Membership criteria

To be an institute member, Western faculty members must self-identify as a researcher that:

• Conducts research in one or more of the main research domains of the institute and support problem- and team-based research in these research themes by contributing to the Interdisciplinary Research Competencies of the institute.
• Holds current status within the university in a research eligable capacity.

Faculty members of the institute are expected to:

• • List the institute as an affiliation in addition to their home department in all research contributions related to the institute research themes.
  • Engage in the promotion of the Institute (e.g., by highlighting their involvement in the Institute, by engaging through social media, giving public talks, conducting outreach activities, etc.);
  • Provide the institute with an annual report to be used for the purpose of reporting overall group metrics, and to support funding applications for the Institute;
  • Participate, or be willing to participate, in:
    • Supervising graduate students in research related to the institute, and if appropriate and applicable, in the Collaborative Specialization in Planetary Science and Exploration
    • The weekly institute research forum and other institute events such as the Distinguished Lecture Series, Space Day, etc.
    • The annual institute retreat
    • Institute-focused workshops (attend, organize and/or facilitate)
    • Transdisciplinary collaborative research and large applications for major funding (e.g., New Frontiers in Research Fund, CFI, NSERC CREATE, etc.)

  Membership will be reviewed every 3 years by the institute’s Research Advisory Council (RAC). Faculty will be expected to demonstrate an appropriate level of participation to maintain membership in the Institute.

Becoming a Faculty member of the institute means that you will benefit from the following:

• Promotion and Enhancement of Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research: Through its various activities, the institute provides opportunities for networking and the establishment of new collaborations, career development, seed funding for new research projects, and logistical support for major grant and contract applications, and project management support to administer such grants and contracts.
• Promotion and Recruitment of Graduate Programs: On behalf of all faculty members, the institute conducts graduate student recruitment at conferences and events, and through our website and social media platforms. The institute also administers the Collaborative Specialization in Planetary Science and Exploration and provides grants and funding support for graduate student members of the institute.
• Promotion and Support for Communications: The institute provides opportunities, support, and training for faculty members in the area of communications, social media, knowledge translation, and acts as a liaison with Western Media Relations for announcements and events related to activities by institute faculty members.

If you meet the criteria as listed above, please send your CV to westernspace@uwo.ca. Also include a brief statement of your interests as they relate to the main research themes of the institute. For more information please contact westernspace@uwo.ca.

To be an institute member, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, postdoctoral associates, and research staff, must self-identify as a researcher that:

• Conducts research in one or more of the main research domains of the institute and support problem- and team-based research in these research themes by contributing to the four Interdisciplinary Research Competencies of the institute.

Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, postdoctoral associates, and research staff members of the institute are expected to:

• List the institute as an affiliation in addition to their home department in all research contributions related to the institute research themes.
• Engage in the promotion of the institute (e.g., by highlighting their involvement in the institute, by engaging through social media, giving public talks, conducting outreach activities, etc.
• The weekly institute research forum and other institute events such as the Distinguished Lecture Series, Space Day, etc.
• Provide the institute with an with an annual report on academic, outreach and career development activities to be used for the purposes of reporting overall group metrics, and to support funding applications for the institute.

Membership will be reviewed every 3 years by the institute’s executive council. Graduate students, postdocs, and staff will be expected to demonstrate an appropriate level of participation to maintain membership in the institute.

Becoming a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral associate, or research staff member of the institute means that you will benefit from the following:

• Opportunities to Participate in Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research and Training: Through its various activities, the institute provides opportunities for networking and to participate in interdisciplinary collaborative research activities under the supervision of Institute faculty members. The institute also offers opportunities for graduate students to get involved in interdisciplinary and team-based projects.
• Support and Subsidies for Courses and Conferences: The institute administers the Collaborative Specialization in Planetary Science and Exploration and provides funding support (e.g., subsidized field courses, conference travel grants- Student Travel Awards ) for graduate student members of the institute.
• Promotion and Support for Communications: The institute provides opportunities, support, and training for graduate student members in the area of communications, social media, knowledge translation, and acts as a liaison with Western Media Relations for announcements and events related to activities by institute members.

If you meet the criteria as listed above, complete this Registration Form.

We welcome participation of undergraduate students in all institute activities! While there is no mechanism for undergraduate students to become formal institute members, there are many ways to get involved!

For undergraduate students wishing to take a degree in a topic or topics related to the institute, the participating departments offer various degree programs. There is also a Minor in Planetary Science and Space Exploration offered by the Department of Earth Sciences that the institute directly supports.

The institute also offers opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved in interdisciplinary and team-based projects.

Many institute faculty hire undergraduate students for summer research experiences, so please check out our faculty members and reach out to them for opportunities.