ilaria Pascucci
Fellow, American Astronomical Society
Chair, ExoPAG Executive Committee
Department of Planetary Sciences
The University of Arizona
ilariapascucci.com"

2. REMINDER: ExoPAG 30 (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon, hybrid)

The Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group is organizing its 30th meeting on May 5th, 2024 in Providence, RI as a splinter session of AbSciCon at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

The ExoPAG 30 meeting will focus on the search for life in the Solar System and beyond and include presentations from various Program Analysis Groups and cross divisional research networks. The overaching goal will be to identify science gaps that span multiple divisions and opportunities for collaborative progress. An interactive business meeting will also be held.

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-overview/

3. REMINDER: UV Science and Instrumentation Workshop: On the Way to the NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory and Beyond (May 7-9, 2024; Registration Deadline March 25, 2024)

UV Science and Instrumentation Workshop:
On the Way to the NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory and Beyond
May 7-9, 2024
von Karman Auditorium, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (& Virtual)
Pasadena, CA
https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/uv/

Please register for the UV Science and Instrumentation Workshop at: https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/uv/registration/

The optimal number of attendees for this Workshop is 100-120 people. Although there is no fee for attending, for planning purposes, you must complete this Registration Form by Monday, March 25, 2024.

Please email UVWorkshop@jpl.nasa.gov with any questions.

4. REMINDER: TESS Cycle 7 Call for Proposals (Deadline March 21, 2024)

The TESS General Investigator program provides funding for research with TESS data. The solicitation for funding for Cycle 7 is available on NSPIRES. Cycle 7 proposals are solicited for targets in the Northern and Southern Ecliptic Hemispheres, and in fields along the ecliptic plane. The observations will begin in October 2024 and end in September 2025, and cover Sectors 84 - 96. At least 25% of the proposed work must require new data; the proposed work may include the use of archival data to support investigations using new data. Proposers can request small awards (up to $70K) or large awards (up to $250K). Key Projects are not solicited for Cycle 7. The deadline for TESS GI Cycle 7 proposals is March 21, 2024 at 4.30pm EDT.

https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/tess/proposing-investigations.html

NSPIRES D.10 TESS General Investigator - Cycle 7: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/viewrepositorydocument/cmdocumentid=918701/solicitationId=%7B574AD906-1C28-5997-FEBF-2D3B9195A548%7D/viewSolicitationDocument=1/D.10%20TESSCycle7_%20Amend75.pdf

5. ROSES-2024 F.3 Exoplanets Research Program (XRP) (Step-1 deadline April 2, 2024)

Exoplanets Research Program (XRP)
Step-1 Proposals Due April 2, 2024
Step-2 Proposals Due May 31, 2024

The Exoplanets Research Program (XRP) element solicits basic research proposals to conduct scientific investigations that significantly improve our understanding of exoplanets and exoplanet formation. This program element is cross-divisional and jointly managed by four of the Divisions within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate: Astrophysics, Planetary Science, Heliophysics, and Earth Science.

Proposed investigations that combine multiple scientific disciplines or cross traditional Divisional science boundaries, in particular by including topics or analysis techniques from the Heliophysics and/or Earth Science disciplines, are highly encouraged.

Proposed XRP investigations should involve one or more of the following:

Detection of exoplanets and/or confirmation of exoplanet candidates;
Characterization of exoplanets and exoplanetary systems (including statistical and demographic studies);
Studies of exoplanet interactions with their host stars and/or of host star properties that directly impact our understanding of exoplanetary systems;
Exploration of the chemical and physical processes of exoplanets (including the state and evolution of their surfaces, interiors, and/or atmospheres);
Improvements to our understanding of the formation and evolution of exoplanets and exoplanetary systems, including studies of protoplanetary/debris disks. XRP supports observational, laboratory, modeling, and theoretical studies. Proposed investigations should involve the collection and analysis of new data, analysis of archival data, collection and interpretation of laboratory data, and/or development of an observationally testable prediction or theory. Proposals must also clearly describe how results will facilitate the interpretation of data from NASA space missions and/or lead to predictions that can be tested with NASA space mission observations.

For more information see:

XRP NSPIRES page: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId={F6155A51-0D56-3B33-4ED8-C863F9B144A4}&path=&method=init

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/viewrepositorydocument/cmdocumentid=983519/solicitationId=%7BF6155A51-0D56-3B33-4ED8-C863F9B144A4%7D/viewSolicitationDocument=1/F.03%20XRP.pdf

6. NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) Call for Proposals (due April 1, 2024)

Call for Proposals for the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility

DEADLINE: Monday April 1, 2024

NASA Infrared Telescope Facility Observing Proposals. The due date for the 2024B semester (August 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025) is Monday, April 1, 2024. See our online submission form (http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/applicationForms.php), which is available for proposal submission from 12:00AM on March 1, 2024 until 5:00PM on April 1, 2024 HST.

Note that the IRTF now implements the Dual-Anonymous Peer Review (DAPR) of observing proposals. After fine tuning during the first few semesters of DAPR, the guidelines remain unchanged this semester. See the instructions for semester 2024B below.

IRTF DAPR proposal instructions: http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/applicationDAPRInfo.php

IRTF Facility Instruments: http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/instruments/

NASA IRTF Spring 2024 Newsletter: https://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/information/newsletter.php?2024A

7. NOIRLab Semester 2024B Call for Proposals (due April 1, 2024)

"Dear Colleague:

The NSF’s NOIRLab has issued a Call for Proposals (CfP) for Semester 2024B CfP can be found at https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/call-for-proposals/

Please read the CfP24B carefully, as some observatories or facilities continue to have their observing protocols and procedures impacted by COVID-19.

The Dual Anonymous Review Process (DARP) for all observing proposals submitted to NOIRLab (including proposals submitted for time on the Gemini telescopes proposals) continues in Semester 2024B. This process requires that the abstract, science justification, and experimental and technical design sections in all observing proposals must be anonymized. In the second stage of the process, additional non-anonymized information relevant to the proposal will be revealed to the review panel in order to obtain a final ranking.

Detailed anonymization instructions for PIs can be found at https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/anonymization-instructions, while a document of FAQ can also be found at https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/faq.pdf .

Time requests for 2024B may be made for Gemini North and South, as well as Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (including SOAR), and Kitt Peak National Observatory on the WIYN 3.5m. Time is also available on the CHARA interferometer, the Keck I and Keck II telescopes, Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, and the Magellan I (Baade) and Magellan II (Clay) telescopes. Nights are also available on the Subaru telescope through a time-exchange agreement with Gemini.

We point out a few highlights:

It is anticipated that NOIRLab time will be available on both the 1m and 2m telescopes comprising the LCOGT network in semester 2024B. 625 hours are available on the 1m telescopes and 100 hours on the 2m telescopes.
4 nights in total are available on the Magellan I & II (Baade and Clay) telescopes in 2024B.
the NN-EXPLORE program, which offers time on the WIYN 3.5m telescope (approximately 40 nights) as well as 300 hours on the precision radial-velocity spectrometer at the MINERVA-Australis exoplanet observatory, operated by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), in Queensland, Australia.
nights continue to be available on the Keck telescopes, with 3 nights on Keck I and 2 nights on Keck II.
CHARA has 50 nights available in Semester 2024B.
AEON time is available on SOAR and Gemini

Questions about the proposal form or the proposal process may be directed to proposal-help@noirlab.edu.

Gemini related questions may be sent to the Gemini Helpdesk at: https://www.gemini.edu/sciops/helpdesk/submit-general-helpdesk-request "

8. CHEOPS Guest Observers Program - 5th Announcement of Opportunity (Call closes April 25, 2024)

"Dear colleagues,

Invitation

ESA’s Director of Science has the pleasure of inviting you to respond to the 5th Announcement of Opportunity (AO-5) to submit proposals for observations to be performed with CHEOPS (Characterising ExOPlanet Satellite) through the ESA Guest Observers (GO) Programme.

The AO-5 Call has opened on 12 March 2024 at 12:00 (noon) CET and is foreseen to close on 25 April 2024 at 12:00 (noon) CEST.

This announcement solicits proposals for observations during CHEOPS’ first mission extension period to be performed between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025. Scientists from institutes worldwide are invited to participate. All proposals shall be subject to double-anonymous peer-review by the CHEOPS Time Allocation Committee.

The detailed schedule of milestones for this announcement, together with the software tools and documentation needed to prepare proposals, are available from: https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/cheops-guest-observers-programme/ao-5

We should appreciate it if you would distribute this invitation to interested colleagues.

ESA’s Director of Science wishes you every success with your CHEOPS observing proposals.

Novelties

The CHEOPS AO-5 Call provides several modernised tools to further enhance the community access and GO experience:

Brand-new Visibility Checker available via Python scripts and Jupyter notebooks for Phase 1
Now optional Scheduling Feasibility Checker (SFC) for Phase 1 (now also more lightweight & faster, and only needed for Phase 2)
Streamlined Proposal Submission and a new Proposal Handling Tool for Phase 1

It also repeats the successful novelties introduced with the first extended mission:

More targets: only 50 Guaranteed Time Observation (GTO) Programme reserved targets, with all the rest generally being open to the entire Community
More time: up to 30% science observing time dedicated to the GO Programme
Modern approach: double-anonymous peer-review of proposals

Why CHEOPS?

