Good Luck on Proposals!

The Roman Cycle 1 Call for Proposals deadline is TUESDAY, March 17th at 5pm PDT! Now’s the time to propose new science with the WFI — including data analysis, theory and lab work, and new observations. 

As a reminder, The Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series was a series of webinars aimed at prepping and training the community for Cycle 1 proposals and data. In case you missed them, all webinars were recorded and posted to our YouTube Channel.

Abstracts and Registration Now Open: Shifting Landscapes in Astrophysics - New Frontiers to Explore with Roman, July 13-16, 2026, Pasadena, CA

From the event organizers:

We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for "Shifting Landscapes in Astrophysics: New Frontiers to Explore with Roman", July 13-16, 2026, at Caltech in Pasadena, CA. This conference is hosted by the Roman Science Support Center (SSC) at Caltech/IPAC.

As we approach the launch of this flagship mission, the community is invited to participate in the next Roman Science Conference to prepare for a new era of discovery. At this meeting we will cover new exciting landscapes poised for potential breakthroughs and explorations enabled by Roman’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI) and Coronagraph Instrument. 

The conference will cover the full breadth of Roman’s scientific potential, including:

• Exoplanet demographics and atmospheric characterization.

• High-redshift galaxy evolution and the early universe.

• Cosmology, dark energy, and large-scale structure.

• New results and emerging questions that have surfaced since Roman was first envisioned.

By leveraging Roman’s unique combination of high spatial resolution, sensitivity, wide-field imaging and slitless spectroscopy, the community is positioned to answer some of the most pressing questions in modern astrophysics. Join us as we prepare for a new era of Roman science!

Important dates

• Abstract Submission Deadline: May 8, 2026 

• Registration Deadline: June 26, 2026

• Deadline to register for the Conference Dinner: June 26, 2026

• Late Registration Deadline: July 8, 2026

• Conference Dates: July 13-16, 2026

For conference details, abstract submission, and registration, please visit our official conference website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/roman2026

Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC): Lee Armus (Caltech/IPAC, chair), Rachael Beaton (STScI), Casey Lam (Carnegie Science), Ryan Lau (Caltech/IPAC), Casey Papovich (Texas A&M Univ.), Denise Stephens (BYU), Sabrina Stierwalt (Occidental College), Ashley Villar (Harvard Univ.), Aaron Yung (STScI).

Local Organizing Committee (LOC): Frank Aragon (Caltech/IPAC), Wendy Burt (Caltech/IPAC), David Imel (Caltech/IPAC), Keunho Kim (Caltech/IPAC), Sean Kindt (Caltech/IPAC), Seppo Laine (Caltech/IPAC), Laura Lenkic (Caltech/IPAC), Wanggi Lim (Caltech/IPAC), Tiffany Meshkat (Caltech/IPAC, chair), Eric Oh (Caltech/IPAC), Schuyler Van Dyk (Caltech/IPAC).

Reminder: Please submit your suggestions for new MAST-hosted Roman-synergistic datasets by 31 March 2026

MAST is seeking community suggestions regarding possible new datasets for this initiative through a public questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Submissions will be accepted through 31 March 2026.

Details regarding this initiative — including what datasets can be suggested, selection criteria, and deadlines — are available at the beginning of the survey. 

Questions regarding this questionnaire and initiative can be directed to the MAST Help Desk at archive@stsci.edu

2026 NASA Roman Merchandise Store is officially LIVE! - Featuring the New Launch Logo for Limited Time

🚀 The 2026 NASA Roman Merchandise Store is officially LIVE!

 From the store: We’re excited to introduce brand-new merchandise featuring the NEW Roman launch logo. This is your chance to grab exclusive gear and show your support for the mission while celebrating this exciting milestone.

Start shopping here:
https://romanlaunch.itemorder.com/shop/home/

The store is open now through March 29 at midnight, so be sure to get your orders in before it closes. Once the store closes, no additional orders can be accepted, so don’t miss out!

Whether you’re picking up something for yourself, your team, or gifts for friends and family, there are plenty of great items to choose from. The more orders we place, the better the launch celebration will be!

Next Roman Virtual Lecture Series Thursday, March 19 from 4-4:30pm EDT 

From RVLS Organizers: Our next Roman Virtual Lecture Series is on Thursday March 19 from 4-4:30 PM EDT/1-1:30 PM PDT.

Speaker: Rebecca Chen (Duke)
Title: Characterizing the Roman grism redshift efficiency of Type Ia supernova host galaxies for the High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey
Abstract: The High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS) for Roman will discover thousands of high redshift Type Ia supernovae (SNeIa) to make generation-defining cosmological constraints on dark energy and its potential time-evolution. To construct the Roman SN Hubble diagram, a strategy to obtain redshifts must be determined. While the nominal HLTDS will use only the Roman prism, in this talk I will discuss the utility of the Roman grism observations from overlap with the High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey for SNIa cosmology. We determine a galaxy grism redshift recovery rate by simulating dispersed grism images, measuring redshifts with the Grizli software and applying the measured efficiency to HLTDS catalog-level SN simulations, providing a first estimate of the total number of spectroscopic redshifts expected for Roman SN cosmology. These simulations further allow us to evaluate the size of potential systematics related to modeling the grism redshift efficiency by considering the impact of additional dependencies on stellar mass and host galaxy color. 

Dial-in Information: To receive lecture announcements and webinar connection information, please subscribe to this mailing list.
RVLS Website and Previous Recordings: https://roman.ipac.caltech.edu/events?category=virtual-lecture-series

Roman Science Operations Center Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Science Operations Center at STScI: Proposals for Roman observations should be submitted by March 17 (5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time). STScI and IPAC/Caltech are hosting a series of training webinars to help scientists plan their observations effectively. The Roman Research Nexus, a cloud-based scientific computing environment designed to support work with Roman data, is now available for use. The observatory remains on track for shipment to Cape Canaveral in mid-June and launch not earlier than September 2026. Highlights of this newsletter include updates to:

• Community Engagement: Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series, New Conference Announcements
• Planning and Analysis Tools: Nexus, RIST, Footprint Viewer, Background Visualization Tool
• Documentation: RDox, Technical Publications
• Resources

Newsletter Link: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/news/roman/2026/roman-science-operations-center-newsletter-march

Cosmic Voids in the Universe

Updated March 02: List of PIT and WFS Team Data Product User Documentation

The science community can propose to utilize and build upon the products described in this document in their proposals. 

PITs include:

1. High Latitude Imaging Survey (HLIS)
2. Supernova Cosmology
3. Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey (RGES)
4. Galaxy Redshift Survey (GRS)
5. Roman Alerts Promptly From Image Differencing (RAPID)

For more information, please watch our last two RSRTS Webinars on PIT Products.

WFS Teams Include (Updated March 02): 

1. Building Pipelines for Pixel-Level Measurement and Analysis with Rubin Observatory LSST Data to Enhance Roman Science
2. CROWDPHOT: A Next-Generation Crowded-Field Stellar Photometry Tool for Roman
3. DEEPDISC-ROMAN: Detection, Instance Segmentation, and Classification for Roman with Deep Learning Data Products
4. Exploiting Deep Learning to Improve Roman Photometric Redshifts
5. Galaxy Intrinsic Alignments for Cosmology with the Roman Space Telescope
6. Laying the Foundation for a Comprehensive View of Transiting Exoplanets with the Galactic Bulge Survey
7. Roman Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (RINGS)
8. Roman Galactic Variability Project
9. Roman high-redshift Transient SciencE (RISE): Enabling a Non-Cosmology Time-Domain Program
10. Spots, Faculae, and Ages: The Promise of Rotation with Roman and Deep Learning
11. Stellar Classification with Roman Photometry and Astrometry
12. SUPERBACK: Building an Empirically Motivated Background Model to Optimize Roman Observations

PDF Document Link ("PIT & WFS Data Products" under "Key Resources"): https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/roman-for-scientists/

STScI Newsletter: Delivering Data That Unlocks Discovery (An Update on Data Products and Data Releases)

Check out the SOC's latest newsletter on Roman Data Products and Data Release: Delivering Data That Unlocks Discovery.

As the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope approaches, preparations for delivering mission data to the astronomical community continue to advance. Roman’s wide-field imaging and spectroscopy will enable transformative science from the solar system to the high-redshift universe. The Roman Wide Field Instrument (WFI) will include observing programs under two main categories. The Core Community Surveys (CCS), which include the High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), and Galactic-Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), are designed to address foundational questions that define the mission’s science requirements. General Astrophysics Surveys (GAS) programs may address any area of astrophysics and already include the community-defined Galactic Plane Survey (GPS). How these data are processed, curated, and released will influence the pace and quality of scientific discovery.

All Roman data will be publicly available with no proprietary period for both CCS and GAS. To maximize the scientific utility of Roman data, the mission will deliver a range of WFI data products and data releases to the community. This is a high-level overview of STScI-specific data delivery plans, which are geared toward WFI imaging from the HLTDS, HLWAS, and GAS, including the GPS. IPAC will generate products specific to both microlensing data from the GBTDS and slitless spectra from all surveys. Additional data products and releases for the CCS will come from the Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs). The PITs are community-led groups, selected through the NASA-ROSES program, that are currently building and maintaining essential software, simulations, and data analysis tools tailored to key Roman science objectives.

Full newsletter: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2026-volume-43-issue-01/roman-delivering-data-that-unlocks-discovery?filterUUID=723449a5-c878-4d8c-8565-f69b728c8b75

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #12 (Cycle 1 Proposal FAQs and Office Hours): Tuesday, March 10 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #12 on the “Cycle 1 Proposal Office Hours” on Tuesday, March 10th at 1pm EST/10am PST. The Cycle 1 Proposal Deadline is March 17, 2026. Come get your Roman questions answered by subject matter experts.

Webinar #12 Call-In: https://outerspace.stsci.edu/x/7oEOFw

List of PIT-supported resources ("PIT & WFS Data Products" under "Key Resources"): https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/roman-for-scientists/

Roman Science Operations Center Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Science Operations Center at STScI: Proposals for Roman observations should be submitted by March 17 (5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time). STScI and IPAC/Caltech are hosting a series of training webinars to help scientists plan their observations effectively. The Roman Research Nexus, a cloud-based scientific computing environment designed to support work with Roman data, is now available for use. The observatory remains on track for shipment to Cape Canaveral in mid-June and launch not earlier than September 2026. Highlights of this newsletter include updates to:

• Community Engagement: Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series, New Conference Announcements
• Planning and Analysis Tools: Nexus, RIST, Footprint Viewer, Background Visualization Tool
• Documentation: RDox, Technical Publications
• Resources

Newsletter Link: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/news/roman/2026/roman-science-operations-center-newsletter-march

Cosmic Voids in the Universe

Updated March 02: List of PIT and WFS Team Data Product User Documentation

The science community can propose to utilize and build upon the products described in this document in their proposals. 

PITs include:

1. High Latitude Imaging Survey (HLIS)
2. Supernova Cosmology
3. Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey (RGES)
4. Galaxy Redshift Survey (GRS)
5. Roman Alerts Promptly From Image Differencing (RAPID)

For more information, please watch our last two RSRTS Webinars on PIT Products.

WFS Teams Include (Updated March 02): 

1. Building Pipelines for Pixel-Level Measurement and Analysis with Rubin Observatory LSST Data to Enhance Roman Science
2. CROWDPHOT: A Next-Generation Crowded-Field Stellar Photometry Tool for Roman
3. DEEPDISC-ROMAN: Detection, Instance Segmentation, and Classification for Roman with Deep Learning Data Products
4. Exploiting Deep Learning to Improve Roman Photometric Redshifts
5. Galaxy Intrinsic Alignments for Cosmology with the Roman Space Telescope
6. Laying the Foundation for a Comprehensive View of Transiting Exoplanets with the Galactic Bulge Survey
7. Roman Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (RINGS)
8. Roman Galactic Variability Project
9. Roman high-redshift Transient SciencE (RISE): Enabling a Non-Cosmology Time-Domain Program
10. Spots, Faculae, and Ages: The Promise of Rotation with Roman and Deep Learning
11. Stellar Classification with Roman Photometry and Astrometry
12. SUPERBACK: Building an Empirically Motivated Background Model to Optimize Roman Observations

PDF Document Link ("PIT & WFS Data Products" under "Key Resources"): https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/roman-for-scientists/

STScI Newsletter: Delivering Data That Unlocks Discovery (An Update on Data Products and Data Releases)

Check out the SOC's latest newsletter on Roman Data Products and Data Release: Delivering Data That Unlocks Discovery.

As the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope approaches, preparations for delivering mission data to the astronomical community continue to advance. Roman’s wide-field imaging and spectroscopy will enable transformative science from the solar system to the high-redshift universe. The Roman Wide Field Instrument (WFI) will include observing programs under two main categories. The Core Community Surveys (CCS), which include the High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), and Galactic-Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), are designed to address foundational questions that define the mission’s science requirements. General Astrophysics Surveys (GAS) programs may address any area of astrophysics and already include the community-defined Galactic Plane Survey (GPS). How these data are processed, curated, and released will influence the pace and quality of scientific discovery.

All Roman data will be publicly available with no proprietary period for both CCS and GAS. To maximize the scientific utility of Roman data, the mission will deliver a range of WFI data products and data releases to the community. This is a high-level overview of STScI-specific data delivery plans, which are geared toward WFI imaging from the HLTDS, HLWAS, and GAS, including the GPS. IPAC will generate products specific to both microlensing data from the GBTDS and slitless spectra from all surveys. Additional data products and releases for the CCS will come from the Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs). The PITs are community-led groups, selected through the NASA-ROSES program, that are currently building and maintaining essential software, simulations, and data analysis tools tailored to key Roman science objectives.

