[ASA] Message from the Australian SKA Director [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

[Boyle, Brian]

Message from the Australian SKA Director

Dear ASA members

As you probably know, from January 2015, CAASTRO Director, Professor Bryan Gaensler will be moving to Canada to take up the position of Director of the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at The University of Toronto. I’d like to congratulate Bryan on his appointment, and to wish him the very best of luck in his new role. He will be missed in Australia, but will no doubt continue to contribute much to the SKA project in his new role.

One of Bryan’s roles in the Australian astronomy community was to chair the Australian and New Zealand SKA Coordination Committee’s (ANZSCC’s) Science Advisory Committee (SAC). The ANZSCC has sought a new chair to replace Bryan and I’m pleased to announce that Professor Carole Jackson from Curtin University has agreed to take up the position from 1 December 2014.

Carole will be a great asset to the SAC, bringing a combination of scientific and industry-based skills to the position, along with a fresh perspective on how the Government can better communicate with the science community, both through the SAC and more directly. Carole asked that I pass on a message from her with this email - see below.

Keeping Australia’s science community informed of international SKA developments has never been more important as the SKA Organisation takes on the challenge of adapting the SKA’s design to bring Phase 1 within the agreed €650M cost cap and to make the science and broader technological case sufficient for current and future partner Governments to fund construction and initial operations.

To achieve this, the Organisation requires a new unity of purpose and vision. In Australia, we can play our role through the constructive scientific and technical input to the re-baselining process being led by the SKA Office, with a view to achieving broad Australian participation in the SKA. At last week’s SKA Board meeting, I was delighted to see how well the SKA Office is conducting the re-baselining process.
To keep you fully up to date, the Australian SKA Office is proposing a roadshow-type series of meetings visiting key cities in Australia early next year. Through these events we will present the latest international developments and provide you with an opportunity to make suggestions and ask questions of myself or others connected with the project. More details on this to follow.

Brian




Message from the incoming Chair of the ANZSCC Science Advisory Committee

Dear ASA Members

As the incoming chair of the SAC, I look forward to working with the Australian astronomy community to channel advice through to the ANZSCC and to keep you updated on developments in the broader project.

I share Brian’s view that there has never been a more important time in the life of the SKA project for Australian scientists to present a united front. While there is an understandable wish to promote our own areas of science and/or technology during the SKA’s re-baselining process, we do need to consider what will deliver the best for the global astronomical and industry community as well as significant and wide-ranging Australian participation in the project.

As part of the re-baselining process, the SKA Organisation and the SKA Board have endorsed a broad set of science priorities that demand the capabilities of all three components of SKA1. It is clear this might create significant tension in the ongoing SKA design process. However, the SKA precursors and pathfinders, both here and abroad, coupled with the work of the SKA pre-construction Consortia provide us, the Australian community, with a fantastic opportunity to promote our expertise and to provide sensible and balanced inputs. The large number of Australian co-authors to the new SKA science case, identifying a wide science scope, capped off by a broad set of truly transformational science, is clear support for our community views.

Once the SAC has convened as a group, I will contact you with a more detailed message. Until then, please feel free to contact me – contact details below.


Carole

Carole Jackson
Professor, Radio Astronomy & WA Premier’s Fellow
International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR)
Curtin University

Street Address:
Building 610, Room 134, Brodie-Hall Building
1 Turner Avenue
Bentley Technology Park
Bentley WA 6102

Post: GPO Box U1987, Perth WA 6845 Australia

Tel | +61 8 9266 4908: Mobile | 0401 103 500
Email | carole.jackson at curtin.edu.au
www.icrar.org<http://www.icrar.org>



Brian Boyle PSM FAA
SKA Director
Australian Square Kilometre Array Office
__________________________________________
Department of Industry
Level 9, 10 Binara Street, Canberra City ACT 2601
GPO Box 9839, Canberra ACT 2601
Ph: +61-2- 6102 8943 Mob: +61 499 848 844
Email:  brian.boyle at industry.gov.au<mailto:brian.boyle at industry.gov.au>
Internet: www.ska.gov.au<http://www.ska.gov.au/>
[http://www.ska.gov.au/sitecollectionimages/logo-auska.gif]



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