ESA’s CHEOPS is the first space mission designed for searching for exoplanetary transits and occultations on bright stars already known to host planets by performing ultrahigh precision photometry. CHEOPS offers the GO observers space-based ultra-high precision photometry for the observation of exoplanet transits, eclipses, occultations, phase-curves, and more. Science cases may range from exoplanets to exomoons, ring structures, stellar activity, trans-Neptunian objects, and beyond. The timely overlap of several space- and ground-based missions can provide opportunities for synergies with NASA/ESA/CSA JWST, NASA/ESA HST, NASA TESS, ESO facilities, and more.

Happy proposing!

Download/Website: https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/cheops-guest-observers-programme/ao-5

Contact: cheops-support@cosmos.esa.int

Best regards,
Maximilian Günther & Bruno Merín
CHEOPS Project Scientists"

ExoPAG News and Announcements (March 7, 2024)

Announcement: The 30th Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group Meeting
NN-EXPLORE Proposals for 2024B (Deadline April 1, 2024)
ExoExplorer Science Series: Alex Polanski (U Kansas) & Lili Alderson (U Bristol) (March 8, 2024, 2pm-3pm EST/11am-12pm PST)
Habitable Worlds Observatory: START/TAG Meeting (March 11-13, 2024) and Slides & Recordings from HWO Splinter Session at AAS243
Space Science Week & Meeting of the Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA) (March 18-20, 2024)
Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC) Meeting (March 20-21, 2024)
UV Science and Instrumentation Workshop: On the Way to the NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory and Beyond (May 7-9, 2024; Registration Deadline March 25, 2024)
Notice of Upcoming Call for Community Input into the TESS Extended Mission Planning
NASA Planetary Science Division Status Update on Efforts in Response to the Planetary Data Ecosystem Independent Review Board (PDE IRB) Final Report
SEEC Symposium: Pathways to Characterizing Non-Transiting Planets (April 15-19, 2024, GSFC; Registration Deadline March 15, 2024)
UVEX (UltraViolet EXplorer) Selected as NASA's Next Astrophysics Medium-Class Explorer Mission
NASA Cosmic Pathfinders Program
7th ICE-CSIC Summer School: Multiwavelength Approach to Exoplanetary Systems (July 2-11, 2024, Barcelona; Registration Deadline April 15, 2024)

+ more

1. Announcement: The 30th Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group Meeting

The Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group is organizing its 30th meeting on May 5th, 2024 in Providence, RI as a splinter session of AbSciCon at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

The ExoPAG 30 meeting will focus on the search for life in the Solar System and beyond and include presentations from various Program Analysis Groups and cross divisional research networks. The overarching goal will be to identify science gaps that span multiple divisions and opportunities for collaborative progress. An interactive business meeting will also be held.”

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-overview/

2. NN-EXPLORE Proposals for 2024B (Deadline April 1, 2024)

The NASA-NSF Exoplanet Observational Research Program (NN-EXPLORE) announces the 2024B call for proposals. NN-EXPLORE solicits observing proposals targeted to general exoplanet-related research, with emphasis on supporting observations for NASA missions, including but not limited to Kepler, K2, TESS, HST, and JWST. Every semester, this program makes approximately 40 nights of telescope time available on the WIYN telescope, 300 hours on the MINERVA-Australis observatory, and 300 hours on the SMARTS-1.5m telescope, for observations with the CHIRON instrument. More information is available in the NOIRLab 2024B call for proposals, Section 3.5 (https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/call-for-proposals). If applying, please make sure to select the NN-EXPLORE TAC.

3. ExoExplorer Science Series: Alex Polanski (U Kansas) & Lili Alderson (U Bristol) (March 8, 2024, 2pm-3pm EST/11am-12pm PST)

"Hi all-

The ExoExplorer Science Seminar Series presents talks by cohort members Alex Polanski (U Kansas) & Lili Alderson (U Bristol) on Friday March 8, 2024, from 11 AM - 12 PM Pacific / 2 PM - 3 PM Eastern.

"Exploring Exoplanetary Systems with the TESS-Keck Survey"
Alex Polanski (U Kansas)
&
"Observing Atmospheres Across the Radius Valley"
Lili Alderson (U Bristol)

For abstracts and connection information, visit: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/497/exoexplorer-science-series-alex-polanski-u-kansas-lili-alderson-u-bristol/

For more information about the ExoExplorers program, please visit: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-welcome/

And future talks here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-events/

To sign up to receive announcements about ExoExplorers, visit: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-announcements/

Please share this talk announcement at your local institution!

This the way,

Rob Zellem, on behalf of the ExoExplorer Organizing Committee"

4. Habitable Worlds Observatory: START/TAG Meeting (March 11-13, 2024) and Slides & Recordings from HWO Splinter Session at AAS243

The START (Science, Technology, Architecture Review Team) and TAG (Technical Assessment Group) will hold their next in-person meeting on March 11-13 in Pasadena. Due to space limitations, in person attendance is restricted to START members, TAG members, and community Working Group (WG) co-chairs. Subgroup (SG) co-chairs and members of the community are invited to join the meeting via WebEx. The meeting agenda and WebEx link will be posted on - or linked to - from the meeting section of the GOMAP website: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/meetings/

During the meeting, discussion will occur on the HWO_Community slack workspace: https://join.slack.com/t/hwocommunityworkspace/shared_invite/zt-2dw5oilo4-DYxm9Q47pUCRO9GgpTbPJA

The slides and recordings from the HWO splinter session at the January 2024 meeting in New Orleans are now posted on the HWO website at: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/hwo-aas-splinter-2024/

To subscribe to the HWO-news mailing list, follow these steps:

Send an email to hwo-news-join@lists.nasa.gov
You do not have to put anything in the subject line or the body.
You will receive an email requiring you to confirm your email address.
Follow the instructions in the email to confirm.

5. Space Science Week & Meeting of the Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA) (March 18-20, 2024)

Space Science Week is a joint meeting of the discipline committees of the Space Studies Board of the U.S. National Academies, in collaboration with the Board on Physics and Astronomy and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board. Space Science Week 2024 will be held on March 18-22, 2024, at the NAS Building, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC, with meetings to discuss advances and challenges in space and Earth science and exploration.

https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/03-18-2024/space-science-week-2024

The Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA) will meet in hybrid format between March 18-20, 2024, with plenary sessions on March 19 and a keynote public science lecture on March 20. The Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics will be holding open sessions on March 18 and March 20.

https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/committee-on-astronomy-and-astrophysics

The meeting details and agenda are posted at: https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/41757_03-2024_committee-on-astronomy-and-astrophysics-space-science-week-spring-2024

The agenda includes an update from NASA Astrophysics by Director Dr. Mark Clampin on March 18, 2024 at 10:30am, followed by Q&A at 11:30am.

6. Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC) Meeting (March 20-21, 2024)

https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/nac/science-advisory-committees/apac/

7. UV Science and Instrumentation Workshop: On the Way to the NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory and Beyond (May 7-9, 2024; Registration Deadline March 25, 2024)

UV Science and Instrumentation Workshop:
On the Way to the NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory and Beyond
May 7-9, 2024
von Karman Auditorium, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (& Virtual)
Pasadena, CA
https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/uv/

Please register for the UV Science and Instrumentation Workshop at: https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/uv/registration/

The optimal number of attendees for this Workshop is 100-120 people. Although there is no fee for attending, for planning purposes, you must complete this Registration Form by Monday, March 25, 2024.

Please email UVWorkshop@jpl.nasa.gov with any questions.

8. Notice of Upcoming Call for Community Input into the TESS Extended Mission Planning

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission will be inviting the astronomy community's input on science cases that should be prioritized in future extended missions. The format requested will be short 1-2 paragraph science pitches. The draft call for community input can be viewed at: https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/tess/docs/DRAFT_TESS_call_for_science_pitches.pdf

The final text for the call is anticipated to be released before May 1, 2024, and the deadline submissions is anticipated to be June 14, 2024.

9. NASA Planetary Science Division Status Update on Efforts in Response to the Planetary Data Ecosystem Independent Review Board (PDE IRB) Final Report

In the fall of 2020, the NASA Planetary Science Division chartered the Planetary Data Ecosystem Independent Review Board (PDE IRB) to conduct a wholistic review of the PDE, which is defined as the ad hoc connected framework of activities and products that are built upon and support the data collected by planetary space missions and research programs, which primarily are NASA funded. The PDE IRB delivered its final report in April 2021.

The Planetary Science Division has performed an internal evaluation of actions and efforts in support of addressing the findings and recommendations in the PDE IRB final report. A summary of efforts towards developing a more connected and effective PDE is documented in a status report (see below links). This report describes efforts that have been completed from April 2021 to September 2023.

This status report can be viewed at: https://science.nasa.gov/planetary-science/data/pde-irb/

Direct link: https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/psd-pde-irb-response-v1-20240228.pdf

Comments and feedback on this document are welcome and encouraged. Please email the NASA Headquarters PDE Team with any comments, additional information, or corrections at hq-pde@mail.nasa.gov.

