LSSTC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. We have recently launched >$20M of major programs to support the astrophysics community as it prepares for the flood of data, and we are vigorously seeking philanthropic support to launch more. LSSTC multiplies the impact of federal investment in the Rubin Observatory by giving scientists the freedom to design, implement, and benefit from innovative approaches to science research. Our programs cross traditional institutional boundaries and go beyond established programs.
Members benefit from preferential access to resources, influence and visibility, and participating in a like-minded community that is establishing new norms of inclusive participation in astrophysics.
The time is now: Rubin LSST first light is in 2024. Today’s undergraduate and graduate students will write the first dissertations based on Rubin LSST data and will be tomorrow’s leaders in big data and survey science.
Access to Resources - Member institutions preferentially benefit from all LSSTC programs, including:
- priority consideration in requests for software incubator resources (through the LSST Interdisciplinary Network for Collaboration and Computing - LINCC).
- priority access to graduate student training opportunities (Data Science Fellowship Program, a LINCC program) and workshops.
- eligibility to host a prize postdoctoral fellow (LSSTC Catalyst Fellow, a LINCC program).
- eligibility to request grants to support LSST-related science, including funding from our undergraduate summer student program.
- access to a diverse ecosystem for students and postdocs to network within, including opportunities for visible leadership roles in LSSTC.
Influence and Visibility - Member institutions leverage LSSTC’s pioneering work for their own interests, such as:
- having a guiding hand in designing LSSTC programs to align with your scientific and institutional priorities.
- demonstrating to prospective faculty and students that your institution and department are committed to a leadership role in the era of astronomical big data.
- participating in establishing a model for the role that private funding can play in multiplying the scientific impact of federal-investment in a $1B-scale scientific facility.
Community - Our member community shares values and deep connections to all aspects of Rubin’s LSST. For example, members:
- participate in a like-minded community of scholars that is committed to inclusive and diverse engagement in LSST scientific discovery.
- are embedded in a community of experts with the most up-to-date information about the status of Rubin LSST and the LSST Science Collaborations.
- are invited to contribute to STEM inclusion through a new Expansion Partners program that comes with financial resources. LSSTC Expansion Partners will be recognized as leaders in community building and inclusion.
A pdf with membership information material can be downloaded here.
