2020 SCOSTEP Visiting Scholar Scholarship Program – Open for Applications

Dear Colleagues,

The submission of applications for the 2020 SCOSTEP Visiting Scholar (SVS) scholarship is now open.

The SCOSTEP Visiting Scholar (SVS) program is a capacity building activity of SCOSTEP (Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics), which will complement SCOSTEP’s new scientific program (PRESTO) and public outreach activities.

SCOSTEP’s scientific program, VarSITI (Variability of the Sun and its Terrestrial Impact), ended in 2018. The new scientific program, PRESTO (Predictability of Variable Solar-Terrestrial Coupling), will begin in 2020 for a 5-year duration. The mission of PRESTO is to identify predictability of the variable solar-terrestrial coupling and its performance metrics through modeling, measurements, and data analysis, and to strengthen the communication between scientists and users.

The objective of the SVS program is to provide training to graduate students in well-established solar terrestrial physics institutes, for periods of one to three months. The training will help the awardees advance in their career in solar-terrestrial physics using the technique/skill they learned during the training. SCOSTEP will provide the airfare, while the host institute will provide the living expenses (accommodation, sustenance, ground transportation, visa fees, and other incidentals). Trainees should have their own health insurance or arrange a provision with the host institution.

Note that the eligibility requirements for the SVS program have changed. The new program is now open to applicants from all countries but with an emphasis on applicants from developing countries.  The program is limited to Masters and PhD students with the requirement that the recipient has not received a PhD at the time of application to the program.

Interested candidates should contact one of the SVS program hosts; develop a project and work out the details of the visit. Once the applicant and host agree on a visit, the applicant needs to prepare an application package including the following details of the visit:

1) a 2-page proposal of the work to be performed as an SVS awardee

2) applicant’s curriculum vitae – including expected date of graduation

3) dates of the proposed visit

4) letter of recommendation from the applicant’s supervisor – with verification on the applicant’s eligibility

5) letter from the host scientist/institution indicating that the work will be mutually beneficial

Send a single pdf file with all of the above to SCOSTEP’s Scientific Secretary, Patricia Doherty (patricia.doherty@bc.edu).  Deadline for applications is February 21, 2020. 

Please contact the host institution well before this deadline, to enable full consideration of your application.

Click to following link for a list of SVS host institutions:

With best regards,

Patricia Doherty

SCOSTEP, Scientific Secretary