10. SEEC Symposium: Pathways to Characterizing Non-Transiting Planets (April 15-19, 2024, GSFC; Registration Deadline March 15, 2024)

Registration for the SEEC Symposium: Pathways to Characterizing Non-Transiting Planets is available here. Online Registration will be closed March 15, 2024.

https://seec.gsfc.nasa.gov/News_and_Events/SEEC_Symposium_2024.html

Travel and accommodation to attend the SEEC symposium is updated. Please follow this link to reserve your room at a negotiated rate. https://app.certain.com/profile/form/index.cfm?CFID=609782c8-563b-494c-880b-7ec4b3432d30&CFTOKEN=0&jsessionid=9DA237308FD7BEBBCB875116FBBB1110&PKformID=0x3395909abcd

11. UVEX (UltraViolet EXplorer) Selected as NASA's Next Astrophysics Medium-Class Explorer Mission

12. NASA Cosmic Pathfinders Program

"Dear Colleagues,

The newly formed Cosmic Pathfinders Program has been created by Dr. Ronald Gamble (NASA GSFC Astrophysics Science Division, Cosmic Origins Program Office) and co-lead by a council of student/early-career leaders to address the needs of students in the field of astrophysics and space sciences. Cosmic Pathfinders is a student-focused program of online events and in-person gatherings that provides an interface to NASA astrophysics. It is motivated by an immediate need to develop the next generation of the STEM workforce in space-related fields. The program includes an ongoing series of virtual colloquia, called Cosmic Chatter, that addresses astrophysics research and professional development topics.

Current student leadership includes:

Amethyst Barnes (NASA GSFC/CRESST-II Post-Bac, Roman/STScI)
Jordan Forman (NASA GSFC/CRESST-II Post-Bac, FERMI)
Gokul Srinivasaragavan (Doctoral Candidate, UMCP Department of Astronomy)
Isiah Holt (NASA Pathways Intern & Doctoral Candidate, UMCP Department of Astronomy)

Furthermore, a unique aspect to the activities of the program will be technical hack-a-thons that offer participants the opportunity to learn relevant tools and techniques for analyzing NASA mission & archival datasets. Finally, the program sponsors in-person sessions at professional society meetings and opportunities for engagement with the NASA astrophysics community.

Promote Open Dialogue: The program facilitates discussions on prominent challenges that students face in today's STEM professional landscape.
Nurture Professional Growth: The program will access key topics pertaining to issues surrounding Imposter Syndrome, Career Navigation, Conference Participation, Cultural Inclusivity, and Accessibility. The program addresses intersectionality of these topics with scientific and mathematical skills and other professional scientific skills.
Broaden Horizons: The program creates exposure and opportunities for students to develop relationships with professionals from a range of space science disciplines in academia, government, and private industry.

Members of the program who are at the same university may self-organize into university chapters. Such groups further galvanize the engagement of students with NASA astrophysics. Chapters are modeled after similar campus organizations such as the Society of Physics Students. They present a unique opportunity for students to connect with a national network of astronomers, astrophysicists, and space scientists, and foster a sense of belonging within the larger scientific community.

Interested students, early-careers in STEM, and professionals can interface and join the dedicated LinkedIn group here to further connect with other members of the program: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12899523/

Follow the link for more information about the program: https://cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/copag/program/cosmic-pathfinders.php

Reach out to the program Director Dr. Ronald Gamble (ronald.s.gamble@nasa.gov) for further inquiries or questions."

Subscribe to the Cosmic Pathfinders Program News and Announcements Email List at: https://cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/copag/program/cosmic-pathfinders/cosmic-pathfinders-email-list.php

13. 7th ICE-CSIC Summer School: Multiwavelength Approach to Exoplanetary Systems (July 2-11, 2024, Barcelona; Registration Deadline April 15, 2024)

7th ICE-CSIC Summer School
Multiwavelength approach to exoplanetary systems
2 - 11 July 2024
Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC)
Campus UAB - Bellaterra
Barcelona (Spain)
Web: https://indico.ice.csic.es/event/35/

We are happy to announce the 7th ICE-CSIC Summer School that will take place from 2nd to 11th July 2024. This year’s theme is “Multiwavelength approach to exoplanetary systems."

The programme of the 2024 ICE-CSIC Summer School is focused on exoplanet detection and characterisation, as well as the study of exoplanetary interaction with their host star. Lectures and hands-on sessions will be devoted to the understanding of the basics of detection methods, and on how each of them can provide insights into the characterisation of the properties of exoplanets, and the composition of their atmospheres, as well as the understanding of the stellar hosts including state-of-the art machine learning techniques. Besides, lectures on star-planet interactions, the role of magnetic fields, and planetary radio emission, a topic that recently gained interest in the community, will also be imparted.

Lectures will be imparted by ICE-CSIC researchers and also experts in the exoplanet field from institutions abroad.

The School will be limited to 50 Master and Doctoral students. Applications by early career postdocs are also welcomed. Accommodation will be offered for a limited number of participants. Additional details can be found at the the 7th Summer School webpage: https://indico.ice.csic.es/event/35/

Important dates:

Registration will be open from 20 February 2024 until 15 April 2024: https://indico.ice.csic.es/event/35/registrations/25/
Late registrations, only without financial support (accommodation and/or reduced fee), will be open until 15 June 2024, upon availability.
The school will run from 2 July 2024 to 11 July 2024.

We apologize if you received this announcement several times. Please, feel free to forward this email to anyone interested. In case of doubt, please contact: summerschool2024@ice.csic.es

Best regards,
7th ICE-CSIC Summer School SOC & LOC

ExoPAG News and Announcements (February 15, 2024)

2024B NASA Keck Call for Proposals (Proposals due March 14, 2024)
ExoExplorer Science Series: Fuda Nguyen (U. Arizona) & Garrett Levine (Yale) (February 16, 2024, 2pm-3pm EST/11am-12pm PST)
2024 Sagan Workshop Registration and Financial Aid Application Now Available (July 22-26, 2024, Pasadena CA; Travel Support Deadline March 21, 2024)
NASA ROSES: Release of Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES)-2024
NASA ROSES: Updated Precursor Science Gap List for ROSES-23 D.16 Astrophysics Decadal Survey Precursor Science
NASA ROSES: Change to ROSES-2024 Astrophysics Data Analysis Program (ADAP)
Cross-PAG Time-Domain and MultiMessenger (TDAMM) SIG Meeting (March 1, 2024; 2pm EST/11am PST)
TESS Science Conference III (July 29-August 2, 2024; Cambridge MA; Abstract deadline April 12, 2024)
Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) Meeting (June 12-13, 2024; Ithaca NY/Virtual)

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1. 2024B NASA Keck Call for Proposals (Proposals due March 14, 2024)

The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute is soliciting proposals to use NASA's portion of time on the Keck Telescopes for the 2024B observing semester (August 1, 2024 - January 31, 2025). Proposals are due by Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 4 pm Pacific.

NASA intends the use of the Keck telescopes to be highly strategic in support of on-going space missions and/or high priority, long-term science goals. Proposals are sought to support science goals and missions in all of the following discipline areas:

Our Own Solar System
Exoplanet Exploration
Physics of the Cosmos
Cosmic Origins
Mission Support Proposals in any of these areas are also encouraged

Please read the Call for Proposals: https://nexsci.caltech.edu/missions/KeckSolicitation/gen-info.shtml

for complete information, semester highlights, and application guidelines. Important information on instrument availability for 2024B can be found here: https://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/observing/instavail.html

The opportunity to propose as a Principal Investigator for NASA time on the Keck Telescopes is open to all U.S.-based astronomers (i.e. who have their principal affiliation at a U.S. institution). Investigators from institutions outside of the U.S. may participate as Co-Investigators.

Questions: KeckCFP@ipac.caltech.edu

2. ExoExplorer Science Series: Fuda Nguyen (U. Arizona) & Garrett Levine (Yale) (February 16, 2024, 2pm-3pm EST/11am-12pm PST)

"Hi all-

The ExoExplorer Science Seminar Series presents talks by cohort members Fuda Nguyen (U. Arizona) & Garrett Levine (Yale) onFriday February 16, 2024, from 11 AM - 12 PM Pacific / 2 PM - 3 PM Eastern.

"Latitude-dependent Atmospheric Waves and Long-period Modulations in Luhman 16 B from the Longest Lightcurve of an Extrasolar World"
Fuda Nguyen (U. Arizona)

"Atmospheric Outflow Variability of Extrasolar Planets"
Garrett Levine (Yale)

The talk and call-in info is below and a calendar invite (and poster) is attached as well.

For more information about the ExoExplorers program, please visit our website here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-welcome/

And future talks here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-events/

Please share this talk announcement at your local institution!

This is the way,

Rob Zellem, on behalf of the ExoExplorer Organizing Committee"

Abstracts and connection information: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/495/exoexplorer-science-series-fuda-nguyen-u-arizona-garrett-levine-yale/

3. 2024 Sagan Workshop Registration and Financial Aid Application Now Available (July 22-26, 2024, Pasadena CA; Travel Support Deadline March 21, 2024)

2024 Sagan Summer Workshop
Advances in Direct Imaging: From Young Jupiters to Habitable Earths
July 22-26, 2024
Hosted by The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute,
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
https://nexsci.caltech.edu/workshop/2024/

We are pleased to announce that in-person and online registration to attend the 2024 Sagan Summer Workshop is now available! The topic for this years workshop is Advances in Direct Imaging: From Young Jupiters to Habitable Earths

The workshop will take place online and on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, CA from July 22-26, 2024. There is no registration fee for the workshop.