Full newsletter: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2026-volume-43-issue-01/roman-delivering-data-that-unlocks-discovery?filterUUID=723449a5-c878-4d8c-8565-f69b728c8b75

Roman Research Nexus Credits

We have now added to RDox a page on Benchmarking Examples for Roman Research Nexus to facilitate estimating your Nexus credit needs as part of your Cycle 1 proposal submission. 

Also, check out Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series #8, a webinar fully devoted to the Nexus, with a discussion on the Nexus credits. Now available on the NancyRomanSci YouTube Channel:

MAST Seeks Community Suggestions for Hosting Roman-Synergistic Datasets

The Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) is planning to host additional datasets that will greatly enhance the scientific output of Roman, by enabling streamlined co-analysis of Roman and these non-Roman data.

MAST is seeking suggestions from the entire astronomical community — including the Roman science community — regarding possible new datasets for this initiative through a public questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Any non-Roman datasets, which are publicly available by Sept. 2027, can be considered. (Datasets not already held at a NASA archive, or not currently cloud-hosted, will be prioritized.)

Submissions should include a description (of approximately 1-3 paragraphs) addressing how the dataset will impact Roman science, which surveys/science cases will be facilitated by its inclusion, and why its current location is insufficient for co-analysis with Roman data and thus hosting it at MAST is critical.

Final selections (drawn from datasets identified by Roman mission stakeholders and community suggestions) will be made by MAST and Roman leadership, considering (1) Impact to Roman science, (2) Cost given available resources, and (3) Ensuring balance of which surveys and science cases are facilitated.

Submissions will be accepted through 31 March 2026.

Multiple submissions are welcome; please only include a single dataset per submission:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Questions regarding this questionnaire and initiative can be directed to the MAST Help Desk at archive@stsci.edu

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #11 (Cycle 1 Proposal FAQs and Office Hours): Tuesday, March 03 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #11 on the “Cycle 1 Proposal FAQs and Office Hours” on Tuesday, March 03rd at 1pm EST/10am PST. We provide some important details below.

Goals: Come get your Roman questions answered! The Cycle 1 Proposal Deadline is March 17, 2026. We will present frequently asked questions (FAQs) that have been received by the Roman Help Desk that we think will benefit all proposers. We will also have subject matter experts available to answer any new questions.

Webinar #11 Details: https://outerspace.stsci.edu/x/7oEOFw

List of PIT-supported resources ("PIT & WFS Data Products" under "Key Resources"): https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/roman-for-scientists/

List of PIT and WFS Team Data Product User Documentation Now Live

The science community can propose to utilize and build upon the products described in this document in their proposals. 

PITs include:

1. High Latitude Imaging Survey (HLIS)
2. Supernova Cosmology
3. Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey (RGES)
4. Galaxy Redshift Survey (GRS)
5. Roman Alerts Promptly From Image Differencing (RAPID)

For more information, please watch our last two RSRTS Webinars on PIT Products.

WFS Teams Include (Updated March 02): 

1. Building Pipelines for Pixel-Level Measurement and Analysis with Rubin Observatory LSST Data to Enhance Roman Science
2. CROWDPHOT: A Next-Generation Crowded-Field Stellar Photometry Tool for Roman
3. DEEPDISC-ROMAN: Detection, Instance Segmentation, and Classification for Roman with Deep Learning Data Products
4. Exploiting Deep Learning to Improve Roman Photometric Redshifts
5. Galaxy Intrinsic Alignments for Cosmology with the Roman Space Telescope
6. Laying the Foundation for a Comprehensive View of Transiting Exoplanets with the Galactic Bulge Survey
7. Roman Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (RINGS)
8. Roman Galactic Variability Project
9. Roman high-redshift Transient SciencE (RISE): Enabling a Non-Cosmology Time-Domain Program
10. Spots, Faculae, and Ages: The Promise of Rotation with Roman and Deep Learning
11. Stellar Classification with Roman Photometry and Astrometry
12. SUPERBACK: Building an Empirically Motivated Background Model to Optimize Roman Observations

PDF Document Link ("PIT & WFS Data Products" under "Key Resources"): https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/roman-for-scientists/

EAS Special Session SS22: Getting ready for Science with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Abstracted Due March 3)

There will be a Special Session on Roman at the 2026 European Astronomical Society (EAS) meeting in Lausanne on Wed, 01 Jul 2026: https://eas.unige.ch/EAS2026/session.jsp?id=SS22. The session will provide a timely forum to inform the European astronomy community on the status of the Roman mission and the exciting scientific opportunities ahead.

Abstract submission for contributions on Roman science and its synergies with other facilities is open until March 3 at: https://eas.unige.ch/EAS2026/abstract_submission.jsp.

STScI Newsletter: Delivering Data That Unlocks Discovery (An Update on Data Products and Data Releases)

Check out the SOC's latest newsletter on Roman Data Products and Data Release: Delivering Data That Unlocks Discovery.

As the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope approaches, preparations for delivering mission data to the astronomical community continue to advance. Roman’s wide-field imaging and spectroscopy will enable transformative science from the solar system to the high-redshift universe. The Roman Wide Field Instrument (WFI) will include observing programs under two main categories. The Core Community Surveys (CCS), which include the High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), and Galactic-Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), are designed to address foundational questions that define the mission’s science requirements. General Astrophysics Surveys (GAS) programs may address any area of astrophysics and already include the community-defined Galactic Plane Survey (GPS). How these data are processed, curated, and released will influence the pace and quality of scientific discovery.

All Roman data will be publicly available with no proprietary period for both CCS and GAS. To maximize the scientific utility of Roman data, the mission will deliver a range of WFI data products and data releases to the community. This is a high-level overview of STScI-specific data delivery plans, which are geared toward WFI imaging from the HLTDS, HLWAS, and GAS, including the GPS. IPAC will generate products specific to both microlensing data from the GBTDS and slitless spectra from all surveys. Additional data products and releases for the CCS will come from the Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs). The PITs are community-led groups, selected through the NASA-ROSES program, that are currently building and maintaining essential software, simulations, and data analysis tools tailored to key Roman science objectives.

Full newsletter: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2026-volume-43-issue-01/roman-delivering-data-that-unlocks-discovery?filterUUID=723449a5-c878-4d8c-8565-f69b728c8b75

Roman Research Nexus Credits

We have now added to RDox a page on Benchmarking Examples for Roman Research Nexus to facilitate estimating your Nexus credit needs as part of your Cycle 1 proposal submission. 

Also, check out Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series #8, a webinar fully devoted to the Nexus, with a discussion on the Nexus credits. Now available on the NancyRomanSci YouTube Channel:

MAST Seeks Community Suggestions for Hosting Roman-Synergistic Datasets

The Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) is planning to host additional datasets that will greatly enhance the scientific output of Roman, by enabling streamlined co-analysis of Roman and these non-Roman data.

MAST is seeking suggestions from the entire astronomical community — including the Roman science community — regarding possible new datasets for this initiative through a public questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Any non-Roman datasets, which are publicly available by Sept. 2027, can be considered. (Datasets not already held at a NASA archive, or not currently cloud-hosted, will be prioritized.)

Submissions should include a description (of approximately 1-3 paragraphs) addressing how the dataset will impact Roman science, which surveys/science cases will be facilitated by its inclusion, and why its current location is insufficient for co-analysis with Roman data and thus hosting it at MAST is critical.

Final selections (drawn from datasets identified by Roman mission stakeholders and community suggestions) will be made by MAST and Roman leadership, considering (1) Impact to Roman science, (2) Cost given available resources, and (3) Ensuring balance of which surveys and science cases are facilitated.

Submissions will be accepted through 31 March 2026.

Multiple submissions are welcome; please only include a single dataset per submission:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Questions regarding this questionnaire and initiative can be directed to the MAST Help Desk at archive@stsci.edu

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #10 (PIT Community Products #2): Tuesday, February 24 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #10 on the “Community Products from the Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs) #2” on Tuesday, February 24th at 1pm EST/10am PST. We provide some important details below.

Goals:  Data Products and Tools from the Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs) may be useful for you to utilize and build upon for your Cycle 1 proposals. This webinar will introduce the Roman PITs selected by NASA to assist in the development of the software, simulations, and data pipelines that will enable Roman science. In this webinar, we will focus on the High Latitude Imaging Survey (HLIS), the Galaxy Redshift Survey (GRS), and the Supernova Cosmology (SN) PITs. Participants will learn about each team’s expected deliverables, the associated timelines, and how those deliverables can be used.This session is an excellent opportunity to understand how PIT-supported resources will enhance your science with Roman.

Webinar #10 Details: https://outerspace.stsci.edu/x/o4TOFg

List of PIT-supported resources ("PIT & WFS Data Products" under "Key Resources"): https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/roman-for-scientists/

STScI Newsletter: Delivering Data That Unlocks Discovery (An Update on Data Products and Data Releases)

Check out the SOC's latest newsletter on Roman Data Products and Data Release: Delivering Data That Unlocks Discovery.

As the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope approaches, preparations for delivering mission data to the astronomical community continue to advance. Roman’s wide-field imaging and spectroscopy will enable transformative science from the solar system to the high-redshift universe. The Roman Wide Field Instrument (WFI) will include observing programs under two main categories. The Core Community Surveys (CCS), which include the High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), and Galactic-Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), are designed to address foundational questions that define the mission’s science requirements. General Astrophysics Surveys (GAS) programs may address any area of astrophysics and already include the community-defined Galactic Plane Survey (GPS). How these data are processed, curated, and released will influence the pace and quality of scientific discovery.

All Roman data will be publicly available with no proprietary period for both CCS and GAS. To maximize the scientific utility of Roman data, the mission will deliver a range of WFI data products and data releases to the community. This is a high-level overview of STScI-specific data delivery plans, which are geared toward WFI imaging from the HLTDS, HLWAS, and GAS, including the GPS. IPAC will generate products specific to both microlensing data from the GBTDS and slitless spectra from all surveys. Additional data products and releases for the CCS will come from the Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs). The PITs are community-led groups, selected through the NASA-ROSES program, that are currently building and maintaining essential software, simulations, and data analysis tools tailored to key Roman science objectives.

Full newsletter: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2026-volume-43-issue-01/roman-delivering-data-that-unlocks-discovery?filterUUID=723449a5-c878-4d8c-8565-f69b728c8b75

Roman Research Nexus Credits

We have now added to RDox a page on Benchmarking Examples for Roman Research Nexus to facilitate estimating your Nexus credit needs as part of your Cycle 1 proposal submission. 

Also, check out Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series #8, a webinar fully devoted to the Nexus, with a discussion on the Nexus credits. Now available on the NancyRomanSci YouTube Channel:

MAST Seeks Community Suggestions for Hosting Roman-Synergistic Datasets

The Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) is planning to host additional datasets that will greatly enhance the scientific output of Roman, by enabling streamlined co-analysis of Roman and these non-Roman data.

MAST is seeking suggestions from the entire astronomical community — including the Roman science community — regarding possible new datasets for this initiative through a public questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Any non-Roman datasets, which are publicly available by Sept. 2027, can be considered. (Datasets not already held at a NASA archive, or not currently cloud-hosted, will be prioritized.)

Submissions should include a description (of approximately 1-3 paragraphs) addressing how the dataset will impact Roman science, which surveys/science cases will be facilitated by its inclusion, and why its current location is insufficient for co-analysis with Roman data and thus hosting it at MAST is critical.

Final selections (drawn from datasets identified by Roman mission stakeholders and community suggestions) will be made by MAST and Roman leadership, considering (1) Impact to Roman science, (2) Cost given available resources, and (3) Ensuring balance of which surveys and science cases are facilitated.

Submissions will be accepted through 31 March 2026.

Multiple submissions are welcome; please only include a single dataset per submission:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Questions regarding this questionnaire and initiative can be directed to the MAST Help Desk at archive@stsci.edu

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #9 (PIT Community Products #1): Tuesday, February 17 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #9 on the “Community Products from the Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs) #1” on Tuesday, February 17th at 1pm EST/10am PST. We provide some important details below.

Goals: This webinar will introduce the Roman Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs) selected by NASA to assist in the development of the software, simulations, and data pipelines that will enable Roman science. In this webinar, we will focus on the Roman Alerts Promptly from Image Differencing (RAPID) and the Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey (RGES) PITs. Participants will learn about each team’s expected deliverables, the associated timelines, and how those deliverables can be utilized. This session is an excellent opportunity to understand how PIT-supported resources ("PIT & WFS Data Products" under "Key Resources") will enhance your science with Roman.

A second webinar on Tuesday, February 24th will cover the remaining PITs: the High Latitude Imaging Survey (HLIS) Cosmology, Supernova Cosmology (SN), andGalaxy Redshift Survey (GRS) teams.

Webinar #9 Details: https://outerspace.stsci.edu/x/o4TOFg
List of PIT-supported resources ("PIT & WFS Data Products" under "Key Resources"): https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/roman-for-scientists/

Roman Research Nexus Credits

We have now added to RDox a page on Benchmarking Examples for Roman Research Nexus to facilitate estimating your Nexus credit needs as part of your Cycle 1 proposal submission. 

