Selection Criteria

selection criteria for astrophysics applicants
selection criteria for social science applicants

 

Astrophysics. For its astrophysics Catalyst Fellows, LSSTC is seeking an excellent cohort that is balanced in terms of scientific focus, location of host institution, type of host institution (large vs small, public vs private, US vs non-US, etc), and demographics.  We aim to select at least one Fellow who proposes to conduct their research outside of the US, one who proposes to conduct their research at an expansion site (within the US), and at least one who proposes to sit at an institution closely connected to the LINCC initiative (for this cycle: Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern, or University of Washington).  We expect to seek Fellows who have the problem-solving skills and understanding of Rubin LSST necessary to make good use of LSST data from Rubin’s very first year of operation, while at the same time serving as ambassadors for LSST.    LSSTC Catalyst Fellows in astrophysics should have the potential to become leaders in the Rubin community, both through their scientific research and their commitment to the constructive and inclusive practice of science with big data.

Social science. For the two social science Catalyst Fellows, LSSTC is seeking applicants with accomplishments and promise in two main areas: 1) original social scientific, interdisciplinary or humanistic research related to the Rubin Observatory and/or the LSST project; 2) meaningful participation in and contribution to the Rubin LSST community, including its diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DEI). Successful social science applicants will be enthusiastic about the novel possibilities, benefits, and challenges associated with working in a cross-disciplinary environment in which they are both studying and collaborating with astronomers and astrophysicists. Social scientists are not required to propose research that is immediately actionable to the production of LSST science, but should at minimum be open to exploring with their astronomy colleagues and/or research participants the value of social scientific inquiry and insights for informing how astronomers collaborate, communicate, and conduct team science. We do not expect social science applicants to be versed in astronomy or astrophysics, but some knowledge of the purpose, origin, and scope of the Rubin Observatory and LSST project will be required to craft a strong research.