In-person attendees can apply for limited financial assistance to cover local costs. Each application must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation. Travel support applications and letters are due by March 21, 2024 and awards will be announced by April 12, 2024.

The registration, financial support application, and recommendation letter submission site are all available on the main workshop website: https://nexsci.caltech.edu/workshop/2024/

Questions? sagan_workshop@ipac.caltech.edu

4. Release of Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES)-2024

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) announces the release of its annual omnibus solicitation for basic and applied research, Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES) 2024 as NNH24ZDA001N on or about February 14, 2024, at http://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024

ROSES is an omnibus solicitation, with many individual program elements, each with its own due dates and topics. Table 2 and Table 3 of this NRA, which will be posted at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024table2 andhttps://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024table3, respectively, provide proposal due dates and hypertext links to descriptions of the solicited program elements in the Appendices of this NRA. Together, these program elements cover the wide range of basic and applied supporting research and technology in space and Earth sciences supported by SMD.

ROSES NRA may result in grants, cooperative agreements, and inter- or intra-agency transfers, depending on the nature of the work proposed, the proposing organization, and/or program requirements. At the time of release of ROSES, we anticipate that all awards to non-governmental organizations will be federal assistance awards, and most program elements of ROSES specify grants. Unless specifically permitted by a particular program element, ROSES will not result in contracts because it would not be appropriate for the nature of the work solicited.

Unless otherwise noted, except for China (see Section III.c of the ROSES Summary of Solicitation), organizations of every type, domestic and foreign, Government and private, for profit and not-for-profit, may submit proposals without restriction on teaming arrangements. Note that it is NASA policy that all research involving non-U.S. organizations will be conducted on the basis of no exchange of funds.

Awards range from under $100K per year for focused, limited efforts (e.g., data analysis) to more than $1M per year for extensive activities (e.g., development of hardware for science experiments and/or flight). Periods of performance are typically three years, but some programs may allow up to five years and others specify shorter periods.

The funds available and the anticipated number of awards are given in each program element and range from less than one to several million dollars, which allows for selection from a few to as many as several dozen proposals.

Electronic submission of proposals is required by the respective due dates for each program element and must be submitted by an authorized official of the proposing organization. Electronic proposals may be submitted via the NASA proposal data system NSPIRES or via Grants.gov.

Every organization that intends to submit a proposal in response to ROSES-2024 must be registered with NSPIRES; organizations that intend to submit proposals via Grants.gov must be registered with Grants.gov, in addition to being registered with NSPIRES. Such registration must identify the authorized organizational representative(s) (AOR) who will submit the electronic proposal. All proposal team members must be registered in NSPIRES regardless of the submission system, so we may perform automatic organizational conflict of interest checking of reviewers. Potential proposers and proposing organizations are urged to access the system(s) well in advance of the proposal due date(s) of interest to familiarize themselves with its structure and to enter the requested information.

Notices of intent to propose and Step-1 Proposals will be due starting in March 27, 2024, and Full (Step-2) Proposals will be due no earlier than May 14, 2024, see Table 2 and Table 3.

Potential proposers are strongly encouraged to read Section I(d) of the ROSES Summary of Solicitation and ROSES-24 FAQ#1 that list significant changes prior ROSES.

To learn of the addition of new program elements and all amendments to this NRA, proposers may:

Subscribe to the SMD mailing lists (by logging in at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ and checking the appropriate boxes under "Account Management" and "Email Subscriptions");
Get automatic updates of due dates using the ROSES-2024 due date Google calendar. Instructions will be available shortly after release at https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/library-and-useful-links (link from the words due date calendar); and
checking this ROSES-2024 Blog at https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/solicitations/roses-2024/

Frequently asked questions about ROSES-2024 will be posted at http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/faqs/ shortly after release.

Questions concerning the individual program elements in ROSES should be directed to the point(s) of contact in the Summary Table of Key Information at the end of the program element and at http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/program-officers-list/.

Subject matter experts are encouraged to sign up to be a volunteer reviewer at https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels

Questions concerning general ROSES-2024 policies and procedures may be directed to Max Bernstein, Lead for Research, Science Mission Directorate, at sara@nasa.gov.

5. Updated Precursor Science Gap Worksheet for ROSES-23 D.16 Astrophysics Decadal Survey Precursor Science

Science gaps worksheet posted on NSPIRES page for ROSES-23 D.16 Astrophysics Decadal Survey Precursor Science

The Astrophysics Decadal Survey Precursor Science (ADSPS, D.16) program supports research in areas related to the recommendations from the National Academy of Science and Engineering report, "Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s" (https://www.nap.edu/catalog/26141/pathways-to-discovery-in-astronomy-and-astrophysics-for-the-2020s) for 1) a large Infrared/Optical/Ultraviolet space mission to search for biosignatures from nearby exoplanets and to perform transformative astrophysics investigations, 2) a large Far Infrared mission, and 3) a large X-ray mission.

The science gaps worksheet resulting from the Precursor Science Workshops and the community surveys has been posted under other documents on the NSPIRES page for D.16 Astrophysics Decadal Survey Precursor Science and Section 1.2 of the text has been updated accordingly. New text is in bold and deleted text is struck through. The due dates remain unchanged: Mandatory NOIs are due March 29, 2024, and proposals are due April 26, 2024.

Questions concerning D.16 ADSPS may be directed to Doris Daou at Doris.Daou@nasa.gov.

D.16 Astrophysics Decadal Survey Precursor Science: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId=%7bA621FB7D-1D57-40F9-FE89-70107E303940%7d&path=&method=init

Updated Science Gap Worksheet: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/viewrepositorydocument/cmdocumentid=983933/solicitationId=%7BA621FB7D-1D57-40F9-FE89-70107E303940%7D/viewSolicitationDocument=1/D.16%20ADSPS%20GAP_list_collated_2024.pdf

6. NASA ROSES: Change to ROSES-2024 Astrophysics Data Analysis Program (ADAP)

Change to ADAP

The Astrophysics Data Analysis Program (ADAP) provides support for investigations whose focus is on the analysis of archival data from NASA space astrophysics missions. Starting new in 2024, in lieu of a detailed budget, only a single page budget justification is requested, and no NSPIRES-based budget is required. Proposals instead identify the cost cap as either small (<$125,000/year), medium (<$200,000/year), or large (>$200,000/year). We hope that this change reduces the effort required to assemble an ADAP proposal, especially for first-time investigators or those at smaller institutions. For any questions about this change or the ADAP program overall, please contact the ADAP Program Officer Joshua Pepper at joshua.a.pepper@nasa.gov.

NASA ROSES 2024 D.2 Astrophysics Data Analysis (NNH24ZDA001N-ADAP): https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId={3C497801-DB33-9F39-7636-1208E074A711}&path=&method=init

7. Cross-PAG Time-Domain and MultiMessenger (TDAMM) SIG Meeting (March 1, 2024; 2pm EST/11am PST)

The first virtual meeting of the Cross-PAG Time-Domain and MultiMessenger (TDAMM) SIG will be on Friday March 1, 2024 at 2pm EST. We will begin our ~monthly virtual series with a discussion on the specific TDAMM recommendations to NASA from Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s with a relevant individual from the Decadal. This will be followed with a broader discussion on this topic as well as the goals of TDAMM SIG in general. The specific details for this meeting and those in the future will be announced over the TDAMM SIG mailing list, which you can sign up for at this address https://pcos.gsfc.nasa.gov/sigs/tdamm-sig/tdamm-sig-email-list.php.

8. TESS Science Conference III (July 29-August 2, 2024; Cambridge MA; Abstract deadline April 12, 2024)

"Hi all,

The TESS Science conference III (TSC3; tsc.mit.edu) will take place on July 29 - August 2nd, 2024, at the Kresge Auditorium on MIT campus (Cambridge, MA, USA). TSC3 will focus on all aspects of the TESS mission, including the wide range of science done with TESS data and the increasing number of data analysis techniques developed by the TESS community.

Abstract submission for both talks and posters is now open. We welcome submissions from all institutions and career stages. Abstract submission deadline: April 12, 2024. Abstract submission form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdix7o0Na-yAmvzeSpK5F3_yqNapHDnxvud_ApjA528WR15zw/viewform

We are also seeking proposals for parallel sessions, which can focus on any aspect of the mission. Parallel Session proposal deadline:March 15, 2024. Form for TSC3 parallel session proposals: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQ0Ky0TKCcf_o2OJffVjjMpiP8CgpKhWW7kEaOQ1F93mVz4g/viewform

Anyone who might require financial support to attend the conference can apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKt_p4lSTSq-Rxs8EyNCBYrNR3ouB0z58kQepu5s2A9MwnsA/viewform

Note that funding for financial support is expected to be limited and we do not expect to be able to provide funding for all applicants. Financial support request deadline: March 29, 2024.

Please distribute this message to your local and professional communities.

For any questions: tsc3@mit.edu.