Also, check out Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series #8, a webinar fully devoted to the Nexus, with a discussion on the Nexus credits. Now available on the NancyRomanSci YouTube Channel:

Next Roman Virtual Lecture Series: Thursday February 19th at 4-4:30pm EST/1-1:30 PM PST

Casey Lam (Carnegie Observatories)

"Characterizing the Galactic Black Hole population with Roman Astrometry”

Roman's Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (GBTDS) will be an astrometry machine. The GBTDS will produce precise astrometry at an unprecedented temporal sampling for a large number of sources that both rivals and complements Gaia. I will discuss how GBTDS astrometry can be used to search for and characterize the Galaxy's population of non-interacting black holes via gravitational microlensing and reflex motion.

To receive lecture announcements and webinar connection information, please subscribe to this mailing list.

MAST Seeks Community Suggestions for Hosting Roman-Synergistic Datasets

The Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) is planning to host additional datasets that will greatly enhance the scientific output of Roman, by enabling streamlined co-analysis of Roman and these non-Roman data.

MAST is seeking suggestions from the entire astronomical community — including the Roman science community — regarding possible new datasets for this initiative through a public questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Any non-Roman datasets, which are publicly available by Sept. 2027, can be considered. (Datasets not already held at a NASA archive, or not currently cloud-hosted, will be prioritized.)

Submissions should include a description (of approximately 1-3 paragraphs) addressing how the dataset will impact Roman science, which surveys/science cases will be facilitated by its inclusion, and why its current location is insufficient for co-analysis with Roman data and thus hosting it at MAST is critical.

Final selections (drawn from datasets identified by Roman mission stakeholders and community suggestions) will be made by MAST and Roman leadership, considering (1) Impact to Roman science, (2) Cost given available resources, and (3) Ensuring balance of which surveys and science cases are facilitated.

Submissions will be accepted through 31 March 2026.

Multiple submissions are welcome; please only include a single dataset per submission:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Questions regarding this questionnaire and initiative can be directed to the MAST Help Desk at archive@stsci.edu

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #8 (Get Started with the Roman Research Nexus) on Tuesday, February 10 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #8 on the “Get Started with the Roman Research Nexus” on Tuesday, February 10th at 1pm EST/10am PST. We provide some important details below. 

Goals: Log in and get familiar with the newly launched Roman Research Nexus! Roman will deliver an estimated 20 PB of data in its primary 5 year mission. In just one month, Roman will generate roughly twice the data volume produced by Hubble over 30 years. The Nexus aims to provide the science community with a cloud-based science platform to efficiently access, explore, and analyze Roman's large volume of data. The Nexus includes pre-installed software, Jupyter notebook tutorials, access to simulated datasets, team workspaces, and real-time collaboration tools. Once Roman science operations start, all Roman data will be accessible through the Nexus. In this webinar, users will learn how to log-in, navigate the Nexus, and utilize the broader data analysis ecosystem to maximize their science potential.

What to expect: Each training session will last one hour and consist of a short demonstration (~20-25 minutes) with plenty of time for Q&A with Roman staff. For Webinar #8, our agenda will include:

• Introduction to Nexus

• Walk-through of the different Nexus science workflows and Jupyter notebooks

• Overview of existing ground + simulated datasets

• Details about the Nexus credit system relevant to Cycle 1 CfP

• Enable real-time collaboration with your teams

• Real-time demos running notebooks, working with data, and setting up your own environments

Preparation: The training series is designed for users with all levels of experience. We will be providing a live, hands-on demo that can be viewed on its own. However, if a user wishes to actively follow along, the Roman Research Nexus is publicly available. We encourage you to sign on and familiarize yourself with the Nexus in advance. Additional documentation can be found on RDox.

Connection Information: https://stsci.webex.com/stsci/j.php?MTID=ma9af34574b354cd9a25d2bdd307dd0f6

Previous Slides and Recordings: Material from previous webinars is available at our website.

Sign-Up For Future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Notifications: If you haven’t already, please sign up for our listserve to receive notifications, reminders, and Webex links by emailing: ROMANTRAINING-subscribe-request@maillist.stsci.edu 

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series webinars and other Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar (to “Subscribe”, you need to be signed in and registered for the Forum).

Join the Community: Please note, access to other calendars and pages are available to members of the Roman Forum and Roman Science Collaboration. If you haven’t had a chance, please consider joining today.

Thank you, and we look forward to “seeing” you on Tuesday!

STScI Newsletter: Join the Roman Research Nexus: Plug into a Full Suite of Resources and Simulated Data

STScI recently launched the Roman Research Nexus, a cloud-based science platform developed to enable efficient access, exploration, and analysis of Roman’s large volume of data. You may access the Nexus now to explore Roman’s scientific capabilities and prepare to analyze Roman’s data as soon as operations start. Learn more about how the Nexus will benefit you and enable your science in this STScI newsletter.

MAST Seeks Community Suggestions for Hosting Roman-Synergistic Datasets

The Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) is planning to host additional datasets that will greatly enhance the scientific output of Roman, by enabling streamlined co-analysis of Roman and these non-Roman data.

MAST is seeking suggestions from the entire astronomical community — including the Roman science community — regarding possible new datasets for this initiative through a public questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Any non-Roman datasets, which are publicly available by Sept. 2027, can be considered. (Datasets not already held at a NASA archive, or not currently cloud-hosted, will be prioritized.)

Submissions should include a description (of approximately 1-3 paragraphs) addressing how the dataset will impact Roman science, which surveys/science cases will be facilitated by its inclusion, and why its current location is insufficient for co-analysis with Roman data and thus hosting it at MAST is critical.

Final selections (drawn from datasets identified by Roman mission stakeholders and community suggestions) will be made by MAST and Roman leadership, considering (1) Impact to Roman science, (2) Cost given available resources, and (3) Ensuring balance of which surveys and science cases are facilitated.

Submissions will be accepted through 31 March 2026.

Multiple submissions are welcome; please only include a single dataset per submission:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Questions regarding this questionnaire and initiative can be directed to the MAST Help Desk at archive@stsci.edu

Roman Events Calendar Now Public

Good news for everyone who has been asking. Our Roman Events Calendar is now publicly accessible! To keep track of future Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar and import to your favorite calendar app.

Note: to subscribe, you must be logged in.

Now Live! Roman Research Nexus

Announcing the Opening of the Roman Research Nexus

We are pleased to announce that the Roman Research Nexus is now available for use!

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will deliver an estimated 20 PB of data in its primary 5 year mission. In just one month, Roman will generate roughly twice the data volume produced by Hubble over 30 years. The Roman Research Nexus will provide the science community with a cloud-based science platform to efficiently access, explore, and analyze Roman's large volume of data. 

The Nexus cloud-based scientific computing environment includes pre-installed software, Jupyter notebook tutorials, access to simulated datasets, team workspaces, and real-time collaboration tools. Once Roman science operations start, all Roman data will be accessible through the Nexus.

Check out the Nexus now to start exploring existing simulated Roman datasets, quickly simulate your own Roman data using pre-installed simulation tools and pedagogical notebooks, and get familiar with Roman's data formats. All you need is a myST account to login and get started.

Read more about the Nexus: https://roman-docs.stsci.edu/data-handbook/roman-research-nexus

Create your team account: https://roman-docs.stsci.edu/data-handbook/roman-research-nexus#RomanResearchNexus-TeamAccounts

Access the Nexus: https://roman.science.stsci.edu/hub/

The Roman Research Nexus is developed and provided to the community by the Space Telescope Science Institute, in collaboration with Roman Mission Partners.

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Cycle 1 Call for Proposals is Open

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Project is pleased to announce that the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals opens today.  The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals marks the first opportunity to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with Roman’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI). 

Key Dates

• Call Opens: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

• Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time

How to Apply

• Read through the Call for Proposals: https://roman-docs.ipac.caltech.edu/roman-proposals-home/cycle-1-call-for-proposals  

• Submit proposal on the Roman Telescope Proposal System  ( RTPS):
  http://rtps-roman.ipac.caltech.edu/   

About the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals 

The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals invites investigators to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. All Roman data have no proprietary period, ensuring rapid community access to all observations. The Roman General Investigator program solicits proposals for funding and compute support for the analysis of Roman WFI data (including, but not limited to, Roman’s community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and analysis of publicly accessible ancillary data with direct relevance to the Roman mission. This solicitation also encompasses proposals for new General Astrophysics Survey (GAS) observations with WFI, with funding and compute support associated with their data analysis. In Cycle 1, up to six new GAS programs will be selected for a combined total of no more than 1200 hours of Roman observing time. Please check the Call for more details.

About the Community-Defined Surveys

Information on the High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), and Galactic Plane Survey are available on RDox. These surveys have been defined and recommended based on input from the astronomical community, enabling a broad range of astrophysical investigations. They are an integral part of the Roman mission and are expected to provide substantial scientific returns for all the investigators. Additional details on scheduling and availability of the data products can be found in the Call.

Registration and Abstract Submission Now Open: RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science (March 23 - 27, 2026)

A message from the conference organizers:

We are pleased to announce RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science, the next meeting in the Hot-wiring the Transient Universe (HTU) series to be held on 2026 March 23 - March 27 in Pasadena, CA at Caltech hosted by the RAPID Project Infrastructure Team. As we enter the era of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger surveys with rich but disparate datasets, there is a growing need to discuss the software infrastructure required to push the limits of time-domain science. Building on the legacy from the past decades of optical time-domain surveys, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has opened its eye to the dynamic sky and will unleash a wave of millions of alerts per night. High-energy space missions such as Fermi and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory are capturing the most energetic astrophysical explosions. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch no later than May 2027, is set to unveil the transient universe in the infrared (IR). New surveys on the horizon such as DSA-2000 and ULTRASAT will push our multi-wavelength survey coverage into the radio and near-UV. Now is therefore the ideal time to discuss the software infrastructure needed to pursue breakthrough science enabled by low-latency alerts, multi-wavelength/messenger discovery, machine learning, and science platforms / alert brokers / marshals.In this meeting, we will address the following key questions:

• What have we learned from existing alert streams and Rubin alerts?
  • Are we ready for alerts from Roman and beyond?
• How do we optimize transient discovery with multi-wavelength and multi-messenger alert streams?
• How do we effectively utilize machine learning for time-domain science?
• What physics of stellar explosions/eruptions/variability can be revealed with rapid, multi-wavelength/messenger observations?

The science topics in the meeting will focus on relativistic explosions, stellar variables, supermassive black hole transients, IR / “gap” transients, and supernovae. Registration is still open! Registration for the meeting is free. For more information, please visit the meeting website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwiring2026/

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #8 (Using the Roman Research Nexus) on Tuesday, February 10 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #8 on “Using the Roman Research Nexus” on Tuesday, February 10th at 1pm EST/10am PST. We will provide more details next week. For now, please note:

Previous Slides and Recordings: Material from previous webinars is available at our website.

Sign-Up For Future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Notifications: If you haven’t already, please sign up for our listserve to receive notifications, reminders, and Webex links by emailing: ROMANTRAINING-subscribe-request@maillist.stsci.edu 

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series webinars and other Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar.

Join the Community: Please note, access to other calendars and pages are available to members of the Roman Forum and Roman Science Collaboration. If you haven’t had a chance, please consider joining today.

MAST Seeks Community Suggestions for Hosting Roman-Synergistic Datasets

The Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) is planning to host additional datasets that will greatly enhance the scientific output of Roman, by enabling streamlined co-analysis of Roman and these non-Roman data.

MAST is seeking suggestions from the entire astronomical community — including the Roman science community — regarding possible new datasets for this initiative through a public questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Any non-Roman datasets, which are publicly available by Sept. 2027, can be considered. (Datasets not already held at a NASA archive, or not currently cloud-hosted, will be prioritized.)

Submissions should include a description (of approximately 1-3 paragraphs) addressing how the dataset will impact Roman science, which surveys/science cases will be facilitated by its inclusion, and why its current location is insufficient for co-analysis with Roman data and thus hosting it at MAST is critical.

Final selections (drawn from datasets identified by Roman mission stakeholders and community suggestions) will be made by MAST and Roman leadership, considering (1) Impact to Roman science, (2) Cost given available resources, and (3) Ensuring balance of which surveys and science cases are facilitated.

Submissions will be accepted through 31 March 2026.

Multiple submissions are welcome; please only include a single dataset per submission:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXC2PCJ

Questions regarding this questionnaire and initiative can be directed to the MAST Help Desk at archive@stsci.edu

STScI Virtual Town Hall Wednesday, Feb 04 at 12:30pm EST

Space Telescope Science Institute is holding a virtual Town Hall for the astronomical community at 12:30 pm Eastern Time on February 4. STScI Leadership will provide updates on the missions supported by the Institute, focusing on the imminent launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in Fall 2026. There will be a series of presentations followed by a short question and answer session. The meeting will be hosted via a Webex webinar – details below.

Agenda

Director’s overview                                                 Jennifer Lotz, STScI Director

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Status      Ori Fox, Roman SOC Deputy Project Scientist

The Roman Nexus Platform                                    Gisella de Rosa, Roman SOC Mission Scientist

Accessing Roman data through MAST                  Susan Mullally, MAST STSci Principal Investigator

Q & A Part 1

HST mission highlights                                           Julia Roman-Duval, HST Mission Office Head

JWST mission highlights                                         Tom Brown, JWST Mission Office Head

Rocky Worlds Update                                              Hannah Diamond-Lowe, Rocky Worlds co-lead

Q&A Part 2

Questions can be submitted in advance using this link:

https://app.sli.do/event/9xRoLD5hjhq858jaoeVcG7/live/questions

The event will be recorded and the recording, together with all presentations, will be published at this site:

https://outerspace.stsci.edu/spaces/AAS/pages/368542105/STScI+Community+Townhall+--+February+2+2026

Webinar contact information:

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 2:00 PM | (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Join link:

https://stsci.webex.com/stsci/j.php?MTID=md0e5fdc481c04e985588b8a3a6481fbb

Webinar number:

2828 838 0446

Webinar password:

STTownHall26 (78869642 when dialing from a phone or video system)

Join by phone

+1-415-527-5035 United States Toll

Access code: 282 883 80446

Roman I-Sim v0.12 Released

We are pleased to announce the release of Roman I-Sim version 0.12, available as of January 20, 2026.

