SGAA/SSAA News No 26 - 18/12/2013 _________________________________________________________________________ 1. Travel support SSAA - invitation to apply for grants 2. Call for "Astronomy Outreach" projects 3. SSAA funding call for projects 4. Call for for MERAC Funding and Travel Awards 5. Prix A.F. Schlaefli SCNAT 2014 6. 44th Saas-Fee Advanced Course, registration deadline 23 jan 2014 7. Swiss Cosmology Day, 6-7 february 2014, Zurich 8. IAU Symposium on "New windows on massive stars", 23-27 june 2014, Geneva 9. European Week of Astronomy and Space Sciences 2014, 30 june-4 july, Geneva 10. General Assembly 2013 material on the Web _________________________________________________________________________ 1. Travel support SSAA - invitation to apply for grants In 2014 the SSAA (Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy) will have some money from the sc|nat available for travel grants. The SSAA now invites applicants to apply until February 21, 2014 to daniel.schaerer∂unige.ch (Daniel Schaerer, Observatoire de Geneve). The request should provide the date, place, and the reason for the travel, as well as the cost to be covered by the SSAA. There are two types of travel grants: (a) international collaboration (CHF 5000.-) Travel money for international collaboration is preferentially given for travels to meetings where Swiss participation is considered to be useful, for visits at other institutions (for research projects), and observing runs. The person should be a SGAA member and an active researcher in astrophysics. (b) support for young scientists (CHF 5000.-) Travel money for young scientists is given preferentially to Ph.D. students but also young Post-Docs, whereby the money may be used for observing runs, visits to other institutions, conferences, research schools etc. In the application it should be clarified in a few words why this travel is important for the research project of the applicant. Particularly encouraged to apply are young researchers who are in a situation where it is not so easy to get the money from other institutions. _________________________________________________________________________ 2. Call for "Astronomy Outreach" projects In 2014, the SSAA offers financial support of up to 8000 CHF for projects on Astronomy Outreach. Funding is possible for diverse outreach projects, including support for exhibitions, the preparation of material for schools, the organisation of events, and alike. Projects will be funded on a competitive basis. Please send a brief project description and your budget request to daniel.schaerer∂unige.ch. The deadline for the call is: March 31, 2014. Requests may also be supported outside this call, if funding permits. _________________________________________________________________________ 3. SSAA funding call for projects Following the decision at its past General Assembly, the SSAA offers support of up to 5-8 kCHF per year for the organization of meetings and related activities, organised by Swiss astrophysicists. Please send a brief project description and your budget request before February 21, 2014 to Daniel Schaerer (daniel.schaerer∂unige.ch). _________________________________________________________________________ 4. Call for MERAC Funding and Travel Awards The SSAA is pleased to announce its third call for MERAC awards. Since 2013 the SSAA committee distributes Funding and Travel Awards (20'000 Euro in total) sponsored by Foundation MERAC (Mobilising European Research in Astrophysics and Cosmology), a nonprofit foundation in Switzerland to recognize, encourage and promote the research and mobility of young European Astrophysicists and Cosmologists. The first recipients of the MERAC awards are listed here: http://www.ssaa.ch/index.php?page=actualites&hl=eng The objectives of the grants are to cover travel costs, participation at international conferences, short stays abroad, costs for collaborations, or alike, to support the development of research projects by young astrophysicists. The grants do not cover expenses for scientific apparatus or equipment. The grants are subject to the following conditions: - The grantee must be employed by or affiliated with a Swiss research institute or University. - The grants must be used to cover project costs, not or only partially covered by other institutions. - The grant has to be used within two years, after which unused funding must be reimbursed to the SSAA. - The grantee provides the SSAA with a financial report and short final report on the use of the grant. - The grantee allows the MERAC Foundation to make his/her biography and project summary public. Applications will be received twice per year (february 1, and september 1). They must include a short biography, a research project description with a summary, and a budget estimate. In case of a multiple applications, the list of other solicited funds shall be given. The applications should be limited to a maximum of 5 pages, in a single pdf file, to be sent to the Secretary of the SSAA, Georges Meynet (georges.meynet∂unige.ch). _________________________________________________________________________ 5. Prix A.F. Schlaefli SCNAT 2014 The renowned Prix A. F. Schlaefli 2014 will be awarded by the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) for an excellent scientific contribution in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Eligible for nomination are young researchers of Swiss nationality. The candidates should have defended their doctoral thesis after January 1st, 2011. Self nominations are also accepted. For more details see www.scnat.ch/d/Preise/Prix_Schlaefli/Ausschreibung/ Prize sum is CHF 5000.– _________________________________________________________________________ 6. 44th Saas-Fee Advanced Course, registration deadline 23 jan 2014 The 44th "Saas-Fee Advanced Course" on COSMOLOGY WITH WIDE-FIELD SURVEYS will take place 2-7 March 2014, in Engelberg, Switzerland. The regular registration is open until 23 january 2014. For more details visit http://saasfee2014.epfl.ch _________________________________________________________________________ 7. Swiss Cosmology Day, 6-7 february 2014, Zurich This is to remind you of the next Swiss Cosmology days taking place on 6-7. February 2014 at ETH Zürich (Campus Hönggerberg). Further information can be found here: http://www.astro.ethz.ch/refregier/news/Events/Swiss_cosmology_days The Swiss Cosmology Days are open to all researchers in Cosmology working in Swiss Institutions. _________________________________________________________________________ 8. IAU Symposium on "New windows on massive stars", 23-27 june 2014, Geneva The IAU Symposium 307 on "New windows on massive stars: asteroseismology, interferometry, and spectropolarimetry", will be held 27-30 june 2014, at the Geneva University. Pre-registration is possible. Registration opens 1 jan 2014. For more information consult http://obswww.unige.ch/Conferences/IAU307/ _________________________________________________________________________ 9. European Week of Astronomy and Space Sciences 2014, 30 june-4 july, Geneva The next European Week of Astronomy and Space Sciences (EWASS2014) will take place 30 june - 4 july, in Geneva at the International Conference Centre. The program will various plenary talks, symposia, special sessions and meetings is available on http://eas.unige.ch/EWASS2014/program.jsp Registration and abstract submission will open early-January 2014. For more information see http://eas.unige.ch/EWASS2014/index.jsp _________________________________________________________________________ 10. General Assembly 2013 material on the Web The material (reports, presentations etc.) of the 2013 General Assembly of the SSAA, held 11 oct 2013 at the Uni Basel, are available on the SSAA website at http://www.ssaa.ch/index.php?page=assemblee-2013&hl=eng The SSAA committee welcomes Prasenjit Saha (UniZH) as new Vicepresident and thanks the outgoing Michael Meyer (ETHZ) for his contributions. SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA For more information concerning the SGAA/SSAA, astronomy in Switzerland, and related topics visit our Website http://www.ssaa.ch. For any information and messages to be circulated via the SGAA/SSAA mailing list please e-mail your text to the new secretary (georges.meynet∂unige.ch) in plain ASCII. Thank you ! SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA