LSST AGN Science Collaboration Membership Application

Membership in the LSST AGN Science Collaboration implies a commitment to work toward the common scientific goals of the collaboration, and affords one the opportunity to be involved directly in the core projects undertaken by the Science Collaboration. The Science Collaboration also provides a natural route for giving feedback to the LSST Project about issues related to AGN science.

Proposals are currently invited from individuals in the following categories:

  • All scientists employed or studying at institutions in countries with LSST data rights (e.g., USA, Chile).
  • Any individuals specifically listed in signed Memoranda of Agreement with the LSST Corporation.
  • Scientists employed by the LSST Project.
  • Members of institutions that have explicit data-rights agreements with the LSST, such as IN2P3.
  • Individuals hoping to obtain data rights through in-kind contributions, recognizing that their membership level will be limited to Associate (until data rights are obtained) and may have to be dropped as members should negotiation for data rights not be successful

As noted in the AGN SC Charter, the AGN SC has three membership levels (associate, full, and core). The application procedure for the associate level is largely pro forma; legitimate scientists (including graduate students) that provide the requested information will generally be approved. Sections A and B are relevant for all applications. Sections C through F are relevant only for full and core applications, while Section G is for core applications only. Please put "N/A" for any "required" sections that are not applicable to the membership class that you are applying for.  All applicants must acknowledge and agree to the AGN SC's Charter and Code of Conduct documents.  Applicants for temporary membership (e.g., undergrads) should indicate their advisor (who must be an AGN SC member and who additionally acknowledges the code of conduct and publication policy) and an end date for the project.

Those submitting Full or Core membership applications should make use of materials describing recent activities of the AGN SC, including: 

  • The AGN SC Roadmap, which gives a fairly up-to-date prioritization of the various tasks for the AGN SC.
  • Slides from recent talks by AGN SC members.
  • A recent video, which gives a useful summary of LSST AGN science and the overall activities of the AGN SC.  

Please write and save your answers in another environment and upload them here when you are ready (as this web form will not save your partially completed work).

Contact Information (relevant for associate, full, and core member applications):
Please provide proof of the above affiliation (e.g., an institutional web page).
Application Type:
Subgroup Interests (relevant for associate, full, and core member applications):
Associate, Full, and Core Application Essays:
Part A is critical to answer in full for your application not to be returned for further clarification. If your position is not permanent or if your access would come from an in-kind contribution, please indicate the nature and term of your position and/or give details of the in-kind proposal (including leadership personnel and institutions), its status, and the level of data access you will obtain from it. Membership in the AGN SC does not grant data access, nor is the SC able to grant data access under any conditions. If you do not fill out Part A clearly and fully, this may lead to an unnecessary delay in processing your application.
Full and Core Application Essays:
Full and core member applications require a higher level of commitment, which the next few sections attempt to capture. As noted in the AGN SC Charter: Full membership can be achieved at the recommendation of the subgroup coordinators (accompanied by this application) and reflects an ongoing, active contribution to the activities of one or more of the subgroups with which the member is affiliated, which applicants should document below.
Please relate these science interests to Chapter 10 of the LSST Science Book, to the extent sensibly possible (projects that entirely go beyond the ideas in the Science Book are certainly most welcome also). Please also relate these science interests to those of other members of the AGN Science Collaboration, and/or to relate them to the documents under the "Documents" tab at https://agn.science.lsst.org/documents. The statement should highlight what skills and resources the applicant will bring to the AGN Science Collaboration as a whole since the AGN Science Collaboration aims to be a *working* group rather than just an interest group; members are encouraged to work together and share resources to achieve more than they could just doing their own personal projects independently.
The proposal MUST make specific references to the AGN Science Collaboration roadmap document available via the "Documents" tab. The proposal must identify which parts of the roadmap the proposer will contribute to and describe explicitly how the proposed work will make these contributions (or, alternatively, suggested additions to the roadmap document that will broadly benefit the membership of the AGN SC). Also, in this please comment if you will be able to "take shifts" representing the AGN Science Collaboration in working meetings, conference poster presentations, conference talk presentations, etc. Or comment on other ways you will constructively help the AGN Science Collaboration. Note that the AGN Science Collaboration does not have any direct funding to support such activities, so these will likely need to be covered at your own expense.
Core Application Essay:
The AGN SC core members are defined as AGN SC members who have made significant, extensive contributions to the AGN SC for at least _two years_. Core membership may be achieved via outstanding contributions that benefit and enable AGN SC members and LSST in general, by serving as any of the following: a member in any of the AGN SC Panels, particularly the Science Platform Support Team, a subgroup Coordinator, a co-chair, or in another outstandingly active role. Core member applicants acknowledge familiarity with the AGN SC's Publication Policy, which defines the rights (and responsibilities) of core members to be on AGN SC publications.
Acknowledgement of AGN Charter and Code of Conduct (relevant for all applications):
Required conditions to become a member of AGN is the commitment to respect the AGN Code of Conduct in all AGN SC interactions.
Required condition to become a AGN member is acknowledgement of the AGN Charter, including membership rights and responsibilities.
It is important for AGN SC members to understand that SC membership is separate from data rights. The AGN SC cannot advise on data rights issues. Those uncertain about their data rights status should consult this FAQ, the CEC website, and the first talk in this recording.