This release includes several important updates and improvements, including:

• Significant performance enhancements in PSF rendering for fields containing large numbers of stars
• Support for the new roman_datamodels Level 2 (L2) schema
• Improved flat-field handling

More information is available here.

We encourage users to upgrade to this version to take advantage of these improvements.

Roman WFI ETC version R2026.1 is out!

Updates include:

• New Point Spread Functions from STPSF with more realistic charge diffusion and jitter
• Proper handling of extreme over-saturation
• Updated spectroscopy axis orientation
• Proper extraction of flux from saturated observations
• Improved spatial positioning accuracy in the 2D plot display

Short Link Here [https://roman.etc.stsci.edu]

New RDox Documentation Now Available

A number of new pages have been published in RDox, the Roman online documentation ecosystem. Specific updates have been made to the:

• Data Handbook 
• Simulation Tools (including a new article on the Roman Background Visualization Tool) 
• WFI Imaging Mode Handbook.

Roman Events Calendar Now Public

Good news for everyone who has been asking. Our Roman Events Calendar is now publicly accessible! To keep track of future Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar and import to your favorite calendar app.

Now Live! Roman Research Nexus

Announcing the Opening of the Roman Research Nexus

We are pleased to announce that the Roman Research Nexus is now available for use!

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will deliver an estimated 20 PB of data in its primary 5 year mission. In just one month, Roman will generate roughly twice the data volume produced by Hubble over 30 years. The Roman Research Nexus will provide the science community with a cloud-based science platform to efficiently access, explore, and analyze Roman's large volume of data. 

The Nexus cloud-based scientific computing environment includes pre-installed software, Jupyter notebook tutorials, access to simulated datasets, team workspaces, and real-time collaboration tools. Once Roman science operations start, all Roman data will be accessible through the Nexus.

Check out the Nexus now to start exploring existing simulated Roman datasets, quickly simulate your own Roman data using pre-installed simulation tools and pedagogical notebooks, and get familiar with Roman's data formats. All you need is a myST account to login and get started.

Read more about the Nexus: https://roman-docs.stsci.edu/data-handbook/roman-research-nexus

Create your team account: https://roman-docs.stsci.edu/data-handbook/roman-research-nexus#RomanResearchNexus-TeamAccounts

Access the Nexus: https://roman.science.stsci.edu/hub/

The Roman Research Nexus is developed and provided to the community by the Space Telescope Science Institute, in collaboration with Roman Mission Partners.

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Cycle 1 Call for Proposals is Open

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Project is pleased to announce that the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals opens today.  The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals marks the first opportunity to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with Roman’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI). 

Key Dates

• Call Opens: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

• Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time

How to Apply

• Read through the Call for Proposals: https://roman-docs.ipac.caltech.edu/roman-proposals-home/cycle-1-call-for-proposals  

• Submit proposal on the Roman Telescope Proposal System  ( RTPS):
  http://rtps-roman.ipac.caltech.edu/   

About the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals 

The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals invites investigators to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. All Roman data have no proprietary period, ensuring rapid community access to all observations. The Roman General Investigator program solicits proposals for funding and compute support for the analysis of Roman WFI data (including, but not limited to, Roman’s community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and analysis of publicly accessible ancillary data with direct relevance to the Roman mission. This solicitation also encompasses proposals for new General Astrophysics Survey (GAS) observations with WFI, with funding and compute support associated with their data analysis. In Cycle 1, up to six new GAS programs will be selected for a combined total of no more than 1200 hours of Roman observing time. Please check the Call for more details.

About the Community-Defined Surveys

Information on the High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), and Galactic Plane Survey are available on RDox. These surveys have been defined and recommended based on input from the astronomical community, enabling a broad range of astrophysical investigations. They are an integral part of the Roman mission and are expected to provide substantial scientific returns for all the investigators. Additional details on scheduling and availability of the data products can be found in the Call.

Registration and Abstract Submission Now Open: RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science (March 23 - 27, 2026)

A message from the conference organizers:

We are pleased to announce RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science, the next meeting in the Hot-wiring the Transient Universe (HTU) series to be held on 2026 March 23 - March 27 in Pasadena, CA at Caltech hosted by the RAPID Project Infrastructure Team. As we enter the era of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger surveys with rich but disparate datasets, there is a growing need to discuss the software infrastructure required to push the limits of time-domain science. Building on the legacy from the past decades of optical time-domain surveys, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has opened its eye to the dynamic sky and will unleash a wave of millions of alerts per night. High-energy space missions such as Fermi and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory are capturing the most energetic astrophysical explosions. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch no later than May 2027, is set to unveil the transient universe in the infrared (IR). New surveys on the horizon such as DSA-2000 and ULTRASAT will push our multi-wavelength survey coverage into the radio and near-UV. Now is therefore the ideal time to discuss the software infrastructure needed to pursue breakthrough science enabled by low-latency alerts, multi-wavelength/messenger discovery, machine learning, and science platforms / alert brokers / marshals.In this meeting, we will address the following key questions:

• What have we learned from existing alert streams and Rubin alerts?
  • Are we ready for alerts from Roman and beyond?
• How do we optimize transient discovery with multi-wavelength and multi-messenger alert streams?
• How do we effectively utilize machine learning for time-domain science?
• What physics of stellar explosions/eruptions/variability can be revealed with rapid, multi-wavelength/messenger observations?

The science topics in the meeting will focus on relativistic explosions, stellar variables, supermassive black hole transients, IR / “gap” transients, and supernovae. Registration is still open! Registration for the meeting is free. For more information, please visit the meeting website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwiring2026/

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #7 (Preparing for Roman: A Mini-Workshop from the AAS Special Session) on Tuesday, Jan 27 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #7, a “Preparing for Roman Mini-Workshop,” on Tuesday, January 27 at 1pm EST/10am PST. We provide some important details below.

Goals: To help the community prepare for the Roman proposal opportunities, this session will provide an overview of the current Call for Proposals and introduce the key tools and resources available to support competitive proposal preparation. The session will include an introduction to the community-defined surveys and the proposal process itself. We will walk through suggested steps for crafting proposals for both new observations and data analysis. Participants will learn how to incorporate the essential planning and proposal tools from previous webinars, including the Roman Telescope Proposal System  ( RTPS), the Astronomer’s Proposal Tool (APT), and the Exposure Time Calculator (ETC). This session is intended for astronomers interested in proposing for Roman data analysis investigations and/or new general astrophysics surveys and seeking a practical introduction to the current Roman proposal ecosystem.

What to expect: Each training session will last one hour. This webinar will consist of a series of short demonstrations(~8-12 minutes each) with plenty of time for Q&A with Roman staff. For Webinar #7, our agenda will include:

• Introduction to the Roman General Investigators Program

• News Items relevant for the Call for Proposals

• Step-by-step tutorial for crafting proposals for both new observations and data analysis

• Tips for the Roman Telescope Proposal System  ( RTPS), Astronomer’s Proposal Tool ( APT), and the Exposure Time Calculator ( ETC)

Preparation: The training series is designed for users with all levels of experience. The webinar will include live demonstrations of the Roman tools that can be viewed on their own, and no prior setup is required to attend. However, participants who wish to follow along more actively may find it helpful to review the Roman Telescope Proposal System  ( RTPS), the Astronomer’s Proposal Tool  ( APT), and the Exposure Time Calculator  ( ETC) in advance. These tools are publicly available, and familiarizing yourself with their basic interfaces may enhance your experience during the session. Additional documentation can be found on RDox and recordings of previous webinars on these topics can be found on our YouTube channel.

Connection Information: https://stsci.webex.com/stsci/j.php?MTID=ma9af34574b354cd9a25d2bdd307dd0f6

Previous Slides and Recordings: Material from previous webinars is available at our website.

Sign-Up For Future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Notifications: If you haven’t already, please sign up for our listserve to receive notifications, reminders, and Webex links by emailing: ROMANTRAINING-subscribe-request@maillist.stsci.edu 

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series webinars and other Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar.

Join the Community: Please note, access to other calendars and pages are available to members of the Roman Forum and Roman Science Collaboration. If you haven’t had a chance, please consider joining today.

Thank you, and we look forward to “seeing” you on Tuesday!

Roman I-Sim v0.12 Released

We are pleased to announce the release of Roman I-Sim version 0.12, available as of January 20, 2026.

This release includes several important updates and improvements, including:

• Significant performance enhancements in PSF rendering for fields containing large numbers of stars
• Support for the new roman_datamodels Level 2 (L2) schema
• Improved flat-field handling

More information is available here.

We encourage users to upgrade to this version to take advantage of these improvements.

Roman WFI ETC version R2026.1 is out!

Updates include:

• New Point Spread Functions from STPSF with more realistic charge diffusion and jitter
• Proper handling of extreme over-saturation
• Updated spectroscopy axis orientation
• Proper extraction of flux from saturated observations
• Improved spatial positioning accuracy in the 2D plot display

Short Link Here [https://roman.etc.stsci.edu]

Roman Events Calendar Now Public

Good news for everyone who has been asking. Our Roman Events Calendar is now publicly accessible! To keep track of future Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar and import to your favorite calendar app.

Now Live! Roman Research Nexus

Announcing the Opening of the Roman Research Nexus

We are pleased to announce that the Roman Research Nexus is now available for use!

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will deliver an estimated 20 PB of data in its primary 5 year mission. In just one month, Roman will generate roughly twice the data volume produced by Hubble over 30 years. The Roman Research Nexus will provide the science community with a cloud-based science platform to efficiently access, explore, and analyze Roman's large volume of data. 

The Nexus cloud-based scientific computing environment includes pre-installed software, Jupyter notebook tutorials, access to simulated datasets, team workspaces, and real-time collaboration tools. Once Roman science operations start, all Roman data will be accessible through the Nexus.

Check out the Nexus now to start exploring existing simulated Roman datasets, quickly simulate your own Roman data using pre-installed simulation tools and pedagogical notebooks, and get familiar with Roman's data formats. All you need is a myST account to login and get started.

Read more about the Nexus: https://roman-docs.stsci.edu/data-handbook/roman-research-nexus

Create your team account: https://roman-docs.stsci.edu/data-handbook/roman-research-nexus#RomanResearchNexus-TeamAccounts

Access the Nexus: https://roman.science.stsci.edu/hub/

The Roman Research Nexus is developed and provided to the community by the Space Telescope Science Institute, in collaboration with Roman Mission Partners.

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Cycle 1 Call for Proposals is Open

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Project is pleased to announce that the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals opens today.  The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals marks the first opportunity to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with Roman’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI). 

Key Dates

• Call Opens: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

• Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time

How to Apply

• Read through the Call for Proposals: https://roman-docs.ipac.caltech.edu/roman-proposals-home/cycle-1-call-for-proposals  

• Submit proposal on the Roman Telescope Proposal System  ( RTPS):
  http://rtps-roman.ipac.caltech.edu/   

About the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals 

The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals invites investigators to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. All Roman data have no proprietary period, ensuring rapid community access to all observations. The Roman General Investigator program solicits proposals for funding and compute support for the analysis of Roman WFI data (including, but not limited to, Roman’s community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and analysis of publicly accessible ancillary data with direct relevance to the Roman mission. This solicitation also encompasses proposals for new General Astrophysics Survey (GAS) observations with WFI, with funding and compute support associated with their data analysis. In Cycle 1, up to six new GAS programs will be selected for a combined total of no more than 1200 hours of Roman observing time. Please check the Call for more details.

About the Community-Defined Surveys

Information on the High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), and Galactic Plane Survey are available on RDox. These surveys have been defined and recommended based on input from the astronomical community, enabling a broad range of astrophysical investigations. They are an integral part of the Roman mission and are expected to provide substantial scientific returns for all the investigators. Additional details on scheduling and availability of the data products can be found in the Call.

New RDox Documentation Now Available

A number of new pages have been published in RDox, the Roman online documentation ecosystem. Specific updates have been made to the:

• Data Handbook 
• Simulation Tools (including a new article on the Roman Background Visualization Tool) 
• WFI Imaging Mode Handbook.

Registration and Abstract Submission Now Open: RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science (March 23 - 27, 2026)

A message from the conference organizers:

We are pleased to announce RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science, the next meeting in the Hot-wiring the Transient Universe (HTU) series to be held on 2026 March 23 - March 27 in Pasadena, CA at Caltech hosted by the RAPID Project Infrastructure Team. As we enter the era of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger surveys with rich but disparate datasets, there is a growing need to discuss the software infrastructure required to push the limits of time-domain science. Building on the legacy from the past decades of optical time-domain surveys, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has opened its eye to the dynamic sky and will unleash a wave of millions of alerts per night. High-energy space missions such as Fermi and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory are capturing the most energetic astrophysical explosions. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch no later than May 2027, is set to unveil the transient universe in the infrared (IR). New surveys on the horizon such as DSA-2000 and ULTRASAT will push our multi-wavelength survey coverage into the radio and near-UV. Now is therefore the ideal time to discuss the software infrastructure needed to pursue breakthrough science enabled by low-latency alerts, multi-wavelength/messenger discovery, machine learning, and science platforms / alert brokers / marshals.In this meeting, we will address the following key questions:

• What have we learned from existing alert streams and Rubin alerts?
  • Are we ready for alerts from Roman and beyond?
• How do we optimize transient discovery with multi-wavelength and multi-messenger alert streams?
• How do we effectively utilize machine learning for time-domain science?
• What physics of stellar explosions/eruptions/variability can be revealed with rapid, multi-wavelength/messenger observations?