Avi Shporer,

On behalf of the SOC and LOC"

9. Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) Meeting (June 12-13, 2024; Ithaca NY/Virtual)

Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) Meeting
June 12–13, 2024
Ithaca, NY/Virtual
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/meetings/jun2024/

The next OPAG meeting is scheduled for June 12–13, 2024, in Ithaca, New York at the Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science (CCAPS). The meeting will include opportunities for virtual participation. More information will be posted on the website soon.

Meeting Portal Updates: We have modified the meeting portal to follow best practices that support inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. We encourage you to log into the meeting portal to update your profile information. From the meeting portal home page, click Edit Profile.

ExoPAG News and Announcements (February 2, 2024)

REMINDER: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG; Nomination Deadline MOVED TO February 9, 2024)
SAVE THE DATE: ExoPAG 30 (May 5, 2024; Providence, RI @ AbSciCon)
Announcing the Fourth Cohort of the Exoplanet Explorers Program and New ExoGuides - First ExoExplorers Presentations February 16th, 2024 (2-3pm EST/11am-12pm PST)
ExoPAG 29 Presentations Posted
2024 Exoplanet Summer Program at the Other Worlds Laboratory (July 8-26, 2024; UC Santa Cruz)

+ more

1. REMINDER: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG; Nomination Deadline MOVED TO February 9, 2024)

To: Astrophysics and Planetary Science Community
From: Astrophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Date: November 1, 2023
Subject: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG)

Dear Colleagues:

The Astrophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is pleased to issue this open call for nominations to serve on the Executive Committee (EC) of NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG). In the coming months, NASA anticipates making several new appointments to the ExoPAG EC, replacing three current members of the committee who have reached the end of their appointments. New appointments will start in the Spring of 2024 and will be for a period of three years.

NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP, https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/) is the NASA program office that serves as the focal point for exoplanet science and technology, and devises strategies to help NASA achieve its goals in the area of exoplanet science. The ExoPAG is an open, interdisciplinary forum that provides a way for the scientific community to give input to ExEP, and for conducting analyses in support of ExEP science objectives and their implications for planning and prioritization of Program activities, including providing community input to the Great Observatory Mission and Technology Maturation Program (GOMAP) for the future Habitable Worlds Observatory. The ExoPAG is led by a Chair who also serves on NASA’s Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC). The Chair works with a volunteer Executive Committee, whose membership is chosen to reflect the broad range of scientific disciplines and interests represented in the exoplanet field. Together, the ExoPAG Chair and Executive Committee are responsible for capturing and organizing community input, overseeing ExoPAG analyses, reporting ExoPAG findings and inputs to the Astrophysics Division Director, and keeping the scientific community apprised of ongoing activities and opportunities within ExEP. Detailed information about the structure and function of the ExoPAG, including the current and past membership of the EC, can be found at https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag.

Nominations for the ExoPAG EC should be submitted via email to the address: hannah.jang-condell@nasa.gov. Nominations must include both a cover letter and a one-page CV summarizing the nominee’s relevant background. The cover letter should provide a description of the nominee’s area of expertise, qualifications for service, commitment to NASA’s core value of inclusion, and anticipated contributions to the ExoPAG Executive Committee. Nominations will only be accepted for scientists who reside at a U.S. institution for the period of the service. There are no citizenship restrictions. Nominations from individuals at academic institutions—university, college, or non-NASA research laboratory—are strongly encouraged. Self-nominations are welcome. The deadline for nominations has been moved to February 9, 2024, with announcement of selections anticipated in Spring of 2024. Selections will be announced by the ExoPAG mailing list (https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/announcementList).

Sincerely,
Dr. Hannah Jang-Condell, NASA Headquarters
Deputy Exoplanet Exploration Program Scientist, ExoPAG Executive Secretary

2. SAVE THE DATE: ExoPAG 30 (May 5, 2024; Providence, RI @ AbSciCon)

The next ExoPAG meeting (ExoPAG 30) will be held as a splinter session at AbSciCon (https://www.agu.org/abscicon) in Providence, RI - tentatively set for May 5, 2024.

3. Announcing the Fourth Cohort of the Exoplanet Explorers Program and New ExoGuides - First ExoExplorers Presentations February 16th, 2024 (2-3pm EST/11am-12pm PST)

The ExoPAG is pleased to announce the fourth cohort of the Exoplanet Explorers Program (https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers/) and a new set of ExoGuides (https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-exoguides/)

The Exoplanet Explorers (ExoExplorers) Science Series, sponsored by the ExoPAG Executive Committee and by NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program, aims to enable the professional development of a cohort of graduate students and postdocs (“ExoExplorers”) in exoplanet research. Each member of the cohort will have the opportunity to give a live webinar presentation on their research to the exoplanet community and interact with established exoplanet researchers in the field (our “ExoGuides”) via a combination of tailored presentations and small group discussions.

ExoExplorer science presentations will be live and open to the entire exoplanet community. The first set of ExoExplorer talks will take place this Friday, February 16th, from 11-12 PM Pacific / 2-3 PM Eastern and will feature:

Fuda Nguyen [University of Arizona LPL]
“Latitude-dependent Atmospheric Waves and Long-period Modulations in Luhman 16 B from the Longest Lightcurve of an Extrasolar World”

Garrett Levine [Yale University]
“Atmospheric Outflow Variability of Extrasolar Planets”

Connection information will be available on our website and via our mailing list, which you can sign up for on the website: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/

Future Talks will take place on the dates below, always from 11a-12p Pacific time:

March 8 : Lili Alderson [University of Bristol] & Alex Polanski [University of Kansas]

April 12 : Daniel Yahalomi [Columbia University] & James Mang [UT Austin]

May 17 : Michaela Leung [UC Riverside] & Galen Bergsten [University of Arizona LPL]

June 14 : Zahra Ahmed [Stanford University] & Maria Vincent [University of Hawaii at Manoa]

4. ExoPAG 29 Presentations Posted

Presentations from ExoPAG 29 held January 6-7, 2024 in New Orleans are posted at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag29/exopag29-program/. Most presentations are already posted however a few additional ones will be posted later.

5. 2024 Exoplanet Summer Program at the Other Worlds Laboratory (July 8-26, 2024; UC Santa Cruz)

The Other Worlds Laboratory (OWL) at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) announces the sixth Exoplanet Summer Program (ESP), from July 8-26, 2024. Within the program we wish to foster new and existing research collaborations by outstanding visitors, with stays of 1 to 3 weeks.

https://owl.ucsc.edu/summer/

Program: The purpose of the program is to allow visitors to generate new ideas, nurture existing research projects and collaborations, and foster new ones. There is no theme or focus area -- in this fast-moving exoplanets field we want the participants to drive the discussion and work on areas they feel is most pressing and exciting. The ESP program is modest in terms of planned activities, besides a daily coffee and a seminar with active discussion. It is not a conference, and is mostly unstructured. It is a workshop to imagine and make progress on new ideas. Participants can expect access to shared offices on campus, discussion common areas, and of course immersion in Santa Cruz’s natural beauty.

Eligibility: Faculty, researchers, postdocs, and PhD students at any level are invited to apply. Travel, housing, and food expenses can be reimbursed for some participants, with a focus on early career researchers. We are particularly interested in supporting researchers from backgrounds and from regions of the world that are underrepresented in exoplanetary sciences today.

Apply: Applications will be accepted from Feb 1 - March 1, via a google form at https://owl.ucsc.edu/summer/.

Applicants should upload a single PDF that includes:

A 2-page (max) description of the science that you would like to accomplish while in Santa Cruz, the proposed dates of your stay, and the science connections that you see with faculty, researchers, or students within the OWL.
A CV of up to 2 pages.
Graduate students should also include a brief supporting letter from their PhD advisor acknowledging that they are aware that the student is applying to the program.

The current roster of planetary investigators and research at UC Santa Cruz can be found at https://owl.ucsc.edu/. We particularly welcome joint applications by small groups wishing to work together on projects, although each individual person should apply.

Information: UC Santa Cruz has a campus vaccination requirement for COVID-19. Organized group activities will either outside or will be in a large lecture hall, for ample social distancing, as needed. We will make future appropriate COVID-related safety decisions based on the state of COVID in July 2024.

On-campus housing is available for OWL Summer visitors. Please contact OWL by e-mail at owlsummer2024@gmail.com, with additional questions about the OWL program. Additional information will also be available online once the google form is posted.

Best wishes,

Jonathan Fortney, OWL Director

ExoPAG News and Announcements (January 19, 2024)

Job Ad: Program Manager, Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP)
Job Ad: Opening for NASA Program Scientist IPA Astrophysics Division
REMINDER: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG; Nomination Deadline January 31, 2024)
REMINDER: Request for Community Input for Update of Provisional ExEP Target Star List for Habitable Worlds Observatory (Deadline for Submitting Input: January 19, 2024)
Sign Up for Joining Working Groups for Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)!
Roman Virtual Lecture Series

+ more

1. Job Ad: Program Manager, Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP)

Be the Program Manager for the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program Office (ExEP) (7300) and report institutionally to the Director for Astronomy and Physics (7000) and programmatically to the NASA Astrophysics Division Director.

