THE E-ELT PROJECT SCIENCE TEAM

Call for Candidates

This call is closed. The deadline was 31 March 2012.

The European Southern Observatory invites the astronomical community to nominate candidates for the E-ELT Project Science Team.

The E-ELT Project Science Team is an advisory working group that will support the E-ELT programme during the construction phase. The E-ELT Project Science Team is not an ESO oversight committee.

Specific tasks of the Project Science Team include responding to specific requests from the Programme Scientist and providing input and advice to ESO and the E-ELT programme to help:

• Refine, as necessary, the E-ELT science goals;
• Refine, as necessary, the Observatory Top Level Requirements, including the science requirements and performance metrics and objectives for the telescope, the instrumentation, the operations and other scientific aspects of the project;
• Develop the instrumentation plan for the E-ELT and set the scientific priorities for the instrument procurement, and
• Develop a science perspective on any major cost/schedule/science trades brought forward by the project.

• Participate in the E-ELT reviews in order to coordinate scientific requirements and assist the E-ELT project in decisions as they relate to scientific objectives and scientific performance of the programme;
• Participate in the refinement of the project science plans and the philosophy for defining and conducting the science programme, and
• Disseminate actively the information and explain the goals of the E-ELT to the ESO community.

ESO is seeking a representative group of scientists, covering scientific as well as technical expertise. Candidates should be ready to dedicate >10% of their time to the project during the three year appointment. Funding is available for extended visits (several distributed or continuous weeks) to the ESO headquarters in the frame of this work.

The closing date for sending in nominations is 31 March 2012. The E-ELT programme will start contacting candidates thereafter with the goal of completing a team of a dozen multi-disciplinary scientists by 30 April 2012.

Nominations should be justified by max. 1 page summarising the relevant expertise (and plans) of the candidate for the E-ELT project.

Both self-nominations as well as nominations by supporters (individuals or groups) are welcome.

Please submit nominations electronically to Samantha Milligan before 31 March 2012.

Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference of the Project Science Team are available for download.