The science topics in the meeting will focus on relativistic explosions, stellar variables, supermassive black hole transients, IR / “gap” transients, and supernovae. Registration is still open! Registration for the meeting is free. For more information, please visit the meeting website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwiring2026/

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Next Roman Community Forum: Roman Research Nexus on Wednesday, January 21st at 4pm EST/1pm PST

Our next Roman Community Forum is Wednesday January 21 from 4-5 PM Eastern.

This month will feature updates from the Project and an overview to the Roman Research Nexus.

The community forum website has details about how to sign-up for the mailing list, which includes dial-in information. The website also has recordings and slides from previous forums. 

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of future community forums and other Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar.

Roman Events Calendar Now Public

Good news for everyone who has been asking. Our Roman Events Calendar is now publicly accessible! To keep track of future Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar and import to your favorite calendar app.

Now Live! Roman Research Nexus

Announcing the Opening of the Roman Research Nexus

We are pleased to announce that the Roman Research Nexus is now available for use!

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will deliver an estimated 20 PB of data in its primary 5 year mission. In just one month, Roman will generate roughly twice the data volume produced by Hubble over 30 years. The Roman Research Nexus will provide the science community with a cloud-based science platform to efficiently access, explore, and analyze Roman's large volume of data. 

The Nexus cloud-based scientific computing environment includes pre-installed software, Jupyter notebook tutorials, access to simulated datasets, team workspaces, and real-time collaboration tools. Once Roman science operations start, all Roman data will be accessible through the Nexus.

Check out the Nexus now to start exploring existing simulated Roman datasets, quickly simulate your own Roman data using pre-installed simulation tools and pedagogical notebooks, and get familiar with Roman's data formats. All you need is a myST account to login and get started.

Read more about the Nexus: https://roman-docs.stsci.edu/data-handbook/roman-research-nexus

Create your team account: https://roman-docs.stsci.edu/data-handbook/roman-research-nexus#RomanResearchNexus-TeamAccounts

Access the Nexus: https://roman.science.stsci.edu/hub/

The Roman Research Nexus is developed and provided to the community by the Space Telescope Science Institute, in collaboration with Roman Mission Partners.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #7 (Preparing for Roman: A Mini-Workshop from the AAS Special Session) on Tuesday, Jan 27 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #7 on the “Preparing for Roman: A Mini-Workshop from the AAS Special Session” on Tuesday, January 27 at 1pm EST/10am PST. We will provide more details next week. For now, please note:

Previous Slides and Recordings: Material from previous webinars is available at our website.

Sign-Up For Future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Notifications: If you haven’t already, please sign up for our listserve to receive notifications, reminders, and Webex links by emailing: ROMANTRAINING-subscribe-request@maillist.stsci.edu 

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series webinars and other Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar.

Join the Community: Please note, access to other calendars and pages are available to members of the Roman Forum and Roman Science Collaboration. If you haven’t had a chance, please consider joining today.

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Cycle 1 Call for Proposals is Open

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Project is pleased to announce that the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals opens today.  The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals marks the first opportunity to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with Roman’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI). 

Key Dates

• Call Opens: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

• Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time

How to Apply

• Read through the Call for Proposals: https://roman-docs.ipac.caltech.edu/roman-proposals-home/cycle-1-call-for-proposals  

• Submit proposal on the Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS):
  http://rtps-roman.ipac.caltech.edu/   

About the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals 

The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals invites investigators to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. All Roman data have no proprietary period, ensuring rapid community access to all observations. The Roman General Investigator program solicits proposals for funding and compute support for the analysis of Roman WFI data (including, but not limited to, Roman’s community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and analysis of publicly accessible ancillary data with direct relevance to the Roman mission. This solicitation also encompasses proposals for new General Astrophysics Survey (GAS) observations with WFI, with funding and compute support associated with their data analysis. In Cycle 1, up to six new GAS programs will be selected for a combined total of no more than 1200 hours of Roman observing time. Please check the Call for more details.

About the Community-Defined Surveys

Information on the High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), and Galactic Plane Survey are available on RDox. These surveys have been defined and recommended based on input from the astronomical community, enabling a broad range of astrophysical investigations. They are an integral part of the Roman mission and are expected to provide substantial scientific returns for all the investigators. Additional details on scheduling and availability of the data products can be found in the Call.

New RDox Documentation Now Available

A number of new pages have been published in RDox, the Roman online documentation ecosystem. Specific updates have been made to the:

• Data Handbook 
• Simulation Tools (including a new article on the Roman Background Visualization Tool) 
• WFI Imaging Mode Handbook.

Registration and Abstract Submission Now Open: RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science (March 23 - 27, 2026)

A message from the conference organizers:

We are pleased to announce RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science, the next meeting in the Hot-wiring the Transient Universe (HTU) series to be held on 2026 March 23 - March 27 in Pasadena, CA at Caltech hosted by the RAPID Project Infrastructure Team. As we enter the era of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger surveys with rich but disparate datasets, there is a growing need to discuss the software infrastructure required to push the limits of time-domain science. Building on the legacy from the past decades of optical time-domain surveys, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has opened its eye to the dynamic sky and will unleash a wave of millions of alerts per night. High-energy space missions such as Fermi and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory are capturing the most energetic astrophysical explosions. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch no later than May 2027, is set to unveil the transient universe in the infrared (IR). New surveys on the horizon such as DSA-2000 and ULTRASAT will push our multi-wavelength survey coverage into the radio and near-UV. Now is therefore the ideal time to discuss the software infrastructure needed to pursue breakthrough science enabled by low-latency alerts, multi-wavelength/messenger discovery, machine learning, and science platforms / alert brokers / marshals.In this meeting, we will address the following key questions:

• What have we learned from existing alert streams and Rubin alerts?
  • Are we ready for alerts from Roman and beyond?
• How do we optimize transient discovery with multi-wavelength and multi-messenger alert streams?
• How do we effectively utilize machine learning for time-domain science?
• What physics of stellar explosions/eruptions/variability can be revealed with rapid, multi-wavelength/messenger observations?

The science topics in the meeting will focus on relativistic explosions, stellar variables, supermassive black hole transients, IR / “gap” transients, and supernovae. Registration is still open! Registration for the meeting is free. For more information, please visit the meeting website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwiring2026/

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Pictures: Roman @ AAS 247 (Phoenix)

What a great AAS! Thank you to everyone who participated or contributed. Here are some highlights from the week.

Now Live! Roman Research Nexus

Announcing the Opening of the Roman Research Nexus

We are pleased to announce that the Roman Research Nexus is now available for use!

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will deliver an estimated 20 PB of data in its primary 5 year mission. In just one month, Roman will generate roughly twice the data volume produced by Hubble over 30 years. The Roman Research Nexus will provide the science community with a cloud-based science platform to efficiently access, explore, and analyze Roman's large volume of data. 

The Nexus cloud-based scientific computing environment includes pre-installed software, Jupyter notebook tutorials, access to simulated datasets, team workspaces, and real-time collaboration tools. Once Roman science operations start, all Roman data will be accessible through the Nexus.

Check out the Nexus now to start exploring existing simulated Roman datasets, quickly simulate your own Roman data using pre-installed simulation tools and pedagogical notebooks, and get familiar with Roman's data formats. All you need is a myST account to login and get started.

Read more about the Nexus: https://roman-docs.stsci.edu/data-handbook/roman-research-nexus

Access the Nexus: https://roman.science.stsci.edu/hub/

The Roman Research Nexus is developed and provided to the community by the Space Telescope Science Institute, in collaboration with Roman Mission Partners.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #6 (Roman Research Nexus: Data Analysis Workflow) on Tuesday, Jan 13 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #6 on the “Roman Research Nexus: Data Analysis” on Tuesday, January 13 at 1pm EST/10am PST. We provide some important details below.

Goals: To help you prepare for Cycle 1, this training will introduce tailored software, tools, and techniques for analyzing data from Roman, including a tutorial on the new ASDF format and basic analysis of galaxies, such as cutouts, photometry, and galaxy shapes. We are excited to announce that this training will take place on the new Roman Research Nexus, a cloud-based scientific computing environment that provides the science community with the ability to efficiently explore and analyze Roman's large volume of data. The Nexus includes pre-installed software, Jupyter notebook tutorials, access to simulated datasets, team workspaces, and real-time collaboration tools. Users will learn how to log-in and navigate the Nexus. A future webinar will be dedicated to the entire Nexus ecosystem.

What to expect: Each training session will last one hour and consist of a short demonstration (~20-25 minutes) with plenty of time for Q&A with Roman staff. For Webinar #6, our agenda will include:

• Introduction to Nexus

• Overview of existing ground + simulated datasets

• Tutorial on working with the Roman ASDF data format, including analysis and visualization

• Basic Roman analysis techniques, including cutouts, photometry, and galaxy shape measurements

Preparation: The training series is designed for users with all levels of experience. We will be providing a live, hands-on demo that can be viewed on its own. However, if a user wishes to actively follow along, the Roman Research Nexus is publicly available. We encourage you to sign on and familiarize yourself with the Nexus in advance. Additional documentation can be found on RDox.

Connection Information: https://stsci.webex.com/stsci/j.php?MTID=ma9af34574b354cd9a25d2bdd307dd0f6

Previous Slides and Recordings: Material from previous webinars is available at our website.

Sign-Up For Future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Notifications: If you haven’t already, please sign up for our listserve to receive notifications, reminders, and Webex links by emailing: ROMANTRAINING-subscribe-request@maillist.stsci.edu 

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series webinars and other Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar (you need to be signed in and registered for the Forum).

Join the Community: Please note, access to other calendars and pages are available to members of the Roman Forum and Roman Science Collaboration. If you haven’t had a chance, please consider joining today.

Thank you, and we look forward to “seeing” you on Tuesday!

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Cycle 1 Call for Proposals is Open

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Project is pleased to announce that the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals opens today.  The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals marks the first opportunity to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with Roman’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI). 

Key Dates

• Call Opens: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

• Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time

How to Apply

• Read through the Call for Proposals: https://roman-docs.ipac.caltech.edu/roman-proposals-home/cycle-1-call-for-proposals  

• Submit proposal on the Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS):
  http://rtps-roman.ipac.caltech.edu/   

About the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals 

The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals invites investigators to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. All Roman data have no proprietary period, ensuring rapid community access to all observations. The Roman General Investigator program solicits proposals for funding and compute support for the analysis of Roman WFI data (including, but not limited to, Roman’s community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and analysis of publicly accessible ancillary data with direct relevance to the Roman mission. This solicitation also encompasses proposals for new General Astrophysics Survey (GAS) observations with WFI, with funding and compute support associated with their data analysis. In Cycle 1, up to six new GAS programs will be selected for a combined total of no more than 1200 hours of Roman observing time. Please check the Call for more details.

About the Community-Defined Surveys

Information on the High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), and Galactic Plane Survey are available on RDox. These surveys have been defined and recommended based on input from the astronomical community, enabling a broad range of astrophysical investigations. They are an integral part of the Roman mission and are expected to provide substantial scientific returns for all the investigators. Additional details on scheduling and availability of the data products can be found in the Call.

New RDox Documentation Now Available

A number of new pages have been published in RDox, the Roman online documentation ecosystem. Specific updates have been made to the:

• Data Handbook 
• Simulation Tools (including a new article on the Roman Background Visualization Tool) 
• WFI Imaging Mode Handbook.

Registration and Abstract Submission Now Open: RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science (March 23 - 27, 2026)

A message from the conference organizers:

We are pleased to announce RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science, the next meeting in the Hot-wiring the Transient Universe (HTU) series to be held on 2026 March 23 - March 27 in Pasadena, CA at Caltech hosted by the RAPID Project Infrastructure Team. As we enter the era of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger surveys with rich but disparate datasets, there is a growing need to discuss the software infrastructure required to push the limits of time-domain science. Building on the legacy from the past decades of optical time-domain surveys, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has opened its eye to the dynamic sky and will unleash a wave of millions of alerts per night. High-energy space missions such as Fermi and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory are capturing the most energetic astrophysical explosions. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch no later than May 2027, is set to unveil the transient universe in the infrared (IR). New surveys on the horizon such as DSA-2000 and ULTRASAT will push our multi-wavelength survey coverage into the radio and near-UV. Now is therefore the ideal time to discuss the software infrastructure needed to pursue breakthrough science enabled by low-latency alerts, multi-wavelength/messenger discovery, machine learning, and science platforms / alert brokers / marshals.In this meeting, we will address the following key questions:

• What have we learned from existing alert streams and Rubin alerts?
  • Are we ready for alerts from Roman and beyond?
• How do we optimize transient discovery with multi-wavelength and multi-messenger alert streams?
• How do we effectively utilize machine learning for time-domain science?
• What physics of stellar explosions/eruptions/variability can be revealed with rapid, multi-wavelength/messenger observations?

The science topics in the meeting will focus on relativistic explosions, stellar variables, supermassive black hole transients, IR / “gap” transients, and supernovae.Registration and abstract submission are now open! Registration for the meeting is free. For more information, please visit the meeting website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwiring2026/

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Hope everyone had a wonderful new year. Looking forward to seeing many of you next week at AAS! 

