General Information

Decadal surveys in Astronomy and Astrophysics are a once in a decade opportunity to shape the future of our field.  The surveys are organized by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, but driven by input from the astronomical community through science and technical white papers.  The survey prioritizes scientific questions that are at the forefront of astrophysics and makes recommendations for future ground and space-based telescopes that can advances research in these areas.  The surveys are very well respected by the community, NASA, and policy makers.

All of the NASA Great Observatories – Hubble, Compton, Chandra, Spitzer – as well as large ground-based telescopes including VLA, VLBA, Gemini, ALMA, LSST, and others were priorities in previous Decadal surveys.   The surveys also represent an excellent opportunity to assess the state of our field, progress on international collaboration, cross-cutting efforts between ground and space facilities, and other relevant topics.

JWST was the top space priority of the 2001 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey.  WFIRST was the top space priority of the 2010 Decadal Survey and LSST was the top ground priority of the 2010 Decadal Survey.

More information on the Astro 2020 Decadal Survey is available below the table that follows.

Guidelines on how (not) to write an Astro2020 White Paper:

Lynne Hillenbrand, who served on the Astro2010 Decadal Survey Committee, has prepared some common sense guidelines on how to write an effective decadal white paper:

Lynne Hillenbrand Presentation - click here.

STScI and JHU Participation and Organization

STScI and JHU encourage research staff to participate in the Astro 2020 Decadal Survey as a part of their research time.  Participation can include submitting white papers on science, technology, and/or state of the profession, participating in panels or the main committee, attending workshops and town halls, and related involvement.  For most astronomers, the primary goal of this activity will be to outline key research questions in their field of astrophysics that they would like to see addressed in the coming decade and beyond.  The resulting white papers will be posted on the National Academy of Sciences website for Astro 2020 (see below) and will be read and reviewed by the Astro 2020 review committees.  These papers can also be posted to astro-ph.

To help organize science input from STScI and JHU staff, please take the time to fill out the two tables below.  The first (science papers) is organized using the most commonly chosen keywords (provided by STScI's Science Mission Office) based on a survey of the science staff.  In most cases, your specific research theme should be listed under one of these keywords as a second layer.  If it is the case that your research area is not well represented by a particular keyword, then please feel free to add a new keyword.  Also, please make sure to add a title or short research theme that summarizes the topic of the white paper you are interested in, under each of the major themes. This will make it easy for other astronomers to join the effort.   Every paper should be listed as a new row.  Please indicate whether you are willing to lead the writing of the paper or willing to help contribute as a co-author by listing your name in the appropriate column. Feel free to add entries that you are interested in, but unable to lead.

Science White Papers

Technology, State of the Profession, and other White Papers

Astro 2020 Specific Information

• Official National Academies website for Astro 2020
• Statement of Task (still being written as of Aug 29^th 2018)
• Survey Structure (TBD as of Aug 29^th 2018)
• Astro 2020 Science White Paper Instructions
• Astro 2020 Science White Paper Submission Form
• Submitted Papers (to be posted beginning Jan 7^th 2019)
• Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA) short report on Decadal Survey preparations

Astro 2020 Current Schedule

• Mar 2016 – The CAA began discussions about Astro 2020
• Jan 2017 – A Town Hall meeting at the AAS solicited community input on the framework of Astro 2020
• Jan 2018 – A Town Hall meeting at the AAS solicited community input on the framework of Astro 2020
• *Spring 2018 – A Decadal Survey “Consultation Group” was formed to draft the statement of task and prospectus for Astro 2020. 
• Mar 2018 – The Astro 2020 proposal was submitted to NASA, NSF, and DOE
• Jul 2018 – The call for Astro 2020 white papers was released to the community
• Dec 2018 – Astro 2020 Chair will be selected marking the formal start of the survey
• Jan 2019 – A Town Hall meeting and other community outreach activities will be organized at the AAS.
• Jan 7^th 2019 – Window for submitting white papers will open
• Mar 11^th 2019 – Deadline for submitting white papers
• Mar 20^th 2019 - Deadline for submitting NOI letters for Programmatic / State of Profession / Mission White Papers
• Mar/Apr 2019 – Decadal Survey committee begins meeting to discuss the survey
• May/Jun 2019 – Decadal Survey panels begin meeting to discuss white papers
• May 2020 – Decadal Survey panels complete their reports and deliver it to the main committee
• Aug 2020 – Review of survey and panel reports begins
• Dec 2020 – Astro 2020 is completed and the report is released to the agencies and the public

  *Consultation Group Members: N. Bahcall, A. Dressler, W. Freedman, S. Gibson, F. Harrison, C. Kouveliotou, A. Loeb, M. Rieke, S. Ritz, D. Van Wie.

Astro 2020 Upcoming Town Halls and Workshops

1.) Workshop for Early Career Scientists

Community input to the Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA) at the Jan 2017, Jan 2018, and other meetings stressed the importance of involving junior scientists in the Decadal Survey process.  In response to this, the National Academies is organizing an “Early Career Focus Session” about Astro 2020.  More information is available here.

About 50 Early Career Scientist met at the Keck Center in DC on 8th and 9th October. We had a great discussion — basically on two main themes: Decadal Surveys (how it was done in the past, what can be improved, our involvement in these Surveys etc) and State of the Profession (equality, jobs, future etc). I believe all individual feedback/comments from the discussion are still being collected. After that 3-people lead team will summarize everything in  one WP (or more). Additionally, others may lead their own WPs on the topics we discussed.

STScI Participants

• Nimish Hathi
• Kevin Stevenson

Astro 2020 - Large Mission Concept Studies

STScI staff are supporting all four large mission concept studies that are inputs to the Astro 2020 Decadal Surveys.  The science teams for these missions released their interim reports in Aug 2018 (links below).  To get involved in specific science cases that motivate these missions, please contact the individuals listed below.

• LUVOIR – Jason Tumlinson tumlinson@stsci.edu
• Habex – Chris Stark cstark@stsci.edu
• Lynx – Rachel Osten osten@stsci.edu
• OST – Margaret Meixner meixner@stsci.edu

Astro 2020 - Probe Mission Studies

• Selection and Decisions
• Management and Process

Astro 2020 - Current National Academies Studies

• Link to Exoplanet Science Strategy study (final report, webcast)
• Link to Astrobiology Science Strategy study 

Previous Decadal Survey

Link to previous Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal surveys, including panel reports and other relevant studies on “lessons learned” 

Astro 2010 White Papers

- Submitted Science White Papers in the Astro 2010 Decadal Survey

- Submitted State of the Profession Position Papers

- Submitted Technical White Papers (Select “Technology.. in the drop down menu)

- Submitted Theoretical, Computation, and Laboratory Astrophysics White Papers (Select “Theoretical...in the drop down menu)

Other Information

NASA website on Astro 2020: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/2020-decadal-survey-planning

Questions

Please contact Marc Postman (postman@stsci.edu)