GSFC XMM-Newton GOF Status Report #223: Dear Colleague Letter - Senior Review Proposal

[Newsletter for users of the XMM-Newton mission <xmmnews@lists.nasa.gov>]

23 September 2011


2012 Senior Review, XMM-Newton and Continued Funding for the US Program

Dear Colleagues,

The XMM-Newton GOF and the U.S. Users Group are preparing a
proposal for the 2012 Senior Review.  With the uncertain fiscal 
outlook for the next few years, it is imperative that we 
present a strong case for the continuation of the XMM-Newton
program here in the US.  To do so we are requesting help
from you, the US XMM-Newton users community, in demonstrating
the vital contributions of the XMM-Newton project.
Specifically, we are looking for contributions in two 
areas - scientific and programmatic.

Scientific:

a) Suggestions for the important discoveries enabled by 
   XMM-Newton in the last 2 years, both by yourself and, in 
   your opinion, such discoveries by others (but mainly US PIs).

b) If you have nice pictures (images, spectra, graphs, etc.) 
   associated with these discoveries, please either attach them 
   or provide a link.

c) Since the SR will be concerned with the potential for 
   XMM-Newton for important contributions in the future, would 
   you send your ideas of the great things XMM-Newton is likely 
   to do in the next two years?

Please send this information to Craig Sarazin 
(sarazin@virginia.edu, the US XMM-Newton Users Group Chair) 
who is compiling the science section of the proposal, and cc 
me (steven.l.snowden@nasa.gov).

Ranking within the Senior Review is predicated upon science 
return, so we also ask you to provide the following information 
that will allow us to show the SR committee the spectacular 
amount of cutting-edge science produced by XMM-Newton over the 
last decade, with emphasis upon the past two years.  This refers 
to research which was either supported financially by NASA 
through Guest Observer funding, and/or resulted from XMM-Newton 
observations with a US PI.  For these, we need:

Programmatic:

a) Lists of publications from your XMM-Newton research noting 
   whether or not they were funded by XMM-Newton GO grant(s).

b) Numbers of graduate students and Ph.D. theses using 
   XMM-Newton data noting whether or not they were funded by 
   XMM-Newton GO grant(s)

c) Numbers of post-docs using XMM-Newton data noting whether 
   or not they were funded by XMM-Newton GO grant(s)

Please send these contributions to me (steven.l.snowden@nasa.gov).

Note that ESA has funded XMM-Newton operations through 2012 with 
further extensions likely, and there are sufficient expendables 
for the mission to continue past 2017. 

Because of the reduced funding level in FY12 GO funding for 
AO-10 was limited to US PIs with "A" ranked proposals.  With no 
changes in "in-guidelines" funding levels for FY 13-14, GO 
support will continue at this level. 

Thank you very much for your time in this effort.

Cheers,
      Steve Snowden
      XMM-Newton US Project Scientist

A service of the XMM-Newton GOF, NASA/GSFC

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