Roman @ AAS 247 (Phoenix): Comprehensive Schedule Now Available

A comprehensive list of Roman-related presentations, including oral contributions and posters, can be found here. A summary is shown below.

Sunday

• Workshpo: Preparing for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Working in Roman's Cloud-based Science Platform: Sunday, Jan 04, 9am-5pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 221 C)
  
• Workshop: Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey Data Challenge: Sunday, Jan 04, 9am-5pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 224 A)

*It's not too late to add a workshop to you registration. Just log-in to AAS, find your registration, and add a workshop of your choice.

Monday

• Splinter Meeting: Roman Slitless Spectroscopy Data Challenge (Part 3 of 3) : Monday, Jan 05, 10am-12pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 131 A)
• Roman Town Hall: Monday Jan 05, 7:30-9:30pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 224 A)

Tuesday

• Splinter Meeting: Roman Space Telescope Proposal and Science Planning: Tuesday, Jan 06, 10am-12pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 121 B)
  
• Splinter Meeting: Resources for the Roman Cosmology, Exoplanet, and Time Domain Communities: Tuesday, Jan 06, 3-5pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 126 C)

Wednesday

• STScI Town Hall: Wednesday, Jan 07, 12:45-1:45pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 221 A)

Thursday

• Special Session: Preparing for Time Domain Science with the Roman Space Telescope: Thursday, Jan 08, 10am-11:30am (Phoenix Convention Center, 226 C)

Add to Your Calendar: Don’t miss all the great Roman programming at AAS 247, and great SWAG at the STScI, IPAC, and NASA booths. To keep track of Roman related programming at AAS, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar (must be logged in and signed up to the Roman Forum).

Splinter Meeting by the Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs): Resources for the Roman Space Telescope Communities

NASA's Roman Space Telescope has assembled five specialized Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs) to support the design and implementation of its Core Community Surveys. These teams are developing essential tools and scientific products that will empower the broader astronomical community to effectively analyze mission data and advance their research.

Don't Miss This Opportunity: Connect directly with each PIT team during our dedicated splinter session at AAS 247 -  Resources for the Roman Cosmology, Exoplanet, and Time Domain Communities

When: Tuesday, January 6th, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Where: Phoenix Convention Center, Room 126C
Focus: Roman Cosmology, Exoplanet, and Time Domain Communities

What You'll Gain:

• Overview of Roman PIT roles
• Understanding of available tools and resources
• Opportunity for Q&A with PIT members and developers
• Community networking

Participate Now:

• Learn more: Session Information
• Submit questions anonymously: Use Slido with passcode hb3opo
• Questions can be submitted in advance or during the session

We're excited to see you in Phoenix and support your Roman Space Telescope research endeavors! 

New Roman SOC Newsletter Dec. 2025

The Nancy Grace Roman Observatory is now fully integrated and tested at the Goddard Space Flight Center and is on track for launch in September 2026. The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals was published on December 10, 2025 with submission deadline in March 17, 2026. Meanwhile, the Science Operations Center is finalizing the data pipeline and building the infrastructure for large-scale data archiving. As the proposal deadline, launch, and start of operations approach, the Science Operations Center and Science Support Center have begun hosting a series of training webinars. These sessions introduce Roman users to tools designed to help scientists plan observations and analyze their data effectively.

Full Newsletter: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/news/roman/2025/roman-science-operations-center-newsletter-december

Expansive Views of the Milky Way: Roman’s Galactic Plane General Astrophysics Survey

The first General Astrophysics Survey for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has been fully defined through a community process: The Galactic Plane General Astrophysics Survey, a ~700 hour program, is expected to reach depths more than 10 times that of any previous infrared survey of the Milky Way’s disk plane, generate a catalog of approximately 20 billion sources, and measure proper motions for billions of stars.

It will enable investigations as varied as Galactic structure and dynamics, star formation, the interstellar medium, star clusters, evolved stars, low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, and the identification and characterization of compact binaries, free-floating planets, and eruptive and pulsating variables.

Full Article: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2025-volume-42-issue-02/expansive-views-of-the-milky-way-romans-galactic-plane-general-astrophysics-survey?utm_source=vol42_issue2&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=stsci_newsletter&utm_id=AAS-roman-hst34

What Can Roman Do for You? Explore Its Four Fully Defined Surveys

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is on track to launch ahead of schedule, now in September 2026 (~9 months from now), and Roman’s observing program is already taking shape. Four community-defined surveys are now fully defined and being readied for execution when Roman begins its science operations, which are anticipated to start in January 2027 based on a September launch. All of Roman’s data will be available freely and rapidly — there is no proprietary period.

Now is the time to investigate the suitability of Roman’s four community-defined surveys for your specific science interests. The first Call for Proposals is now open with a March 17, 2026 deadline. It includes opportunities to propose for funding and compute support for data analysis (including data from the community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and publicly accessible ancillary data directly relevant to Roman. It also provides the opportunity to propose new General Astrophysics Surveys, with associated funding and compute support.

The four community-defined surveys include three Core Community Surveys, which are designed to meet Roman’s science requirements while enabling broad astrophysical research, as well as one General Astrophysics Survey, Roman’s recently defined Galactic Plane Survey. General Astrophysics Surveys enable science investigations beyond those that can be accomplished with the Core Community Surveys. During Roman’s primary five-year mission, additional opportunities to propose for General Astrophysics Surveys are anticipated in Cycles 3 and 4.

Read an overview of the process of defining the three Core Community Surveys and a summary of the recommended implementations. Also take time to learn about the specifications and science opportunities for the Galactic Plane General Astrophysics Survey.

Full article: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2025-volume-42-issue-02/what-can-roman-do-for-you-explore-its-four-fully-defined-surveys?utm_source=vol42_issue2&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=stsci_newsletter&utm_id=AAS-roman-hst34

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Cycle 1 Call for Proposals is Open

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Project is pleased to announce that the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals opens today.  The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals marks the first opportunity to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with Roman’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI). 

Key Dates

• Call Opens: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

• Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time

How to Apply

• Read through the Call for Proposals: https://roman-docs.ipac.caltech.edu/roman-proposals-home/cycle-1-call-for-proposals  

• Submit proposal on the Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS):
  http://rtps-roman.ipac.caltech.edu/   

About the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals 

The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals invites investigators to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. All Roman data have no proprietary period, ensuring rapid community access to all observations. The Roman General Investigator program solicits proposals for funding and compute support for the analysis of Roman WFI data (including, but not limited to, Roman’s community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and analysis of publicly accessible ancillary data with direct relevance to the Roman mission. This solicitation also encompasses proposals for new General Astrophysics Survey (GAS) observations with WFI, with funding and compute support associated with their data analysis. In Cycle 1, up to six new GAS programs will be selected for a combined total of no more than 1200 hours of Roman observing time. Please check the Call for more details.

About the Community-Defined Surveys

Information on the High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), and Galactic Plane Survey are available on RDox. These surveys have been defined and recommended based on input from the astronomical community, enabling a broad range of astrophysical investigations. They are an integral part of the Roman mission and are expected to provide substantial scientific returns for all the investigators. Additional details on scheduling and availability of the data products can be found in the Call.

New RDox Documentation Now Available

A number of new pages have been published in RDox, the Roman online documentation ecosystem. Specific updates have been made to the:

• Data Handbook 
• Simulation Tools (including a new article on the Roman Background Visualization Tool) 
• WFI Imaging Mode User Guide updates coming very soon.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #6 (Roman Research Nexus: Data Analysis Workflow) on Tuesday, Jan 13 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #6 on the “Roman Research Nexus: Data Analysis Workflow” on Tuesday, Jan 13 at 1pm EST/10am PST. We will provide more details at a later date, but please note some important details below.

Previous Slides and Recordings: Material from previous webinars is available at our website.

Sign-Up For Future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Notifications: If you haven’t already, please sign up for our listserve to receive notifications, reminders, and Webex links by emailing: ROMANTRAINING-subscribe-request@maillist.stsci.edu 

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series webinars and other Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar. 

Join the Community: Please note, access to other calendars and pages are available to members of the Roman Forum and Roman Science Collaboration. If you haven’t had a chance, please consider joining today.

Thank you, and we look forward to “seeing” you on Thursday!

Registration and Abstract Submission Now Open: RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science (March 23 - 27, 2026)

A message from the conference organizers:

We are pleased to announce RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science, the next meeting in the Hot-wiring the Transient Universe (HTU) series to be held on 2026 March 23 - March 27 in Pasadena, CA at Caltech hosted by the RAPID Project Infrastructure Team. As we enter the era of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger surveys with rich but disparate datasets, there is a growing need to discuss the software infrastructure required to push the limits of time-domain science. Building on the legacy from the past decades of optical time-domain surveys, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has opened its eye to the dynamic sky and will unleash a wave of millions of alerts per night. High-energy space missions such as Fermi and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory are capturing the most energetic astrophysical explosions. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch no later than May 2027, is set to unveil the transient universe in the infrared (IR). New surveys on the horizon such as DSA-2000 and ULTRASAT will push our multi-wavelength survey coverage into the radio and near-UV. Now is therefore the ideal time to discuss the software infrastructure needed to pursue breakthrough science enabled by low-latency alerts, multi-wavelength/messenger discovery, machine learning, and science platforms / alert brokers / marshals.In this meeting, we will address the following key questions:

• What have we learned from existing alert streams and Rubin alerts?
  • Are we ready for alerts from Roman and beyond?
• How do we optimize transient discovery with multi-wavelength and multi-messenger alert streams?
• How do we effectively utilize machine learning for time-domain science?
• What physics of stellar explosions/eruptions/variability can be revealed with rapid, multi-wavelength/messenger observations?

The science topics in the meeting will focus on relativistic explosions, stellar variables, supermassive black hole transients, IR / “gap” transients, and supernovae.Registration and abstract submission are now open! Registration for the meeting is free. For more information, please visit the meeting website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwiring2026/

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Roman @ AAS 247 (Phoenix): Comprehensive Schedule Now Available

A comprehensive list of Roman-related presentations, including oral contributions and posters, can be found here. A summary is shown below.

Sunday

• Workshpo: Preparing for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Working in Roman's Cloud-based Science Platform: Sunday, Jan 04, 9am-5pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 221 C)
  
• Workshop: Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey Data Challenge: Sunday, Jan 04, 9am-5pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 224 A)

*It's not too late to add a workshop to you registration. Just log-in to AAS, find your registration, and add a workshop of your choice.

Monday

• Splinter Meeting: Roman Slitless Spectroscopy Data Challenge (Part 3 of 3) : Monday, Jan 05, 10am-12pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 131 A)
• Roman Town Hall: Monday Jan 05, 7:30-9:30pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 224 A)

Tuesday

• Splinter Meeting: Roman Space Telescope Proposal and Science Planning: Tuesday, Jan 06, 10am-12pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 121 B)
  
• Splinter Meeting: Resources for the Roman Cosmology, Exoplanet, and Time Domain Communities: Tuesday, Jan 06, 3-5pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 126 C)

Wednesday

• STScI Town Hall: Wednesday, Jan 07, 12:45-1:45pm (Phoenix Convention Center, 221 A)

Thursday

• Special Session: Preparing for Time Domain Science with the Roman Space Telescope: Thursday, Jan 08, 10am-11:30am (Phoenix Convention Center, 226 C)

Add to Your Calendar: Don’t miss all the great Roman programming at AAS 247, and great SWAG at the STScI, IPAC, and NASA booths. To keep track of Roman related programming at AAS, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar (must be logged in and signed up to the Roman Forum).

Splinter Meeting by the Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs): Resources for the Roman Space Telescope Communities

NASA's Roman Space Telescope has assembled five specialized Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs) to support the design and implementation of its Core Community Surveys. These teams are developing essential tools and scientific products that will empower the broader astronomical community to effectively analyze mission data and advance their research.

Don't Miss This Opportunity: Connect directly with each PIT team during our dedicated splinter session at AAS 247 -  Resources for the Roman Cosmology, Exoplanet, and Time Domain Communities

When: Tuesday, January 6th, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Where: Phoenix Convention Center, Room 126C
Focus: Roman Cosmology, Exoplanet, and Time Domain Communities

What You'll Gain:

• Overview of Roman PIT roles
• Understanding of available tools and resources
• Opportunity for Q&A with PIT members and developers
• Community networking

Participate Now:

• Learn more: Session Information
• Submit questions anonymously: Use Slido with passcode hb3opo
• Questions can be submitted in advance or during the session

We're excited to see you in Phoenix and support your Roman Space Telescope research endeavors! 

New Roman SOC Newsletter Dec. 2025

The Nancy Grace Roman Observatory is now fully integrated and tested at the Goddard Space Flight Center and is on track for launch in September 2026. The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals was published on December 10, 2025 with submission deadline in March 17, 2026. Meanwhile, the Science Operations Center is finalizing the data pipeline and building the infrastructure for large-scale data archiving. As the proposal deadline, launch, and start of operations approach, the Science Operations Center and Science Support Center have begun hosting a series of training webinars. These sessions introduce Roman users to tools designed to help scientists plan observations and analyze their data effectively.

Full Newsletter: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/news/roman/2025/roman-science-operations-center-newsletter-december

Expansive Views of the Milky Way: Roman’s Galactic Plane General Astrophysics Survey

The first General Astrophysics Survey for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has been fully defined through a community process: The Galactic Plane General Astrophysics Survey, a ~700 hour program, is expected to reach depths more than 10 times that of any previous infrared survey of the Milky Way’s disk plane, generate a catalog of approximately 20 billion sources, and measure proper motions for billions of stars.

