2024 LSST Data Rights Selection Round

Introduction

UK researchers will obtain access to proprietary LSST data in return for the UK’s in-kind contribution to Rubin operations, which is primarily provided by the STFC-funded LSST:UK Science Centre (LUSC) programme, supplemented by some additional effort being donated to Rubin commissioning. The content of the UK in-kind package has been approved by the Rubin Management Board, but the UK Data Rights Agreement, which will formalise the arrangements for UK data rights, has not yet been signed by STFC and the US Department of Energy. It is hoped that this will be signed before long, but we must take action now, as many current UK data rights holders have terms that end on 30/09/24.

This 2024 selection round will, therefore, implement an interim arrangement, awarding data rights up to 30/09/25 only, rather than for the three-year terms that has been typical in most previous rounds. This will allow UK researchers to continue to engage with LSST Science Collaborations, access Rubin Data Previews, etc, until the detailed arrangements for future UK data access are finalised, with the signing of the UK Data Rights Agreement. The community will be apprised of the details of those arrangements through the monthly LSST:UK Newsletters and further emails to the lusc-announce mailing list.

Procedures for the 2024 selection round

The interim arrangements to be implemented in this selection round will vary between different categories of people, but, in summary, the only people who need to complete an application form in response to this call are new applicants for data rights who are not contributing to the UK in-kind programme; all other categories of people will be contacted directly by email, as detailed below.

Contributors to the UK in-kind programme

Those who are contributing to the UK in-kind programme - both those supported by one of the LUSC Phase C grants and those donating effort to Commissioning - and who, therefore, require data rights to fulfill their contribution, need NOT apply to this selection round. All such people should have previously had their data rights term extended to cover the period during which they will be contributing to the in-kind programme.

Existing data rights holders

The action to be taken by existing data rights holders (who are not contributing to the UK in-kind programme) depends on the end-date of the current data rights term, as listed on the current UK data rights holders list:

• Those who current data rights term ends before 30/09/25 will be emailed to ascertain whether they want their term extended to 30/09/25.

• Those who current data rights term end after 30/09/25 need do nothing, as this round only concerns the award of data rights to that date.

New applicants for data rights

Applications are invited (using the online form linked below) from those wishing LSST data rights (up to 30/09/25, in the first instance). Staff and students from any organisation eligible to hold an STFC grant may apply, to become either a Principal Investigator (PI) or Junior Associate (JA). These terms are defined in the Rubin Data Rights Policy, which says that “PIs have the position and means to raise funds in support of an in-kind contribution, while JAs do not”. So, in the UK context, members of faculty (and, subject to institutional policy, some senior fellows and other staff who may be the PI of an STFC grant) will be PIs, while postdocs, students and all others not able to lead grant applications will be JAs.

It is important to note that there is absolutely no difference in the rights afforded by PI and JA status. The only difference is that each JA must be associated with a PI, who can act as a mentor and guide their use of LSST data rights; typically, this will be their supervisor or line manager, but it need not be someone at their own institution. The JA application form includes a request for the suggested PI mentor, but, since no PI may be associated with more than four JAs, some reassignment of JAs amongst PIs may be necessary after the selection round has completed.

As part of the application process, new applicants for data rights be required to sign the LSST:UK Code of Conduct, so you should read that before applying.

Application Form: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/edinburgh/2024-lsst-uk-pi-ja-application

Applications will close on Tuesday 30th April 2024 at 4:00pm.

If you experience technical problems completing either of these forms please contact the LUSC Project Manager, Terry Sloan (t.m.sloan@ed.ac.uk), while any policy questions should be addressed to the LSST:UK Consortium Board Chair, Mike Watson (mgw@leicester.ac.uk).