Background
LSST:UK has been running a successful software development programme in preparation for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time for more than five years, through the “DEV” strand of the STFC-funded LSST:UK Science Centre (LUSC) project. LUSC Phase A (July 2015 - March 2019) funding was awarded on the basis of UK science priorities, but greater UK involvement in the Science Collaborations (SCs) over time led these activities to become more closely aligned with SC priorities and to the realisation of impact within them. Phase B DEV funding (for July 2019-March 2023) was awarded on the basis of competitive proposals developed by UK groups in conjunction with Science Collaborations and assessed by a panel in an LSST:UK Board instigated process. Two of the six members of this panel (Melissa Graham and Phil Marshall) provided input to ensure that the funded effort supported and complemented existing work underway in the US and elsewhere, leading to the high rankings awarded to these contributions in the CEC feedback to our LoI. The Phase B work package selection process hence balanced UK priorities and strengths with requirements and value from the Rubin Project. A similar process will run for the selection of STFC PPRP funded work packages for Phase C.
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Every in-kind contribution must have one or more Recipient Groups - typically a Science Collaboration or Rubin Observatory team - which endorse the proposed contribution and monitor its progress. Each selected DEV project will be formally assessed by the Rubin Observatory and the Contribution Evaluation Committee (CEC) for inclusion in the UK in-kind package as part of a procedure that will run in parallel with the PPRP process. To aid their acceptance, every DEV proposal must include an endorsement from the relevant Recipient Group(s); these must be sought via the relevant Recipient Group contact, as listed in Appendix A of the RubinManual for In-kind Contributors and Recipients. All those considering proposing a DEV WP are strongly recommended to get in touch with the relevant Recipient Group contact as soon as possible, and to develop their proposal in consultation with them and with using relevant documents, such as Science Collaboration roadmaps.
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The proposal should be self-contained on 2 pages maximum. Using , using the template provided, including all citations and any figures. Any proposals over 2 pages will be rejected and not considered further.
We highly recommend approximately 0.5 page of context and summary and 0.5 page for endorsement by the Rubin Recipient Group
This leaves approximately 1 page for the project description and justification
The template linked here must be used
Letters of support are neither required nor submittable - Recipient Group support should be articulated in the 2 page case.
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Email this completed template (in doc or docx format) to s.smartt@qub.ac.uk and rgm@roe.ac.uk by 16:00 on Thursday, 20 January 2022.
You will get an acknowledgement of receipt by end of Friday, 21 January 2022. If you do not, phone or message Stephen Smartt 07876014103.
Post-submission procedures
Successful DEV WP teams will be informed as soon as the selection panel has met. The date of that meeting is TBC, but it is expected to take place by the end of January. That leaves a little over a month before the Phase C proposal deadline of March 7th, so successful DEV WP teams will have have to respond quickly during February to requests to provide input to the Phase C case and to prepare their individual JeS forms. DEV WP proposers should forewarn their institutional research finance teams of this compressed timescale.