It will enable investigations as varied as Galactic structure and dynamics, star formation, the interstellar medium, star clusters, evolved stars, low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, and the identification and characterization of compact binaries, free-floating planets, and eruptive and pulsating variables.

Full Article: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2025-volume-42-issue-02/expansive-views-of-the-milky-way-romans-galactic-plane-general-astrophysics-survey?utm_source=vol42_issue2&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=stsci_newsletter&utm_id=AAS-roman-hst34

What Can Roman Do for You? Explore Its Four Fully Defined Surveys

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is on track to launch ahead of schedule, now in September 2026 (~9 months from now), and Roman’s observing program is already taking shape. Four community-defined surveys are now fully defined and being readied for execution when Roman begins its science operations, which are anticipated to start in January 2027 based on a September launch. All of Roman’s data will be available freely and rapidly — there is no proprietary period.

Now is the time to investigate the suitability of Roman’s four community-defined surveys for your specific science interests. The first Call for Proposals is now open with a March 17, 2026 deadline. It includes opportunities to propose for funding and compute support for data analysis (including data from the community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and publicly accessible ancillary data directly relevant to Roman. It also provides the opportunity to propose new General Astrophysics Surveys, with associated funding and compute support.

The four community-defined surveys include three Core Community Surveys, which are designed to meet Roman’s science requirements while enabling broad astrophysical research, as well as one General Astrophysics Survey, Roman’s recently defined Galactic Plane Survey. General Astrophysics Surveys enable science investigations beyond those that can be accomplished with the Core Community Surveys. During Roman’s primary five-year mission, additional opportunities to propose for General Astrophysics Surveys are anticipated in Cycles 3 and 4.

Read an overview of the process of defining the three Core Community Surveys and a summary of the recommended implementations. Also take time to learn about the specifications and science opportunities for the Galactic Plane General Astrophysics Survey.

Full article: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2025-volume-42-issue-02/what-can-roman-do-for-you-explore-its-four-fully-defined-surveys?utm_source=vol42_issue2&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=stsci_newsletter&utm_id=AAS-roman-hst34

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Cycle 1 Call for Proposals is Open

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Project is pleased to announce that the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals opens today.  The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals marks the first opportunity to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with Roman’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI). 

Key Dates

• Call Opens: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

• Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time

How to Apply

• Read through the Call for Proposals: https://roman-docs.ipac.caltech.edu/roman-proposals-home/cycle-1-call-for-proposals  

• Submit proposal on the Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS):
  http://rtps-roman.ipac.caltech.edu/   

About the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals 

The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals invites investigators to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. All Roman data have no proprietary period, ensuring rapid community access to all observations. The Roman General Investigator program solicits proposals for funding and compute support for the analysis of Roman WFI data (including, but not limited to, Roman’s community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and analysis of publicly accessible ancillary data with direct relevance to the Roman mission. This solicitation also encompasses proposals for new General Astrophysics Survey (GAS) observations with WFI, with funding and compute support associated with their data analysis. In Cycle 1, up to six new GAS programs will be selected for a combined total of no more than 1200 hours of Roman observing time. Please check the Call for more details.

About the Community-Defined Surveys

Information on the High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), and Galactic Plane Survey are available on RDox. These surveys have been defined and recommended based on input from the astronomical community, enabling a broad range of astrophysical investigations. They are an integral part of the Roman mission and are expected to provide substantial scientific returns for all the investigators. Additional details on scheduling and availability of the data products can be found in the Call.

New RDox Documentation Now Available

A number of new pages have been published in RDox, the Roman online documentation ecosystem. Specific updates have been made to the:

• Data Handbook 
• Simulation Tools (including a new article on the Roman Background Visualization Tool) 
• WFI Imaging Mode User Guide updates coming very soon.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #6 (Roman Research Nexus: Data Analysis Workflow) on Tuesday, Jan 13 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #6 on the “Roman Research Nexus: Data Analysis Workflow” on Tuesday, Jan 13 at 1pm EST/10am PST. We will provide more details at a later date, but please note some important details below.

Previous Slides and Recordings: Material from previous webinars is available at our website.

Sign-Up For Future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Notifications: If you haven’t already, please sign up for our listserve to receive notifications, reminders, and Webex links by emailing: ROMANTRAINING-subscribe-request@maillist.stsci.edu 

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series webinars and other Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar. 

Join the Community: Please note, access to other calendars and pages are available to members of the Roman Forum and Roman Science Collaboration. If you haven’t had a chance, please consider joining today.

Thank you, and we look forward to “seeing” you on Thursday!

Registration and Abstract Submission Now Open: RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science (March 23 - 27, 2026)

A message from the conference organizers:

We are pleased to announce RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science, the next meeting in the Hot-wiring the Transient Universe (HTU) series to be held on 2026 March 23 - March 27 in Pasadena, CA at Caltech hosted by the RAPID Project Infrastructure Team. As we enter the era of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger surveys with rich but disparate datasets, there is a growing need to discuss the software infrastructure required to push the limits of time-domain science. Building on the legacy from the past decades of optical time-domain surveys, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has opened its eye to the dynamic sky and will unleash a wave of millions of alerts per night. High-energy space missions such as Fermi and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory are capturing the most energetic astrophysical explosions. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch no later than May 2027, is set to unveil the transient universe in the infrared (IR). New surveys on the horizon such as DSA-2000 and ULTRASAT will push our multi-wavelength survey coverage into the radio and near-UV. Now is therefore the ideal time to discuss the software infrastructure needed to pursue breakthrough science enabled by low-latency alerts, multi-wavelength/messenger discovery, machine learning, and science platforms / alert brokers / marshals.In this meeting, we will address the following key questions:

• What have we learned from existing alert streams and Rubin alerts?
  • Are we ready for alerts from Roman and beyond?
• How do we optimize transient discovery with multi-wavelength and multi-messenger alert streams?
• How do we effectively utilize machine learning for time-domain science?
• What physics of stellar explosions/eruptions/variability can be revealed with rapid, multi-wavelength/messenger observations?

The science topics in the meeting will focus on relativistic explosions, stellar variables, supermassive black hole transients, IR / “gap” transients, and supernovae.Registration and abstract submission are now open! Registration for the meeting is free. For more information, please visit the meeting website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwiring2026/

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

What a year everyone! We have much to celebrate and be thankful for...including a fully integrated observatory. Huzzah! As we barrel into the new year, there is plenty of new content, tools, and training to get you ready for Cycle 1 proposals and observations.

Roman @ AAS 247 (Phoenix): Schedule Now Online

The AAS block schedule has now been released. We have compiled a list of all Roman-related sessions (must be logged in and signed up to the Roman Forum).

There will be many of exciting sessions to engage and prepare as we ramp up for launch and Cycle 1. We look forward to seeing you there!

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of Roman related programming at AAS, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar (must be logged in and signed up to the Roman Forum).

In particular, please consider this special announcement from the Project Infrastructure Teams (PITS). See below.

Resources for the Roman Space Telescope Communities

NASA's Roman Space Telescope has assembled five specialized Project Infrastructure Teams (PITs) to support the design and implementation of its Core Community Surveys. These teams are developing essential tools and scientific products that will empower the broader astronomical community to effectively analyze mission data and advance their research.

Don't Miss This Opportunity: Connect directly with each PIT team during our dedicated splinter session at AAS 247 -  Resources for the Roman Cosmology, Exoplanet, and Time Domain Communities

When: Tuesday, January 6th, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Where: Phoenix Convention Center, Room 126C
Focus: Roman Cosmology, Exoplanet, and Time Domain Communities

What You'll Gain:

• • Overview of Roman PIT roles
  • Understanding of available tools and resources
  • Opportunity for Q&A with PIT members and developers
  • Community networking

Participate Now:

• • Learn more: Session Information
  • Submit questions anonymously: Use Slido with passcode hb3opo
  • Questions can be submitted in advance or during the session

We're excited to see you in Phoenix and support your Roman Space Telescope research endeavors! 

New Roman SOC Newsletter Dec. 2025

The Nancy Grace Roman Observatory is now fully integrated and tested at the Goddard Space Flight Center and is on track for launch in September 2026. The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals was published on December 10, 2025 with submission deadline in March 17, 2026. Meanwhile, the Science Operations Center is finalizing the data pipeline and building the infrastructure for large-scale data archiving. As the proposal deadline, launch, and start of operations approach, the Science Operations Center and Science Support Center have begun hosting a series of training webinars. These sessions introduce Roman users to tools designed to help scientists plan observations and analyze their data effectively.

Full Newsletter: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/news/roman/2025/roman-science-operations-center-newsletter-december

Expansive Views of the Milky Way: Roman’s Galactic Plane General Astrophysics Survey

The first General Astrophysics Survey for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has been fully defined through a community process: The Galactic Plane General Astrophysics Survey, a ~700 hour program, is expected to reach depths more than 10 times that of any previous infrared survey of the Milky Way’s disk plane, generate a catalog of approximately 20 billion sources, and measure proper motions for billions of stars.

It will enable investigations as varied as Galactic structure and dynamics, star formation, the interstellar medium, star clusters, evolved stars, low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, and the identification and characterization of compact binaries, free-floating planets, and eruptive and pulsating variables.

Full Article: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2025-volume-42-issue-02/expansive-views-of-the-milky-way-romans-galactic-plane-general-astrophysics-survey?utm_source=vol42_issue2&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=stsci_newsletter&utm_id=AAS-roman-hst34

What Can Roman Do for You? Explore Its Four Fully Defined Surveys

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is on track to launch ahead of schedule, now in September 2026 (~9 months from now), and Roman’s observing program is already taking shape. Four community-defined surveys are now fully defined and being readied for execution when Roman begins its science operations, which are anticipated to start in January 2027 based on a September launch. All of Roman’s data will be available freely and rapidly — there is no proprietary period.

Now is the time to investigate the suitability of Roman’s four community-defined surveys for your specific science interests. The first Call for Proposals is now open with a March 17, 2026 deadline. It includes opportunities to propose for funding and compute support for data analysis (including data from the community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and publicly accessible ancillary data directly relevant to Roman. It also provides the opportunity to propose new General Astrophysics Surveys, with associated funding and compute support.

The four community-defined surveys include three Core Community Surveys, which are designed to meet Roman’s science requirements while enabling broad astrophysical research, as well as one General Astrophysics Survey, Roman’s recently defined Galactic Plane Survey. General Astrophysics Surveys enable science investigations beyond those that can be accomplished with the Core Community Surveys. During Roman’s primary five-year mission, additional opportunities to propose for General Astrophysics Surveys are anticipated in Cycles 3 and 4.

Read an overview of the process of defining the three Core Community Surveys and a summary of the recommended implementations. Also take time to learn about the specifications and science opportunities for the Galactic Plane General Astrophysics Survey.

Full article: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2025-volume-42-issue-02/what-can-roman-do-for-you-explore-its-four-fully-defined-surveys?utm_source=vol42_issue2&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=stsci_newsletter&utm_id=AAS-roman-hst34

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Cycle 1 Call for Proposals is Open

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Project is pleased to announce that the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals opens today.  The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals marks the first opportunity to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with Roman’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI). 

Key Dates

• Call Opens: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

• Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time

How to Apply

• Read through the Call for Proposals: https://roman-docs.ipac.caltech.edu/roman-proposals-home/cycle-1-call-for-proposals  

• Submit proposal on the Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS):
  http://rtps-roman.ipac.caltech.edu/   

About the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals 

The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals invites investigators to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. All Roman data have no proprietary period, ensuring rapid community access to all observations. The Roman General Investigator program solicits proposals for funding and compute support for the analysis of Roman WFI data (including, but not limited to, Roman’s community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and analysis of publicly accessible ancillary data with direct relevance to the Roman mission. This solicitation also encompasses proposals for new General Astrophysics Survey (GAS) observations with WFI, with funding and compute support associated with their data analysis. In Cycle 1, up to six new GAS programs will be selected for a combined total of no more than 1200 hours of Roman observing time. Please check the Call for more details.

About the Community-Defined Surveys

Information on the High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), and Galactic Plane Survey are available on RDox. These surveys have been defined and recommended based on input from the astronomical community, enabling a broad range of astrophysical investigations. They are an integral part of the Roman mission and are expected to provide substantial scientific returns for all the investigators. Additional details on scheduling and availability of the data products can be found in the Call.

New RDox Documentation Now Available

A number of new pages have been published in RDox, the Roman online documentation ecosystem. Specific updates have been made to the:

• Data Handbook 
• Simulation Tools (including a new article on the Roman Background Visualization Tool) 
• WFI Imaging Mode User Guide updates coming very soon.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #6 (Roman Research Nexus: Data Analysis Workflow) on Tuesday, Jan 13 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #6 on the “Roman Research Nexus: Data Analysis Workflow” on Tuesday, Jan 13 at 1pm EST/10am PST. We will provide more details at a later date, but please note some important details below.

Previous Slides and Recordings: Material from previous webinars is available at our website.

Sign-Up For Future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Notifications: If you haven’t already, please sign up for our listserve to receive notifications, reminders, and Webex links by emailing: ROMANTRAINING-subscribe-request@maillist.stsci.edu 

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series webinars and other Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar. 

Join the Community: Please note, access to other calendars and pages are available to members of the Roman Forum and Roman Science Collaboration. If you haven’t had a chance, please consider joining today.

Thank you, and we look forward to “seeing” you on Thursday!