Will have specific responsibility for the ExEP oversight, including the Program Chief Technologist, Program Scientist, Supporting Research and Technology Development, Program Engineering Office, the NN-EXPLORE Project, the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Extreme Precision Radial Velocity Program, the High-Resolution Imaging Project and Communications and Public Engagement.

Conduct reviews such as the annual State of the Program, Quarterly Reviews, scientific, technical and programmatic, and create and present reports as required.

Develop an annual PPBE funding submission, along with the Program Business Manager, and present it to the NASA Astrophysics Division Executives. Approve Planning, Programming, Budget & Execution (PPBE) submissions from all Program tasks/activities, and integrate the planning and execution of individual projects/activities into a coherent approach at the Program level.

Oversee the business activities related to cost estimating, funding, task order management, subcontract management, Interdivisional Authorization (IA) management, accounting, and financial planning for JPL projects and tasks within the Program.

Plan, monitor, and control authorized Program resources; allocate budget to projects/activities and control Program changes within the scope of the Program Plan.

Provide management, direction and oversight to multifunctional organization(s) through managers and/or high-level staff positions that have budget, planning and/or staffing accountability. Will have overall responsibility for developing and administering budgets, schedules and performance standards.

Serve as the principal interface with the NASA Astrophysics Division, and represent the Laboratory to NASA Headquarters, other NASA Centers, industry, academia and institutions on matters pertaining to the Program.

Be responsible for representing NASA and JPL in all aspects of managing the Program, which includes interacting with JPL and NASA executive management, overseeing all aspects of the formulation and implementation of the ExEP projects, planning and allocating budgets and in preparation of annual funding requests across the full scope of the Program, integrating the planning of the Program’s technical implementation, integrating cross-center activities, and assessing and reporting Program progress.

Support and respond to the NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Science, Technology, Architecture Review Team (START) and Technical Advisory Group (TAG) as needed. HWO is a concept for a NASA flagship mission, as recommended by the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey and the START/TAG will guide maturation activities for the HWO.

and many more!

For further details on required and preferred qualifications see the job ad website: https://www.jpl.jobs/job/R4877/Program-Manager-VI-Exoplanet-Exploration-Program-Office-7300

(also on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/program-manager-vi-exoplanet-exploration-program-office-7300-at-nasa-jet-propulsion-laboratory-3796732942/ )

JPL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy or perceived pregnancy, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, protected military or veteran status or any other characteristic or condition protected by Federal, state or local law.

In addition, JPL is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

EEO is the Law: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/posters

EEO is the Law Supplement: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/OFCCP_EEO_Supplement_Final_JRF_QA_508c.pdf

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_English_unformattedESQA508c.pdf

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federal facility. Due to rules imposed by NASA, JPL will not accept applications from citizens of designated countries or those born in a designated country unless they are U.S. Citizens, Legal Permanent Residents of the U.S or have other protected status under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). The Designated Countries List is available at: https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/export-control/.

[Note that job ads are only posted to ExoPAG email list that directly support ExEP activities at NASA HQ or program office at JPL.]

2. Job Ad: Opening for NASA Program Scientist IPA Astrophysics Division

NASA seeks one or more visiting Ph.D.-level scientists to serve as visiting Program Scientists in the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. With a budget of over $1 billion annually, the Division is responsible for the nation’s space-based astrophysics program.

NASA Program Scientists have broad responsibility for developing and maintaining scientific research grants programs; serving as the Headquarters science lead for one or more missions; actualizing the Science Mission Directorate’s core value of inclusion; and implementing NASA’s strategic investments for the next decade, guided by the 2020 Decadal Survey. They have substantial influence over high-level strategic planning, as well as over shaping the long-term scientific direction of missions and programs that they oversee. These visiting appointments, which last two years with renewals up to six years, offer a tremendous opportunity to gain insight into Federal astrophysics policy and programs, to better understand the proposal review process, and to run scientific programs with multimillion-dollar budgets.

The time spent at NASA Headquarters allows visiting scientists excellent career growth: some return to their home institutions to continue academic research, while others move on to management and leadership positions in the Federal government, academia, at observatories, or in the non-profit sector. Training and mentoring programs are available, on both a formal and informal basis, which further enables our visiting scientists to advance their careers. NASA also offers its visiting scientists regular travel back to their home institutions.

Program Scientists in the Astrophysics Division have at least 6 years of post-terminal degree experience. The ideal candidate will be skilled at working in a collaborative and inclusive team environment; able to adapt to work simultaneously on numerous programs and missions; committed to working on issues of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility; and able to foster productive relationships with staff working on the space missions they oversee and with the US and international astrophysics community at large. Disciplinary expertise in one or more areas of the Division’s program (e.g., Laboratory astrophysics theory and experimentation, astrophysics data analysis, space telescope technology and instrument development) is essential, but the ability to place this knowledge in the broad context of US astrophysics is equally important for the success of the Division’s activities.

Visiting appointments are most often filled via the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) which requires current employment with an eligible US institution for at least 90 days at the time of appointment. Individual research time while serving as a visiting scientist is negotiable. Positions are available to start as early as Spring 2024, though the start date is negotiable within the calendar year. The position requires onsite work at least periodically at NASA’s Headquarters in Washington, DC. Applicants should email a curriculum vitae and cover letter as a single PDF file to hq-astrophysics-ipasearch@mail.nasa.gov. Applications will be accepted through February 9, 2024, and will be reviewed as they are received. For more information about the position, please contact Dr. Valerie Connaughton at Valerie.connaughton@nasa.gov.

Application Deadline: Friday, February 9, 2024
Selection: Expected April 2024

[Note that job ads are only posted to ExoPAG email list that directly support ExEP activities at NASA HQ or program office at JPL.]

3. REMINDER: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG; Nomination Deadline January 31, 2024)

“To: Astrophysics and Planetary Science Community
From: Astrophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Date: November 1, 2023
Subject: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG)

Dear Colleagues:

The Astrophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is pleased to issue this open call for nominations to serve on the Executive Committee (EC) of NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG). In the coming months, NASA anticipates making several new appointments to the ExoPAG EC, replacing three current members of the committee who have reached the end of their appointments. New appointments will start in the Spring of 2024 and will be for a period of three years.

NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP, http://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep) is the NASA program office that serves as the focal point for exoplanet science and technology, and devises strategies to help NASA achieve its goals in the area of exoplanet science. The ExoPAG is an open, interdisciplinary forum that provides a way for the scientific community to give input to ExEP, and for conducting analyses in support of ExEP science objectives and their implications for planning and prioritization of Program activities, including providing community input to the Great Observatory Mission and Technology Maturation Program (GOMAP) for the future Habitable Worlds Observatory. The ExoPAG is led by a Chair who also serves on NASA’s Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC). The Chair works with a volunteer Executive Committee, whose membership is chosen to reflect the broad range of scientific disciplines and interests represented in the exoplanet field. Together, the ExoPAG Chair and Executive Committee are responsible for capturing and organizing community input, overseeing ExoPAG analyses, reporting ExoPAG findings and inputs to the Astrophysics Division Director, and keeping the scientific community apprised of ongoing activities and opportunities within ExEP. Detailed information about the structure and function of the ExoPAG, including the current and past membership of the EC, can be found at https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag.

Nominations for the ExoPAG EC should be submitted via email to the address: hannah.jang-condell@nasa.gov. Nominations must include both a cover letter and a one-page CV summarizing the nominee’s relevant background. The cover letter should provide a description of the nominee’s area of expertise, qualifications for service, commitment to NASA’s core value of inclusion, and anticipated contributions to the ExoPAG Executive Committee. Nominations will only be accepted for scientists who reside at a U.S. institution for the period of the service. There are no citizenship restrictions. Nominations from individuals at academic institutions—university, college, or non-NASA research laboratory—are strongly encouraged. Self-nominations are welcome. The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2024, with announcement of selections anticipated in Spring of 2024. Selections will be announced by the ExoPAG mailing list (https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/announcementList).

Sincerely,

Dr. Hannah Jang-Condell, NASA Headquarters
Deputy Exoplanet Exploration Program Scientist, ExoPAG Executive Secretary”

4. REMINDER: Request for Community Input for Update of Provisional ExEP Target Star List for Habitable Worlds Observatory (Deadline for Submitting Input: January 19, 2024)

In response to the Astro2020 Decadal Survey recommendation that "NASA should embark on a program to realize a mission to search for biosignatures from a robust number of about ~25 habitable zone planets and to be a transformative facility for general astrophysics", the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) posted in January 2023 the "NASA ExEP Mission Star List for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (2023)". The preliminary target list was of "~160 stars whose exo-Earths would be the most accessible for a systematic imaging survey of habitable zones with a 6-m-class space telescope in terms of angular separation, planet brightness in reflected light, and planet-star brightness ratio."

The goal of this document and associated data table was to provide the community with a provisional sample of stars which are most likely (given current knowledge) to constitute target stars for the exo-Earth survey of the future Habitable Worlds Observatory. It is hoped that by making this list publicly available that it will motivate community observations and analysis of these nearby stars, which can improve our knowledge of these stars and their companions, improving the fidelity of exoplanet science yield simulations to inform observatory design trade studies and reduce mission risk (“precursor science”), and eventually to inform the final target list and knowledge of these systems in anticipation of the mission itself (“preparatory science”).

