Dr. Thomas R. Metcalf was widely respected for his work in the observation, analysis, and interpretation of solar magnetic fields, as well as solar flare hard x-ray imaging and energetics. A patient mentor, Tom helped establish an undergraduate summer research program in Boulder, Colorado, and he expertly advised post-docs and graduate students through the years. He was a prolific researcher who has been described as "one of the nicest guys in science." Dr. Metcalf passed away in July, 2007 at the age of 45.
In consultation with Dr. Metcalf's family, the Solar Physics Division (SPD) has established the Thomas Metcalf SPD Travel Fund. The fund helps support newer members' expenses for attending meetings relevant to solar physics.
2023 Thomas Metcalf SPD Travel Awards – Call for Applications from Meeting Organizers
Posted by Maria D. Kazachenko | January 24 2023 | General
The Solar Physics Division (SPD) hereby announces the Thomas Metcalf SPD Travel Award Program for 2023. The Thomas Metcalf Travel Fund was established in 2007 with generous contributions from his family and many others to help early-career scientists attend meetings relevant to solar physics. For this year, two or three meetings will be selected by the Metcalf Travel Award Committee (MTAC) on the basis of brief applications from Meeting Organizers. The total amount available this year is expected to be about $10,000.
Organizers of meetings relevant to solar physics taking place before 1 April 2024 are encouraged to submit an application to Maria Kazachenko (maria.kazachenko@colorado.edu) for consideration by the full MTAC. Applications should be no more than three pages, and must be received by 1 April 2023. Check the application guidelines for additional details.
Briefly, the procedure is as follows. First, an application is submitted by Meeting Organizers to the MTAC. If selected, Meeting Organizers will then seek out qualified early-career scientists who can make a significant contribution to their meeting. Awardees (hereafter, Metcalf Lecturers) will be chosen by Meeting Organizers based on their potential for future contributions to the field of solar physics and relevance to the topic of the meeting. Prospective Metcalf Lecturers should apply directly to the Meeting Organizers, and not to the MTAC. The MTAC, however, will verify the eligibility of each awardee.
Metcalf Lecturers for 2023 must have received their Ph.D. no earlier than January 2019 or be a student within one year of completing their Ph.D. Awardees must be a member of the SPD (affiliate membership is OK) and not already have been a Metcalf Lecturer previously. Awardees must present their work at the meeting, and after the meeting they must submit a one-page report describing their contribution. Grants are provided directly to the Metcalf Lecturers by the Treasurer of the SPD upon receipt of their report by the MTAC.
For additional information about the program, please visit the program website (https://spd.aas.org/prizes/metcalf), consult the program rules (https://spd.aas.org/sites/spd.aas.org/files/MetcalfRules_General.pdf), or contact Maria Kazachenko (maria.kazachenko@colorado.edu).
Metcalf Travel Award Committee for 2023: Maria Kazachenko, Michael Kirk, Andrés Muñoz-Jaramillo, Lucas Tarr
January 2021: Generous Contributions to the Metcalf Travel Award Fund
Dear SPD members,
I would like to bring to your attention recent good news within our solar community.
About ten years ago, thanks to a major contribution from the Metcalf family, the SPD established the Thomas Metcalf Travel Award to support travel expenses of younger scientists to meetings relevant to solar physics. It was not expected that the funds would last more than 10-15 years. However, last year the SPD created a committee to explore extending the program. The committee adopted the goal of funding the program in perpetuity. Two large contributions have gotten the fund a good way toward this goal. Tom Metcalf’s parents, Fred and Marilyn, generously contributed $50K. Their contribution was generously matched by the Committee of the SPD. In the coming year the MTA Extension Committee will engage in fund raising to expand the endowment to allow the number of awards to better meet the demand. We look forward to celebrating this wonderful news in person as soon as circumstances permit.
Stay safe and happy new year!
