Program News and Announcements

7 October 2019

The deadline for the Call for Nominations to Augment the NASA LISA Study Team has been extended to 11 Oct 2019.

Call for Nominations to Augment the NASA LISA Study Team
Due October 4, 2019

NASA welcomes nominations, including self-nominations, for new members of the NASA LISA Study Team by 4 Oct 2019. We particularly encourage people of diverse backgrounds, skills, career stages, and viewpoints to apply. The full text of the call and instructions for applying are below.

Dear Colleague,

NASA has partnered with ESA to provide U.S. contributions, including hardware, engineering, and science, to the ESA-led LISA mission, expected to launch in approximately 2034, and with expected adoption by ESA in 2023. To manage the US investments in LISA, NASA established a NASA LISA Study Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

In 2017, NASA established the NASA LISA Study Team (NLST), charged with preparing the U.S. LISA community for the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey, providing analysis for the NASA LISA Study Office, and enhancing the interface between NASA and the future U.S. LISA user community. NASA is seeking additional members for the NLST to augment the current membership as well as to replace members who have opted to step down. This Letter solicits nominations, including self-nominations, from U.S. persons to be a new member of the augmented NLST, starting in November 2019. At NASA, we understand that diversity and inclusion drive innovation and mission success; we seek NLST members that will contribute to NASA's success. This solicitation is directed to all members of the science community, independent of gender, race, career stage, cultural and professional background, and geographical location.

The tasks of the NLST, outlined in the Terms of Reference (PDF) are to:

1. Provide NASA with U.S. community input regarding the U.S. role on LISA;
2. Provide the U.S. community with information on U.S. participation in LISA, including activities involving the U.S. role in LISA science and technology;
3. Provide communication between the U.S. science community and the European LISA Consortium;
4. Support NASA's LISA Study Office by providing analysis on scientific, technical, and engineering issues, as requested, and as it transitions to a Project in 2020; and
5. Assist the LISA Study Office with replies to the 2020 Decadal Survey inquiries. The Decadal report is expected to be released to the public by early 2021, and requests for information are expected during Fall 2019 to mid 2020.

Applications for the NLST are due to NASA no later than October 4, 2019. Only email applications of a single PDF file will be accepted. Please submit your application via email to the NASA LISA Program Scientist, Dr. Rita Sambruna, rita.m.sambruna@nasa.gov.

For new prospective members, the application material for the NLST must consist of a single PDF file including:

• A cover letter of up to two pages describing
  1. The reasons for the submitter's interest in the NLST and
  2. The capabilities and experience that the submitter brings to the NLST;
• A short statement of commitment to perform the tasks assigned to the NLST (Note that only funding for travel may be provided by NASA to the NLST members); and
• A resume of up to two pages including relevant publications.

Only U.S. persons (for the purpose of U.S. export control regulations, i.e., U.S. citizens and permanent residents; see ITAR DEFINITIONS - U.S. Person) are eligible to apply.

NASA will select the new members of the NLST for balance of expertise in relevant science and technology areas, and for other programmatic factors. Of particular interest are applicants who:

• Work directly with multiwavelength observations of extragalactic sources, especially supermassive black holes and Active Galactic Nuclei;
• Are involved or plan to be involved in multi-messenger astrophysics;
• Have a demonstrated experience in outreach activities, especially aimed at increasing involvement from members of underrepresented groups;
• Are affiliated to other gravitational waves observatories, especially Pulsar Timing Arrays.

NASA recognizes and supports the benefits of having diverse and inclusive scientific and technology communities and fully expects that such values will be reflected in the composition of all panels and teams including the NLST. NASA welcomes applications from qualified early career members of the U.S. science community.

NASA reserves the right to cancel this Dear Colleague Letter at any time should programmatic and/or other reasons warrant it.

Questions about this solicitation may be addressed to the NASA LISA Program Scientist at NASA HQ, Dr. Rita Sambruna, at rita.m.sambruna@nasa.gov or 202-358-2166.