The science program of the SLS will be carried out by a SLS Science Consortium (SLS-SC) gathering over 100 scientists from 10+ countries (see Science Team). The SLS-SC includes in particular a strong French and Canadian core team, illustrating the fruitful collaborative expertise built up over the last few decades of shared observing effort at CFHT, but also involves more recent CFHT partners such as Brazil and Taiwan. It also includes a small number of experts from the non-CFHT countries Switzerland and Portugal, as a return for (and in proportion to) their active involvement in the design and construction of SPIRou. A potential participation from IfA/UH to the SLS is currently being investigated.

Altogether, more than 30 research institutes (e.g., IRAP/OMP/UPS, IPAG/OSUG/UJF, LAM/Pythéas/AMU, IAP, LESIA/OP, SAp/AIM/CEA, LERMA/OP, IAS, LUTH/OP, IMCCE/OP, LATMOS/IPSL, LUPM, ENS, UTINAM and OCA in France; UdeM, NRC, UVic, UofT, UWO, RMC, BU, McMaster, McGill, York Univ and UBC in Canada; LNA, UFRN, UFMG and USP in Brazil; ASIAA in Taiwan; CFHT in Hawaii) are already part of the SLS-SC, with additional contributions from Switzerland (OG at Université de Genève) and Portugal (CAUP at Universidade do Porto). Persons from the CFHT community (from countries/institutes investing cash, manpower and/or observing nights into SPIRou and/or the SLS) and interested in joining the SLS-SC will be welcome to do so at any time.

Practically speaking, we propose that all members of the SLS-SC have equal access to the raw and processed SLS data provided they formally agree to comply with the SLS Data Access and Publication Policies (SLS-DA and SLS-PP) and to thereby become Registered Users (SLS-RUs). The number of SLS-RUs from non-CFHT partners (Switzerland and Portugal) is limited to a maximum of 10 (6 from OG and 4 from CAUP), reflecting their financial & manpower investment in the design & construction of SPIRou. Should an existing CFHT partner decide to quit CFHT, the number of SLS-RUs from this partner to the SLS-SC will also be limited in proportion to its contribution to SPIRou.

The first SPIRou science meeting, held in Paris on 2014 September 22-25 and gathering ~70 participants, provided numerous opportunities of extended discussions with the community at large on the organization and coordination of the SLS-SC. Further similar events will take place regularly in the future, at a typical yearly rate when involving the whole community and at a more frequent pace for more focussed subgroups, to ensure that the SLS-SC is optimally prepared to efficiently carry-out the SLS when SPIRou starts to operate in 2017.