MARCH 2018 - TOPICS

Short News Elections of Hel.A.S. 20 Years of Hel.A.S. e-Newsletter Call for Proposals to Observe with the 2.3m Aristarchos Telescope OPTICON NEON Observing School Student and Postdoctoral Research Opportunities Abroad Upcoming Astronomy Meetings in Greece About this Newsletter

1. Short News

The Society would like to remind its Ordinary and Junior Members, in view of the forthcoming General Assembly and the Society's elections in June 2018, to bring their membership dues to a good standing, so that to be able to participate in the voting process. The Society's finances depend and rely on Member contributions, while an as comprehensive as possible participation in the elections, possible only for Members in good membership standing (Article 34 of the Society's contribution), secures the Society's future.

2. Elections of Hel.A.S.

The Governing Council of Hel.A.S. announces that the deadline for submissions of nominations for the next Council and Auditor Committee, to obtain a mandate for the 2018 - 2020 service, expired after February 28, 2018. The Council is  pleased to announce that the number of candidates fulfills the number of vacant positions, which is a prerequisite for a smooth election process. In the next weeks, but not later than April 10, 2018, as per Article 31β of the Constitution, all Society Members with a right to vote will receive a personal envelope with the announcement of the elections, ballots and voting instructions. Precisely following these instructions is imperative for the smooth implementation of the elections. There will be more reminders and clarifications through the Newsletter of the Society in due time.

3. 20 Years of Hel.A.S. e-Newsletter

With its present, 241st, Newsletter, the Society completes 20 years of uninterrupted monthly communication of astronomy news pertinent to the Greek astronomical community. The idea of an e-Newsletter had been discussed between John H. Seiradakis and Vassilis Charmandaris and became a reality in March 1998, just five years after the Society was formally established. The main goal of the Newsletter was to act as a catalyst in bringing Greek astronomers, whether working in Greece or abroad, closer to each other. As envisioned then, this could be achieved by sharing, at the beginning of each month, brief news which were not only directly related to administrative issues of the Society, but also to upcoming conferences in Greece, students obtaining their PhD, or Members of our Society moving to new positions. The Society feels that this original goal has been achieved, thanks to the conscious efforts of all the Secretaries of the Society over the past 20 years, as well as the Members who have embraced the effort, providing relevant information. We thus invite our Members, in particular the younger ones, to peruse the first Newsletter, available online at: http://helas.gr/newsletter.php?number=1 Among the news presented, one will notice that 20 years ago the annual membership fee was in drachmas and that our Society's current President had just been elected as an Associate Professor at the University of Athens.

4. Call for Proposals to Observe with the 2.3m Aristarchos Telescope

The 2018 call for proposals to observe with the 2.3m Aristarchos telescope in Helmos, Peloponnese, has been announced. The observing period has been set between July 1 and October 31, 2018. Up to 20% of the telescope's observing time will be available to researchers affiliated with Greek academic institutions. The deadline for the submission of proposals is March 31, 2018. All relevant information, as well as instructions on how to apply, can be found here.

5. OPTICON NEON Observing School

The 2018 NEON Observing School is sponsored by OPTICON, an EU Horizon 2020 project, and hosted by the Asiago Astrophysical Observatory in Italy, between 9 - 22 September, 2018. The School will provide hands-on observing experience on professional telescopes. With the help of experienced tutors, students will go through all steps of the observation process, from planning and carrying out the observations to reducing and analyzing observational data. The School is meant for PhD students in Astronomy who do not have prior experience with professional telescopes. Eligible attendees can be MSc students in mature stages of their Thesie and early PhD students. Local costs (accommodation and meals) are covered by OPTICON, while limited travel support can be available, but only after the submission of a relevant application. More information about the School can be found here, while the travel support application can be filled and submitted online, here. The deadline for applications is April 6, 2018.

6. Student and Postdoctoral Research Opportunities Abroad

The list below may be refreshed or updated with further established lists: AAS Pre-Doctoral / Graduate positions here. AAS PostDoctoral Positions and Fellowships here. EAS Job Directory (choose "PhD positions" or "Academic jobs" accordingly) here. EAS School Directory here. IAU Careers in Astronomy here. Careers and research fellowship opportunities at ESA here. Careers at NASA here. ESO Recruitment Portal here. CERN opportunities for students here. CERN opportunities for graduates here. Graduate programs at Chilean Universities here. NEW  Postdoctoral position in relativistic astrophysics, Prague, Czech Republic here. Any Member of the Society who wishes to contribute another credible link with opportunities, or individual opportunities that will, however, shown in a single-liner format as above, is encouraged to contact the Secretary of the Society.

7. Upcoming Astronomy Meetings in Greece

The Olympian Symposium 2018: gas and stars from milli- to mega- parsecs,  Paralia Katerini, Mount Olympus, May 28 - June 1, 2018

8. About this Newsletter

This Newsletter was sent to all members of Hel.A.S. who have e-mail access. The next edition of the Newsletter will be mailed around April 1, 2018.  Please send your announcements (e.g., appointments / departures, job openings, research opportunities, awards, conferences in Greece) or comments before March 25, 2018. If you do not wish to receive future issues of this Newsletter or the e-mail address to which it was sent is not your preferred one, please inform the Secretary of Hel.A.S. at secretary@helas.gr.