Registration and Abstract Submission Now Open: RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science (March 23 - 27, 2026)

A message from the conference organizers:

We are pleased to announce RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science, the next meeting in the Hot-wiring the Transient Universe (HTU) series to be held on 2026 March 23 - March 27 in Pasadena, CA at Caltech hosted by the RAPID Project Infrastructure Team. As we enter the era of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger surveys with rich but disparate datasets, there is a growing need to discuss the software infrastructure required to push the limits of time-domain science. Building on the legacy from the past decades of optical time-domain surveys, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has opened its eye to the dynamic sky and will unleash a wave of millions of alerts per night. High-energy space missions such as Fermi and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory are capturing the most energetic astrophysical explosions. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch no later than May 2027, is set to unveil the transient universe in the infrared (IR). New surveys on the horizon such as DSA-2000 and ULTRASAT will push our multi-wavelength survey coverage into the radio and near-UV. Now is therefore the ideal time to discuss the software infrastructure needed to pursue breakthrough science enabled by low-latency alerts, multi-wavelength/messenger discovery, machine learning, and science platforms / alert brokers / marshals.In this meeting, we will address the following key questions:

• What have we learned from existing alert streams and Rubin alerts?
  • Are we ready for alerts from Roman and beyond?
• How do we optimize transient discovery with multi-wavelength and multi-messenger alert streams?
• How do we effectively utilize machine learning for time-domain science?
• What physics of stellar explosions/eruptions/variability can be revealed with rapid, multi-wavelength/messenger observations?

The science topics in the meeting will focus on relativistic explosions, stellar variables, supermassive black hole transients, IR / “gap” transients, and supernovae.Registration and abstract submission are now open! Registration for the meeting is free. For more information, please visit the meeting website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwiring2026/

Don't Forget To Register for Roman Workshops During Registration for AAS 247 Phoenix, Arizona Jan 4-8

This will be the final AAS before Roman Cycle 1 proposals are due. Join the Roman mission to get ready! We will host a variety of educational and training opportunities.

• Three Workshops will be hosted on Sunday Jan 4 that require registration at the same time that you register for AAS. Don't forget to "add" during registration!
• A draft working schedule can currently be found here: https://outerspace.stsci.edu/x/sgAXF. Please be sure to submit any sessions not listed. 

The AAS247 regular registration is coming up fast — Friday, November 07! Don’t miss your chance to share your science.

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Cycle 1 Call for Proposals is Open

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Project is pleased to announce that the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals opens today.  The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals marks the first opportunity to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with Roman’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI). 

Key Dates

• Call Opens: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

• Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time

How to Apply

• Read through the Call for Proposals: https://roman-docs.ipac.caltech.edu/roman-proposals-home/cycle-1-call-for-proposals  

• Submit proposal on the Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS):
  http://rtps-roman.ipac.caltech.edu/   

About the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals 

The Cycle 1 Call for Proposals invites investigators to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. All Roman data have no proprietary period, ensuring rapid community access to all observations. The Roman General Investigator program solicits proposals for funding and compute support for the analysis of Roman WFI data (including, but not limited to, Roman’s community-defined surveys), theoretical or laboratory astrophysics research, and analysis of publicly accessible ancillary data with direct relevance to the Roman mission. This solicitation also encompasses proposals for new General Astrophysics Survey (GAS) observations with WFI, with funding and compute support associated with their data analysis. In Cycle 1, up to six new GAS programs will be selected for a combined total of no more than 1200 hours of Roman observing time. Please check the Call for more details.

About the Community-Defined Surveys

Information on the High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS), High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey (HLTDS), Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS), and Galactic Plane Survey are available on RDox. These surveys have been defined and recommended based on input from the astronomical community, enabling a broad range of astrophysical investigations. They are an integral part of the Roman mission and are expected to provide substantial scientific returns for all the investigators. Additional details on scheduling and availability of the data products can be found in the Call.

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #5 (Exposure Time Calculator (ETC)) on Thursday, Dec 18 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #5 on the “Exposure Time Calculator (ETC)” on Thursday Dec 18 at 1pm EST/10am PST. We provide some important details below.

Goals: This training will introduce Roman’s Exposure Time Calculator (ETC), which allows users to assess the feasibility of their proposed observations by simulating astronomical scenes and providing accurate estimates of signal-to-noise ratios, among other things. These capabilities are especially relevant for the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals, which will fund data analysis, theory, and a small number of new observing proposals. Participants will learn Roman-specific planning terminology and strategies, gain hands-on experience using ETC to examine the capabilities of their proposed observations, and explore the capabilities of the Roman Community Defined Surveys in greater depth.


What to expect: Each training session will last one hour and consist of a short demonstration (~20-25 minutes) with plenty of time for Q&A with Roman staff. For Webinar #5, our agenda will include:

• Introduction to ETC and the different ways to access it

• Roman ETC demo
  

Preparation: The training series is designed for users with all levels of experience. We will be providing a live, hands-on demo that can be viewed on its own. However, if a user wishes to actively follow along, the ETC is publicly available.

Connection Information: https://stsci.webex.com/stsci/j.php?MTID=ma9af34574b354cd9a25d2bdd307dd0f6

Previous Slides and Recordings: Material from previous webinars is available at our website.

Sign-Up For Future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Notifications: If you haven’t already, please sign up for our listserve to receive notifications, reminders, and Webex links by emailing: ROMANTRAINING-subscribe-request@maillist.stsci.edu 

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series webinars and other Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar. 

Join the Community: Please note, access to other calendars and pages are available to members of the Roman Forum and Roman Science Collaboration. If you haven’t had a chance, please consider joining today.

Thank you, and we look forward to “seeing” you on Thursday!

Mission Milestone Alert: NASA Completes Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Construction

NASA’s next big eye on the cosmos is now fully assembled. On Nov. 25, technicians joined the inner and outer portions of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in the largest clean room at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Full story and additional pictures and video: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/roman-space-telescope/nasa-completes-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-construction/?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=NASARoman&utm_campaign=NASASocial&linkId=885059256

Roman @ AAS 247 (Phoenix): Schedule Now Online

The AAS block schedule has now been released. We have compiled a list of all Roman-related sessions.

There will be many of exciting sessions to engage and prepare as we ramp up for launch and Cycle 1. We look forward to seeing you there!

Roman Galactic Plane Survey (GPS) Definition Committee Report Now on arXiv

The RGPS Definition Committee report is now available on arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.07494. 

Registration and Abstract Submission Now Open: RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science (March 23 - 27, 2026)

A message from the conference organizers:

We are pleased to announce RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science, the next meeting in the Hot-wiring the Transient Universe (HTU) series to be held on 2026 March 23 - March 27 in Pasadena, CA at Caltech hosted by the RAPID Project Infrastructure Team. As we enter the era of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger surveys with rich but disparate datasets, there is a growing need to discuss the software infrastructure required to push the limits of time-domain science. Building on the legacy from the past decades of optical time-domain surveys, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has opened its eye to the dynamic sky and will unleash a wave of millions of alerts per night. High-energy space missions such as Fermi and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory are capturing the most energetic astrophysical explosions. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch no later than May 2027, is set to unveil the transient universe in the infrared (IR). New surveys on the horizon such as DSA-2000 and ULTRASAT will push our multi-wavelength survey coverage into the radio and near-UV. Now is therefore the ideal time to discuss the software infrastructure needed to pursue breakthrough science enabled by low-latency alerts, multi-wavelength/messenger discovery, machine learning, and science platforms / alert brokers / marshals.In this meeting, we will address the following key questions:

• What have we learned from existing alert streams and Rubin alerts?
  • Are we ready for alerts from Roman and beyond?
• How do we optimize transient discovery with multi-wavelength and multi-messenger alert streams?
• How do we effectively utilize machine learning for time-domain science?
• What physics of stellar explosions/eruptions/variability can be revealed with rapid, multi-wavelength/messenger observations?

The science topics in the meeting will focus on relativistic explosions, stellar variables, supermassive black hole transients, IR / “gap” transients, and supernovae.Registration and abstract submission are now open! Registration for the meeting is free. For more information, please visit the meeting website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwiring2026/

Don't Forget To Register for Roman Workshops During Registration for AAS 247 Phoenix, Arizona Jan 4-8

This will be the final AAS before Roman Cycle 1 proposals are due. Join the Roman mission to get ready! We will host a variety of educational and training opportunities.

• Three Workshops will be hosted on Sunday Jan 4 that require registration at the same time that you register for AAS. Don't forget to "add" during registration!
• A draft working schedule can currently be found here: https://outerspace.stsci.edu/x/sgAXF. Please be sure to submit any sessions not listed. 

The AAS247 regular registration is coming up fast — Friday, November 07! Don’t miss your chance to share your science.

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.

Mission Milestone Alert: NASA Completes Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Construction

NASA’s next big eye on the cosmos is now fully assembled. On Nov. 25, technicians joined the inner and outer portions of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in the largest clean room at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Full story and additional pictures and video: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/roman-space-telescope/nasa-completes-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-construction/?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=NASARoman&utm_campaign=NASASocial&linkId=885059256

Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Webinar #4 (Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS)) on Tuesday, Dec 09 at 1pm EST/10am PST

We are ramping up for Webinar #4 on the “Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS)” on Tuesday Dec 09 at 1pm EST/10am PST. We provide some important details below. 

Goals: This training will introduce the Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS), a web interface that proposers will use to submit proposals to the Cycle 1 Call. Participants will be shown the elements of different proposal types - namely those aimed at seeking funding support for the analysis of Roman data, and those that request new observations.

What to expect: Each training session will last one hour and consist of a short demonstration (~20-25 minutes) with plenty of time for Q&A with Roman staff. For Webinar #4, our agenda will include:

• Introduction to RTPS and the upcoming proposal process

• RTPS demo

Preparation: The training series is designed for users with all levels of experience. We will be providing a live, hands-on demo that can be viewed on its own. However, if a user wishes to actively follow along, RTPS is publicly available.

Connection Information: https://stsci.webex.com/stsci/j.php?MTID=ma9af34574b354cd9a25d2bdd307dd0f6

Previous Slides and Recordings: Material from previous webinars is available at our website.

Sign-Up For Future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series Notifications: If you haven’t already, please sign up for our listserve to receive notifications, reminders, and Webex links by emailing: ROMANTRAINING-subscribe-request@maillist.stsci.edu 

Add to Your Calendar: To keep track of future Ready, Set, Roman! Training Series webinars and other Roman related events, please subscribe to our Roman Events Calendar. 

Join the Community: Please note, access to other calendars and pages are available to members of the Roman Forum and Roman Science Collaboration. If you haven’t had a chance, please consider joining today.

Roman @ AAS 247 (Phoenix): Schedule Now Online

The AAS block schedule has now been released. We have compiled a list of all Roman-related sessions.

There will be many of exciting sessions to engage and prepare as we ramp up for launch and Cycle 1. We look forward to seeing you there!

Roman Galactic Plane Survey (GPS) Definition Committee Report Now on arXiv

The RGPS Definition Committee report is now available on arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.07494. 

Registration and Abstract Submission Now Open: RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science (March 23 - 27, 2026)

A message from the conference organizers:

We are pleased to announce RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science, the next meeting in the Hot-wiring the Transient Universe (HTU) series to be held on 2026 March 23 - March 27 in Pasadena, CA at Caltech hosted by the RAPID Project Infrastructure Team. As we enter the era of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger surveys with rich but disparate datasets, there is a growing need to discuss the software infrastructure required to push the limits of time-domain science. Building on the legacy from the past decades of optical time-domain surveys, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has opened its eye to the dynamic sky and will unleash a wave of millions of alerts per night. High-energy space missions such as Fermi and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory are capturing the most energetic astrophysical explosions. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch no later than May 2027, is set to unveil the transient universe in the infrared (IR). New surveys on the horizon such as DSA-2000 and ULTRASAT will push our multi-wavelength survey coverage into the radio and near-UV. Now is therefore the ideal time to discuss the software infrastructure needed to pursue breakthrough science enabled by low-latency alerts, multi-wavelength/messenger discovery, machine learning, and science platforms / alert brokers / marshals.In this meeting, we will address the following key questions:

• What have we learned from existing alert streams and Rubin alerts?
  • Are we ready for alerts from Roman and beyond?
• How do we optimize transient discovery with multi-wavelength and multi-messenger alert streams?
• How do we effectively utilize machine learning for time-domain science?
• What physics of stellar explosions/eruptions/variability can be revealed with rapid, multi-wavelength/messenger observations?

The science topics in the meeting will focus on relativistic explosions, stellar variables, supermassive black hole transients, IR / “gap” transients, and supernovae.Registration and abstract submission are now open! Registration for the meeting is free. For more information, please visit the meeting website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwiring2026/

Don't Forget To Register for Roman Workshops During Registration for AAS 247 Phoenix, Arizona Jan 4-8

This will be the final AAS before Roman Cycle 1 proposals are due. Join the Roman mission to get ready! We will host a variety of educational and training opportunities.

• Three Workshops will be hosted on Sunday Jan 4 that require registration at the same time that you register for AAS. Don't forget to "add" during registration!
• A draft working schedule can currently be found here: https://outerspace.stsci.edu/x/sgAXF. Please be sure to submit any sessions not listed. 

The AAS247 regular registration is coming up fast — Friday, November 07! Don’t miss your chance to share your science.

Have Something to Share or Promote? Submit Your Own Announcement

Roman is a community mission. To that end, we encourage you to share and submit your own announcements in our weekly newsletter. Please submit any request here.

Stay Connected and Up To Date

Excited about all the progress with Roman? Want to stay in the know? Now is the time to join the Roman community.

Follow us on social media @NancyRomanSci on Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you are already part of the Roman community, please consider subscribing to our calendar to stay up to date, joining one of the new working groups, and contributing to Roman participation in AAS.