Dear Div D Members

I am forwarding below and in attachment an announcement from the James Craig Watson Award Committee, which I believe will be of interest to our Division.
With best regards
Elena Pian
IAU Div D Secretary


Announcement from the US National Academies of Science/James Craig Watson Award Committee:

Dear Colleague,

We write to ask your participation in the identification of outstanding candidates for the 2016 James
Craig Watson Medal. The Watson Medal is awarded biennially to recognize major contributions to the
science of astronomy. The recipient is awarded a gold-plated bronze medal, a $25,000 prize plus an
additional $50,000 to a nonprofit research institution selected by the recipient for the promotion of
astronomical science. Additional information, including past recipients, can be found at:
http://www.nasonline.org/programs/awards/james-craig-watson-medal.html.

Nominations will be accepted until 11:59pm Eastern, Thursday, October 1, 2015. Nominations must be
submitted via the online nomination form at https://awards.nasonline.org/ and must include the
following:

1. A letter from the nominator describing the candidate's work and why he or she should be selected for
the award.
2. Curriculum vitae. No more than 2 pages.
3. Bibliography listing no more than 12 of the nominee’s most significant publications.
4. Letters of support. Two (2) letters are required.
- Support letters must be written by individuals from institutions outside both the nominator
and the nominee’s institution.
- Members of the selection committee may not author support letters.
5. A suggested citation

Who may nominate:
NAS membership is not required to submit a nomination.
Self-nominations are not accepted.

Who may be nominated:
NAS membership is not required to be nominated.
Nominees of all nationalities are eligible, based either in the USA or at international institutions.

Please help spread the word that the nomination process is underway.

Sincerely,

The James Craig Watson Medal Selection Committee:

Victoria M. Kaspi (Chair), McGill University
John E. Carlstrom, University of Chicago
Neil Gehrels, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Andrea M. Ghez, University of California, Los Angeles
Fiona A. Harrison, California Institute of Technology
Chryssa Kouveliotou, George Washington University
David N. Spergel, Princeton University

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Dr. Elena Pian
Associate Astronomer
INAF, Institute of Space Astrophysics and Cosmic Physics, via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
and
Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
e-mail: elena.pian@sns.it
tel.: +39-050-509711
fax: +39-050-563513

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Attachments:

• Call_for_Nominations_James_Craig_Watso