AAL issues annual calls to the Australian astronomical community for Expressions of Interest in collaborative projects with eROSITA_DE (Australian/eROSITA_DE Science Projects). A Collaborative Australian/eROSITA_DE Science Project must either:
The leader(s) of the projects (Principal Investigator(s), PI(s)) must be an Australian/eROSITA_DE Collaboration Partner who is either a member of the eROSITA_DE consortium, or an astronomer at Australian Institution. Ideally, projects should strive to have one PI from the eROSITA_DE Consortium and the other from an Australian Institution.
Australian participants are welcome to contact Vanessa Moss or other members of the Management Committee for help in identifying at least one member of eROSITA_DE to be invited to apply as a PI of the collaborative project.
Proposed projects must not conflict with existing Australian/eROSITA Science Projects – please check the approved Australian/eROSITA_DE Science Projects listed as Active Collaborative Projects. If you have not used eROSITA data before, you can view the MPE Early Data Release website to see how you can get involved. Each proposer must also contact the owners of any proprietary data which they propose to use, to obtain “in principle” approval to share this data.
After the initial call, new science projects can also be proposed at any time by astronomers based at Australian Institutions or eROSITA_DE, and will be assessed by the Management Committee at their next meeting following the receipt of the proposal.
In prior years, approval from the relevant eROSITA_DE Science Working Group Chair was required before submitting a project proposal. Proposers may continue to take this approach. However, in 2023, we are also offering the option to instead submit a proposal directly to AAL who will facilitate the process of seeking eROSITA_DE Science Working Group approval for a given project.
Parties wishing to propose a new science project must complete a Proposal Form. If you have any queries on this form, please contact the Australia/eROSITA_DE Technical Secretary, Kate Barnard: [email protected]
Once the proposal form has been submitted and eROSITA_DE Science Working Group approval obtained, the Management Committee will assess each project proposal to determine whether the project complies with requirements specified in the Initiating Collaboration section and in addition whether the project is technically feasible and of sufficient scientific impact. To do this, the Management Committee may communicate any questions or potential issues to the PI first in order to seek clarification.
The decision of the Management Committee on whether or not to support the proposed project will be communicated to the PI of each proposal. The decision of the Management Committee is final.
Australian/eROSITA_DE Science Projects will be subject to an annual review to be performed by a Review Committee, appointed by the Management Committee and comprised of members of the eROSITA_DE consortium and AAL-appointed representatives.
The PI of each science project will be required to complete an Annual Review form and submit it for review. The Review Committee will assess whether there are any issues regarding the progress of the project, specifically with regards to the project’s outputs to date, performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), any newly proposed KPIs, and the timescale of the project. The Review Committee will provide feedback to the PI including any recommendations or concerns raised.
The Review Committee will report to the Management Committee on the progress of each Australian/eROSITA_DE Science Project and provide recommendations regarding whether or not the project should continue.
Removal of existing Australian/eROSITA_DE Science Project can occur at the conclusion of the project as designated in the project timeline, at the request of the project PI, or at the decision of the Management Committee.
The Management Committee may decide to remove a project if:
(a) the project has reached the end of the projected timeline and it is their considered view that additional activities will not produce sufficient additional outputs;
(b) the project is significantly underperforming with respect to outputs and stated KPIs; or
(c) a conflict has arisen between the project and pre-existing Australian led or eROSITA_DE Science Projects.
Prior to removing a project, the Management Committee will inform the PI in writing outlining the concerns that are the basis for the proposal being removed. Unless otherwise agreed, PIs will be given a timescale of 3 months to address the concerns raised.
If the Management Committee is satisfied that the project is back on track, they may choose to allow the continuation of the project.
If the Management Committee is not satisfied with the progress made, the project may be terminated. Any dispute regarding such a decision may be considered by the Parties in accordance with Clause 7 of the MoU agreement.
Unless otherwise agreed, any equipment purchased with funding from Australian Partners or with eROSITA_DE funds specifically for the removed project, will be returned to the relevant organisation and any access to proprietary data that was provided to the project partners through the project agreement will be revoked.
At the end of the projected timescale of each Australian/eROSITA_DE Science Project, the project PI will submit a final report to the Management Committee detailing all outputs from the project. The PI may request an extension of the project should they feel that there are additional outputs to be gained. This request should be made in writing to the Management Committee, outlining the justification for extension. The Management Committee will review all requests for extension and communicate their decision to the project PI.
In cases where changes in a PI’s employment status results in their ineligibility to be considered as either an eROSITA or Australian Partner before the completion of the Australian/eROSITA_DE Science Project on which they are PI, the PI may apply to the Management Committee to continue as PI to the completion of the project within the projected timeline, subject to annual review.
If an extension to the Science Project is desired beyond the approved project end date, the PI may submit a written application to the Management Committee
