2008 NVO Summer School: Now accepting applications!

[Roy Williams]

We are pleased to invite you to consider the NVO Summer School.
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* 4th NVO Summer School - Sponsored by the US National Virtual 
Observatory Project
to be held September 3-11, 2008
The Lodge at Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico

* WEBSITE NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS
www.us-vo.org/summer-school/2008

In this nine-day, hands-on program, participants will work with 
experienced NVO users and software specialists to become familiar with
how to discover, access, visualize, and analyze data with the Virtual 
Observatory. Those attending will be introduced to VO tools and
utilities by using them to accomplish a variety of research goals. Some 
of the research tasks that will be addressed include data 
mining,multiwavelength analysis, and temporal astronomy. In the latter 
part of the summer school, small teams will pursue their own VO-enabled 
projects.

* Important Dates
June 15: Deadline for applications
July 1: Applicants informed of acceptance
August 1: Registration fee due

* Lecture Topics Include
Using the VO to Study Clusters of Galaxies
The Power of VOTables
Introduction to XML
A Universal View of Spectra
VOEvent: Rapid Reporting for Transients
Using IDL & IRAF with VO
Finding Services in the VO Registry
Google Mashups and WorldWide Telescope
Databases and SQL
Astronomy with Crossmatched Catalogs
VO for Mobile Devices
Web Services with Apache and CherryPy
Join the VO: Publishing and Serving Data

* How to Apply
An application form is available on the website. Anyone interested in 
learning how to use the VO for astronomical research is welcome to
apply, and we encourage participation from astronomers at any stage of 
their career. Some course materials assume basic knowledge of Python or 
Java programming. Applications will be reviewed and students will be 
informed of their acceptance by July 1. Participation is limited to 40
students.

* Fees & Financial Assistance
A $500 registration fee will be required from all participants. However, 
a fee waiver may be requested in the event of financial hardship; these 
waivers will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Upon acceptance to the 
program, fees must be paid by August 1. Accomodations are provided for 
all participants. In addition, a travel stipend of up to $400 and 
per-diem stipend of $225 are available for successful applicants from US 
institutions who can commit to attending the entire course and who do 
not have funds available to cover these expenses.

* Faculty and Organizing Committee
Roy Williams, Caltech; Michael Fitzpatrick, NOAO; Dave De Young, NOAO; 
Matthew Graham, Caltech; Gretchen Greene, STScI; Robert Hanisch, STScI; 
Simon Krughoff, University of Washington; Thomas McGlynn, NASA GSFC; 
Chris Miller, NOAO; Ray Plante, NCSA/University of Illinois; Doug Tody, 
NRAO.

QUESTIONS? Email summer-school at us-vo.org

The NVO Summer School is made possible through the support of the 
National Science Foundation.