Home > Information for Researchers > Proposal Calls > Short Science

Instructions for applying to join the SOFIA Short Science Teams

The Short Science phase of the SOFIA Early Science program represent the first light observations of the observatory. Due to the early state if the observatory and instrument characterization at this time, these observations will be carried out by the Principal Investigator teams of the two Early Science instruments FORCAST (PI: T. Herter, Cornell U.) and GREAT (PI: R. Güsten, MPIfR, Bonn). As described in the “Dear Colleague” letter, NASA DLR and USRA are inviting members of the astronomical community to join these teams for the duration of the Short Science projects. Under the leadership of the instrument PIs, and as appropriate, the selected community members will participate in activities such as the detailed planning of the observations, data reduction and analysis. Due to the limited crew size permitted at this early stage of the SOFIA science operations, they will not participate in the actual observing flights.

To apply to join either of the two Short Science teams, please submit a brief white paper, focusing on the expertise brought to the team by the submitter and how he/she can contribute to the Short Science Team's planned observations and analysis. A template for the white papers is available in LaTeX or MSWord formats, as well as a white paper template LaTeX style file.

Instructions for filling out and submitting the Short Science White Papers

Whether generated using the MSWord or LaTeX templates, the White Paper submission should be made as a .pdf file, attached to a e-mail sent to short.science.props@sofia.usra.edu . Please insert the string “SOFIA Short Science”, followed by your last name in the subject line of the e-mail.

General & LaTeX Instructions for the White Paper Template:

All of the information to be provided in the LaTeX form should be inserted within the curly braces "{}", or as text blocks after a template keyword (a keyword is preceded by a backslash character; example, \justification). Comment lines start with the "%" sign and can be added at will, but will NOT show up in the formatted white paper.

PostScript figures may be included in the formatted output by using the \plotone command.  Insert the following into your LaTeX file:
  \begin{figure}[h]
  \plotone{foo.eps}
  \caption{}
  \end{figure}
where "foo.eps" is an Encapsulated PostScript file you have created.
The figure will be scaled to a width of 95 % of the width of the text. If you have a tall, narrow figure, you can scale it to a smaller fraction of the text with with \epsscale{fraction}.  For example:
  \epsscale{0.5}\plotone{foo.eps}
scales the figure to half of the text width.  Use \plottwo to plot two figures side-by-side, as in
  \plottwo{foo1.eps}{foo2.eps}

Proposers who wish to incorporate graphics using other techniques (e.g., with the commands provided with the Latex 2e graphics package, with the PSFIG macros, etc.) are free to do so, but the SOFIA Science Center cannot provide any support or advice to those who choose these approaches.

For more information on LaTeX, see the LaTeX manual by Leslie Lamport, "LaTeX, A Document Preparation System, User's Guide and Reference Manual", 1994, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.

White Paper Sections:

1. White Paper Title
The white paper’s title should be as short and descriptive as possible and should be no more than about 100 characters. Enter between the curly braces.

2. Investigator Contact Information. (All Fields Required)

Please supply the requested contact information for the Guest Investigator
All fields should be supplied

3. Abstract   (Required, text block)
Enter a brief description of up to 500 words between the \begin{abstract} and \end{abstract} keywords summarizing the skills, expertise and benefits you will contribute to the Short Science Team. Clearly state which Short Science Team (FORCAST or GREAT) you are proposing to join.

4. Scientific Justification.  (Required, text block)
Enter text after the \justification keyword. Describe your scientific interests, experiences and skills as they relate to the SOFIA Short Science programs, and the SOFIA project. Experience relevant to the use and analysis of commissioning data and/or supporting data are particularly relevant.
The Scientific Justification is limited to three pages, including figures, tables, and references.

5. Investigator Curriculum Vitae.  (Required, text block)
Provide a short biographical sketch, including recent publications relevant to this white paper.

Instructions specific to the MSWord template:

We have attempted to match the MSWord template to the formatted output of the LaTeX form. It is not required or expected that the proposer using the MSWord template produce a perfect match to the LaTeX output, but we request that the page limitations be adhered to. Also, please do not reset the margins, change the font size (Times 12) used for the template, or make any other modifications causing major changes to the structure of the generated white paper.

To the extent applicable, please see the LaTeX instructions above for general guidance. 

The MSWord template is divided into two separate sections with differing header fields.

1. Replace the string [White Paper Title] in the title field (page 1) and the header field for section 2 with the title of your white paper.
2. Replace the string [Guest Investigator] in the section two header with your title and name.
3. Complete the contents of the fields of the white paper in accordance with the instructions above.

Page Last Updated: September 29, 2008