Call for Applications: Cycle 9 ALMA Ambassadors

The North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC) is now accepting applications for the 2022 ALMA Ambassadors Program. The ALMA Ambassador Program provides training and up to $10,000 USD research grant (details below) to postdoctoral researchers, senior graduate students, and early-career researchers interested in expanding their ALMA/interferometry expertise and sharing that knowledge with their home institutions. ALMA Ambassadors will:

• organize and support a proposal preparation workshop or a data processing/analysis workshop.
• participate in a workshop hosted by the NAASC to receive training on proposal preparation and/or data analysis, as well as presentation techniques. This workshop will also include a science symposium for Ambassadors to present their research to the Charlottesville astronomical community.
• support their local community with ALMA proposal preparation and data analysis.
• assist the NAASC in supporting the North American ALMA community. This may include activities such as: participation in ALMA proposal reviews (e.g., review of Student Observing Support applications, serving as Technical Secretaries for ALMA Review Panels), and participation in the National Radio Astronomy Observatory Synthesis Imaging Workshop.

The NAASC will host selected ALMA Ambassadors at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia, the week of 14 February 2022 to receive in-depth training. This mandatory training will focus on topics related to ALMA proposal writing, including interferometry basics, ALMA science capabilities, recent ALMA headlines, use of the ALMA Observing Tool, and guidance for speaking on these topics. The training also includes a poster session where ALMA Ambassadors are expected to showcase their own science to their fellow ambassadors and the local astronomical community, including NRAO staff. Ambassadors will host a proposal preparation workshop (at their home institution or an alternate location) in advance of the Cycle 9 ALMA proposal deadline in April 2022 or a data processing/analysis workshop later in the year.

The NAASC will provide travel support for the training as well as all talk materials, supplies, and infrastructure for the workshops hosted by the ALMA Ambassadors. Up to a $10,000 monetary grant is offered in support of the Ambassadors' independent research programs. If the awardee is not able to receive the monetary grant, the NAASC can offer up to $10,000 in science travel reimbursement (must be used within 12 months of training) or up to $10,000 to support students or summer researchers. Applicants must be based at a North American institution. Experience with radio or sub-mm interferometry is preferred but not required. If you do not meet these requirements but are interested in learning more about the training we are offering, please contact the North American ALMA Science Center to discuss possible opportunities. Although not required, we will consider multiple applicants from the same institution or region.

The deadline to apply is 27 October 2021. For more information, and to submit an application, please visit the ALMA Ambassadors website.

Information on previous ALMA Ambassador and Community Day events can be found on the NRAO webpage.