Maria Kazachenko
Chair, SPD Metcalf Travel Award Committee
More Information about the Metcalf Lecturer Program
Metcalf Lecturer Reports
Click names for PDF reports on papers presented and brief bios
- Teia Mihăilescu, "Wave Driven Evolution of Plasma Composition in an Active Region", Waves and Instabilities in the Solar Atmosphere Meeting Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK (20-23 June 2023)
- Seray Sahin, Hinode-15/IRIS-12 Multi-messenger physics of the solar atmosphere, Prague, Czech Republic, 19-23 September, 2022
- Gabriel Dima, 9th Solar Polarization Workshop, Göttingen, Germany, 26-30 August 2019
- Francisco Iglesias, 9th Solar Polarization Workshop, Göttingen, Germany, 26-30 August 2019
- Feng Chen, Hinode-13/IPELS2019, Tokyo, Japan, 2-6 September 2019
- Georgios Chintzoglou, Hinode-13/IPELS2019, Tokyo, Japan, 2-6 September 2019
- Abigail Azari, Machine Learning in Heliophysics, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 16-20 September 2019
- Graham Kerr, IRIS-10, Bangalore, India, 4-8 November 2019
- Sophie Musset, IRIS-10, Bangalore, India, 4-8 November 2019
- Akiko Tei, IRIS-10, Bangalore, India, 4-8 November 2019
- Clara Froment, Hinode 12 - The Many Suns, Grenada, Spain, 10-13 September
- Milan Gosic, Hinode 12 - The Many Suns, Grenada, Spain, 10-13 September
- Will Barnes, SDO 2018: Catalyzing Solar Connections, Ghent, Belgium, 29 October - 2 November 2018
- Karin Dissauer, SDO 2018: Catalyzing Solar Connections, Ghent, Belgium, 29 October - 2 November 2018
- Srimoyee Samaddar, SDO 2018: Catalyzing Solar Connections, Ghent, Belgium, 29 October - 2 November 2018
- Nancy Narang, Joint Hinode-11/IRIS-8 Science Meeting, Seattle, WA, 30 May - 2 June 2017.
- Johannes Loehner-Boettcher, High Resolution Solar Physics: Past, Present, Future, Sunspot, NM, 6-11 August
- Tom Schad, High Resolution Solar Physics: Past, Present, Future, Sunspot, NM, 6-11 August
- Illa Losada, IAUS 327: Fine Structure and Dynamics of the Solar Atmosphere, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, 9-14 Oct, 2016
- Nick Nelson, IAUS 327: Fine Structure and Dynamics of the Solar Atmosphere, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, 9-14 Oct, 2016
- Jack Carlyle, SDO 2016: Unraveling the Sun's Complexity, Burlington, VT, 17-21 Oct., 2016
- Christina Kay, SDO 2016: Unraveling the Sun's Complexity, Burlington, VT, 17-21 Oct., 2016
- Ying Li, SDO 2016: Unraveling the Sun's Complexity, Burlington, VT, 17-21 Oct., 2016
- Michael Kirk, IAUS 328: Living Around Active Stars, Maresias, Brazil, 17-21 Oct., 2016
- Ricky Egeland, IAUS 328: Living Around Active Stars, Maresias, Brazil, 17-21 Oct., 2016
- Bidya Karak, Solar Dynamo Frontiers Workshop, Boulder, CO, 2015 June 9–12
- Maria Weber, Flux Emergence Workshop, Boulder, CO, 2015 June 15–19
- Adam Kowalski, Hinode 9 International Science Meeting, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 2015 September 14–19
- Adam Kobelski, LWS/SDO/Hinode/IRIS/Van Allen Probes Workshop, Portland OR, 2014 November
- Sarah Jaeggli, IAU Symposium 305, Polarimetry: From the Sun to Stars and Stellar Environments, Punta Leona, Costa Rica, 2015 November 30–December 5
- Lucas Tarr, IAU Symposium 305, Polarimetry: From the Sun to Stars and Stellar Environments, Punta Leona, Costa Rica, 2015 November 30–December 5
Contribute to the Metcalf Travel Fund
Donations to the fund may be made electronically to the Thomas Metcalf SPD Travel Fund or sent to the headquarters of the American Astronomical Society at the following address:
Thomas Metcalf SPD Travel Fund
American Astronomical Society
1667 K Street NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20006, USA