It was anticipated that this preliminary target list and its data columns and documentation would be regularly updated as needed.

We have seen significant community uptake of this list in the form of proposals to observe the targets, mentions in published papers and conference presentations, etc. and thus we want to take the opportunity to improve the list and the contents of the target star table in a timely manner.

ExEP is planning to update the data table and documentation and release an updated 2024 version in anticipation of the ROSES ADSPS proposal deadlines early next year.

The ExEP program scientists are seeking community input on:

suggested additions or changes to the target star data table (i.e., stellar parameters/values), and
suggested changes to the target selection criteria

Any suggestions for changing the star list should be in the form of criteria that can be applied systematically given the available stellar parameters, or perhaps pointing out any errors/typos in the table’s data such that the criteria enumerated may have been applied incorrectly (leading to erroneous inclusion or exclusion of a star from the list).

Please email your input to Eric Mamajek (mamajek@jpl.nasa.gov) and Karl Stapelfeldt (karl.r.stapelfeldt@jpl.nasa.gov) by January 19, 2024.

Links:

NASA ExEP Mission Star List for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (2023) documentation: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/internal_resources/2645_NASA_ExEP_Target_List_HWO_Documentation_2023.pdf
Data table at NASA Exoplanet Archive: https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/TblView/nph-tblView?app=ExoTbls&config=DI_STARS_EXEP
March 2023 Community Seminar Slides: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/internal_resources/2675/TargetListSeminar_HWO_202303.pdf

5. Sign Up for Joining Working Groups for Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)!

The Science, Technology, Architecture Review Team (START) and Technical Assessment Group (TAG) are guiding the maturation of the Habitable Worlds Observatory.

The Science, Technology, Architecture Review Team (START) is tasked with:

• Quantify HWO’s science objectives using Astro2020’s guidance
• Outline the observatory and instrument capabilities needed to accomplish those goals.
• Develop the science goals and objectives portions of the Science Traceability Matrix.
• Assess the fidelity of models needed in the future to execute future trades.

The Technical Assessment Group (TAG) is tasked with:

• Study architecture options.
• Identify and assess the mission architectures and technologies needed to enable those options.
• Evaluate the risks associated with those options

The START and TAG have recently organized several working groups on science, technology, and engineering associated with HWO and are now seeking community co-chairs and working group members from across the community.

NOW is an excellent time to sign up to get involved with the new HWO Working Groups!

• Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join working groups!
• See the HWO website for descriptions of each working group: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/start-tag/#working-groups
• Fill out the application form (link on HWO website).
• Contact the GIG if you have any questions
• Application Components:
• Name
• Institution (“self” is fine for those without formal affiliations)
• Career Stage (early career researchers are encouraged to apply!)
• Citizenship (required only for subgroups dealing with ITAR/EAR material)
• Check boxes of groups you would like to join or co-chair NASA GOMAP Website
• For potential co-chairs:
• Blurb about interest and research background
• Summary of leadership experience

There is a Code of Conduct & Reporting Protocol for GOMAP-HWO activities, and all participants must adhere to the NASA Astrophysics Statement of Principles, which includes the AAS Code of Ethics.

To subscribe to the HWO News mailing list, see instructions at: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/start-tag/

Sincerely,

The GOMAP Integration Team (GIG):
Courtney Dressing & John O’Meara (START co-chairs)
Bertrand Mennesson & Aki Roberge (TAG science co-chairs)
Lee Feinberg & John Ziemer (TAG engineering co-chairs)
Julie Crooke, Megan Ansdell, & Josh Pepper (NASA HQ - GOMAP)”

NOTE: For further information, see the slides from the ExoPAG 29 presentation "The Habitable Worlds Observatory: Updates & Opportunities for Community Involvement" by START co-chair Courtney Dressing: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/internal_resources/2939/ExoPAG29-Jan0724_1010_Dressing.pdf

6. Roman Virtual Lecture Series

“The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope monthly virtual lecture series is run jointly by JPL, IPAC, Goddard, and STScI. These talks are open to the entire astronomy community and cover science, engineering, and technology related to the Roman mission. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Talks are ~20 minutes with ~10 minutes for Q/A, and are scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of each month from 1-1:30 pm Pacific / 4-4:30 pm Eastern.

Please contact Rob Zellem at JPL (Robert.T.Zellem@jpl.nasa.gov) and/or Marie Ygouf (marie.ygouf@jpl.nasa.gov) if you are interested in giving a talk on work related to the Roman Space Telescope.

To receive monthly lecture announcements and webinar connection information, please subscribe to this mailing list: https://lists.ipac.caltech.edu/mailman/listinfo/roman_announce

You can find the upcoming talk schedule and recordings of previous talks here: https://roman.ipac.caltech.edu/Lectures.html

Please feel free to forward at your own institution!

This is the way,
Marie and Rob

Dr. Marie Ygouf – Scientist – Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Exoplanet Discovery and Science Group (3262)
Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Project Science Team
JWST NIRCam Science Team
Exoplanet Explorers Science Series Organizing Committee”

ExoPAG News and Announcements (January 3, 2024)

AAS243: ExoPAG 29 (January 6-7, 2024), Joint PAG Meeting (January 7, 2024), NASA Town Hall (January 8, 2024)
AAS243: TDAMM SIG Kickoff Session at AAS 243 (January 7, 2024, 2pm-3pm CST)
AAS243: Two Astronomy on Tap Events at AAS 243 (January 6 & 9, 2024)
Sign Up for NASA Exoplanet Archive Updates
SMD Inclusion Plan Requirements Town Hall (February 20, 2024, 3:00-4:30pm EST)
TESS General Investigator Program (Phase-1 proposals due March 21, 2024)
REMINDER: AbSciCon 2024 Abstract Deadline (January 10, 2024)
REMINDER: Opening for NASA Program Scientist IPA Astrophysics Division
REMINDER: SEEC Symposium “Pathways to Characterizing Non-Transiting Planets” (April 15-19, 2024, GSFC; Abstract deadline January 19, 2024)
Gemini Observatory Strategic Plan Survey

See “Exoplanets@AAS243” listing exoplanet-related sessions at AAS243 (January 6-11, 2024) in New Orleans!

+ more

1. AAS243: ExoPAG 29 (January 6-7, 2024), Joint PAG Meeting (January 7, 2024), NASA Town Hall (January 8, 2024)

ExoPAG 29 and other NASA PAG events at AAS243 in New Orleans

Saturday, January 6, 2024
9:00am-4:55pm CST:
ExoPAG 29 Day #1
Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel, Quarterdeck Ballroom, 2 Poydras Street
Agenda: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag29/exopag29-program/

Sunday, January 7, 2024
9:00am-12:30pm CST:
ExoPAG 29 Day #2 + business meeting
Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel, Quarterdeck Ballroom, 2 Poydras Street
Agenda: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag29/exopag29-program/

The registration link is now closed (badges have been printed), however new badges can be made on site for attendees.

Join the ExoPAG Slack Channel! https://join.slack.com/t/exo-pag/shared_invite/zt-28w9f999h-ahXWtuxPlylfVvGULGiItgWe welcome additional community participation via slack.

Other NASA Program Analysis Group events going on

Sunday, January 7, 2024 at AAS243:

9:00am-1:00pm CST:
NASA Physics of the Cosmos Program Analysis Group (PhysPAG) Meeting
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 243
Agenda: https://pcos.gsfc.nasa.gov/physpag/meetings/AAS_Jan2024/AAS2024-Schedule.php

9:00am-1:00pm CST:
NASA Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group (COPAG) Meeting
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 244/245
Agenda: https://cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/copag/meetings/AAS_Jan2024/AAS2024-Schedule.php

2:00pm-3:00pm CST:
Time-Domain and Multimessenger Science Interest Group (TDAMM SIG)<
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 244/245
Agenda: https://pcos.gsfc.nasa.gov/news/2023/TDAMM_SIG_Kickoff_at_AAS2024.php
(see news item #2 below for more information on TDAMM SIG)

3:00pm-5:00pm CST:
Joint PAG Meeting (ExoPAG + PhysPAG + COPAG)
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 244/245
Connection: https://cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/copag/meetings/AAS_Jan2024/AAS2024-Agenda-JointPAG.php

Agenda for Joint PAG Meeting:

3:00pm-3:45pm: Opening Remarks: Mark Clampin & PAG EC Chairs
3:45pm-4:00pm: AWESOM SAG (Ryan Hickox) and New Great Observatories SAG (Grant Trembley)
4:00pm-4:15pm: Prepared Questions (Moderator: Peter Kurczynski)
4:15pm-5:00pm: Open Q&A (ask a question; Moderator: Peter Kurczynski)

Monday, January 8, 2024
NASA Town Hall
12:45pm-1:45pm CST
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Great Hall A

2. AAS243: TDAMM SIG Kickoff Session (January 7, 2024, 2pm-3pm CST)

The Time-Domain and Multimessenger Science Interest Group (TDAMM SIG) is starting up! The TDAMM SIG is taking a broad and inclusive view on the scope of this key Decadal recommendation. The chairs include Eric Burns and Rebekah Hounsell from PhysPAG, Brad Cenko from COPAG, and Ian Crossfield from ExoPAG.

