Preparing for Astrophysics with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

We are delighted to announce a new program designed to kickstart preparations for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and to foster a diverse community to participate in science from this groundbreaking new facility.

Thanks to generous support from the Heising-Simons Foundation, members of the following Rubin Science Collaborations will be able to apply for kickstarter grants:

• Transients and Variable Stars
• Stars, Milky Way, and Local Volume
• Solar System Science Collaborations

Membership in these collaborations is open to the whole US and Chilean astronomical communities, together with international holders of Rubin data rights.

The program particularly aims to build partnerships with institutions serving communities that have traditionally been withheld from astrophysics to help to understand and overcome barriers to participation.

The call for kickstarter grant proposals will be released on 31 August 2021 and an online workshop will be hosted 8-9 September 2021 to facilitate networking and collaborations.

More information on this program can be found on the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) web page; inquiries are welcome and can be directed to [email protected].