The goals of TDAMM SIG include building and organizing the NASA-relevant TDAMM community, highlighting science gaps and needs from NASA, identifying specific analyses which may inform programmatic decisions, and fostering discussion between NASA and the community. The details and terms of reference are available on the TDAMM SIG webpage. The webpage also contains the instructions to sign up for the mailing list, which will be the main communication mode for SIG members.

The kickoff meeting will be on Sunday 7 January 2024 from 2pm to 3pm Central at the 243rd Meeting of the AAS in New Orleans. You are welcome to complete a brief questionnaire that will inform the discussion at the kickoff meeting!

TDAMM SIG: https://pcos.gsfc.nasa.gov/sigs/tdamm-sig.php

Questionnaire: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6VkFKPEeVPiFEF8PiVLdSee09qEJWiAnPEQ9lfSMTxXN4OA/viewform

3. AAS243: Two Astronomy on Tap Events (January 6 & 9, 2024; New Orleans)

"Two Astronomy on Tap events at AAS 243 in New Orleans

The international phenomenon of Astronomy on Tap (https://astronomyontap.org/) public outreach is excited to announce two events in New Orleans during AAS 243! Whether you'd like to learn from your colleagues, interact with the public informally (we'll help!), or learn how to launch your own satellite, these events are not to be missed.

Saturday, January 6, 7-9 pm: AoT + PhysCOS/COR Warm-Up at Howlin' Wolf:
https://astronomyontap.org/event/aot-physcos-cor-warm-up-to-aas-243-event/
Venue: Howlin’ Wolf, 907 S Peters St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Tuesday, January 9, 7-10 pm: AoT All-Stars Krewe (ASK) at Republic NOLA (FREE registration required):
Attendees must register for FREE tickets on Eventbrite and acknowledge that the AAS disclaims all responsibility and liability for the event.
Venue: Republic NOLA, 828 S. Peters Street, New Orleans, 70130
https://astronomyontap.org/event/aot-all-stars-krewe-at-aas-243/
Free registration/RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/astronomy-on-tap-all-stars-krewe-tickets-779690062967

Both venues are very close to the convention center and will have food available for purchase. Note that we expect attendees to abide by the AAS code of ethics and anti-harassment policy even for these off-site events.

See email for attached QR codes for the two events on the AoT HQ website and one for the AoT ASK Eventbrite registration link (with the ticket icon). Did you know you can save these to your mobile device and tap them to open the link?! Technology!

Hope to see you in NOLA!

Emily Rice, She/her, Associate Professor, Macaulay Honors College
CEO, STARtorialist, Inc., HQ, Astronomy on Tap"

4. Sign Up for NASA Exoplanet Archive Updates

If you'd like to receive timely updates about the NASA Exoplanet Archive's data releases, new services, and service updates, we invite you to use any of several methods to stay in touch at: https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/connect.html

5. SMD Inclusion Plan Requirements Town Hall (February 20, 2024, 3:00-4:30pm EST)

SMD Inclusion Plan Requirements Town Hall
February 20, 2024, 3:00 - 4:30pm Eastern Time

On February 20, 2024, starting at 3 PM Eastern, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Inclusion Plan Community of Practice will host a webinar to discuss requirements for and evaluation of Inclusion Plans in ROSES-2024. Inclusion, defined as the full participation, belonging, and contribution of organizations and individuals, is a core NASA value and SMD has been piloting the addition of Inclusion Plans for some program elements in Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES). At their core, Inclusion Plans are designed to raise awareness of barriers to creating and sustaining positive, inclusive working environments and to get proposers actively thinking about ways to foster diverse and inclusive practices for their research and mission teams.

Starting in ROSES-2023, Inclusion Plan requirements were standardized for all participating program elements. Beginning in ROSES-2024, the evaluation processes for these plans has also been standardized. The webinar will (1) discuss the motivation and goals of Inclusion Plans, (2) describe Inclusion Plan requirements and how they differ from previous years, and (3) discuss how Inclusion Plans will be evaluated.

In advance of the webinar, questions may be submitted and upvoted on at: https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/ceeq/#!/dashboard

For more resources for Inclusion Plans, please visit: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/inclusion

The webinar will be broadcast live via WebEx. Connection details follow:

Join from the webinar link:
https://nasaenterprise.webex.com/nasaenterprise/j.php?MTID=m1cf2abd210b74467dacd39fdbfe06038

Join by the webinar number:
Webinar number: 2760 659 2964
Webinar password: aTpACZi2*26 (28722942 from phones and video systems)

Join by phone:
+1-929-251-9612 United States Toll (New York City)
+1-415-527-5035 United States Toll
Access code: 276 065 92964

6. TESS General Investigator Program (Phase-1 proposals due March 21, 2024)

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) General Investigator (GI) Program solicits proposals for the acquisition and analysis of scientific data from the TESS mission. The primary purpose of the TESS GI Program is to enhance and maximize the science return from TESS.

ROSES-2023 Amendment 75 releases final text and due date for D.10 TESS General Investigator (GI), which had been listed as "TBD". Phase-1 proposals are due by 4:30 pm Eastern time on March 21, 2024, via the Astrophysics Research Knowledgebase Remote Proposal System.

On or about December 22, 2023, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2023" (NNH23ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2023 and will appear on SARA's ROSES blog at:https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2023/

Technical questions concerning D.10 TESS GI may be directed to Christina Hedges at christina.l.hedges@nasa.gov. Programmatic information may be obtained from Hannah Jang-Condell at hannah.jang-condell@nasa.gov.

ROSES Website for D.10 TESS General Investigator - Cycle 7:

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId=%7b574AD906-1C28-5997-FEBF-2D3B9195A548%7d&path=&method=init

7. REMINDER: AbSciCon 2024 (May 5-10, 2024; Abstract Deadline January 10, 2024)

Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon)
May 5-10, 2024
Providence, Rhode Island
https://www.agu.org/abscicon

AbSciCon unifies the astrobiology community every two years to share the latest research, collaborate and connect scientists from different parts of the world, and plan for the future of astrobiology. AbSciCon welcomes a diverse community of scientists, students, journalists, policymakers, educators and organizations who are fervent about global collaborations and partnerships. We want your expertise to create a strong scientific program. Submit today!

Abstracts are open through January 10, 2024

Download the AbSciCon 2024 Word template or LaTeX template to prepare your abstract:https://www.agu.org/AbSciCon/pages/present/abstracts

There is no specific word count limit for the abstract, but the total length should not exceed 1 page, single sided. Submit your abstract through the abstract submission site by the deadline of 10 January 2024 (23:59 EST/03:59 +1 GMT).

8. Opening for NASA Program Scientist IPA Astrophysics Division

Application Deadline: Friday, February 9, 2024

Selection: Expected April 2024

9. REMINDER: SEEC Symposium “Pathways to Characterizing Non-Transiting Planets” (April 15-19, 2024, GSFC; Abstract deadline January 19, 2024)

Abstract submission for the upcoming “Pathways to Characterizing Non-Transiting Planets” conference is currently open (https://forms.gle/QaKUyfJVP4pQroVo6) and the due date for abstracts is January 19th, 2024. The following are the conference focus topics:

Observations of Nearby Non-Transiting Planets: Phase Curves, Radial Velocity, Astrometry, Direct Imaging
Demographics of Non-Transiting Planet Population: Microlensing, Radial Velocity, Astrometry
Characterization: Planetary Parameters, Atmospheres, and System Architectures Using Space-based and Ground-based Approaches
Theory and Modeling of Non-Transiting Planets
Science Priorities, Technology Gaps, Instruments and Missions

The conference will be held from April 15 – 19, 2024 at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. It will be hosted jointly by NASA Goddard’s Sellers Exoplanet Environments Collaboration (SEEC) and University of Maryland College Park Department of Astronomy. The conference website is below:

https://seec.gsfc.nasa.gov/News_and_Events/SEEC_Symposium_2024.html

10. Gemini Observatory Strategic Plan Survey

We would like to request your participation in a survey regarding the International Gemini Observatory’s strategic plan for the coming decade. This survey is intended for any member of the astronomical community, including students and scientists at all career stages, and both frequent Gemini users and those who have never used Gemini.

The upcoming formulation of Gemini’s Strategic Vision will require us to plan for the 2030s and anticipate the needs of our community in the next decade. This process is a chance to set a path for building the capabilities, priorities, and community of Gemini in the next decade and beyond. For those attending AAS 243 in New Orleans, you can learn more about Gemini’s strategic vision and future plans at our splinter session or by stopping by our booth.

The questions are designed to solicit your opinions on Gemini’s role in overlapping or complementary science with upcoming facilities, the next big instrumentation project(s) that Gemini should undertake, other areas of potential Gemini infrastructure development (data reduction, scheduling, proposals, etc.), how Gemini can better engage with its user community, and how it can better serve diverse and under-represented communities — including both astronomers and the general public. General comments are also greatly appreciated.

The survey (linked here) will be open until 15 February 2024. Thank you very much for your feedback!

Note for AAS243: Gemini Splinter Session: “Introduction to Gemini Observatory in the 2020s: How to Propose for Time and Complete your Program” (Agenda),

Wednesday, January 10, 2024, 10:00 - 11:30 am. New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 216