This booklet provides general information about those policies and programs that most directly affect NOAO and NSO employees. In general all information pertains to any staff members on the payroll of NOAO or related entities paid through the NOAO Central Administrative Services. However, some locations may have differing policies and procedures specific to the location. The details of the policies or programs are described in the AURA Policies and Procedures Manual, insurance or benefit plan documents and contracts, or other documents as applicable. An AURA Policies and Procedures Manual is available online. Benefits summaries and plan documents are available in the NOAO human resources office, located in Tucson. Questions about any of the policies or programs described here should be addressed to the NOAO Human Resources Manager.

This booklet is used to provide guidance only and is updated and otherwise modified on a continual basis. Comments and suggestions to improve this booklet are encouraged since a free exchange of information is vital to our efforts to make this an even better place to work.

This booklet provides guidance to all NOAO and NSO employees in our various locations; however, interpretation of the policies and procedures may be affected by the circumstances of a specific location. This booklet does not pertain to the local Chilean staff at NOAO-South – and does apply to expatriate hires (on the U.S. payroll) at NOAO-South.

No statement of policy or practice contained in this book is intended as a contractual commitment to any employee or group of employees. AURA and NOAO or NSO reserve the right at any time to change or cease any or all of the policies contained here or to take actions that may be contrary to a policy or practice described here.

AURA Policies and Procedures Manual

Employee information is available on the AURA corporate web site. This site can be found on the Web at http://www.aura-astronomy.org. Clicking on the menu item “AURAnet” will access information for internal use, including an online copy of AURA policies and procedures.

Who We Are & What We Do

The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) is an internationally recognized research center in optical and infrared astronomy. Our mission is to support, facilitate, and advance discoveries in astronomy. Key to this mission is the operation of world-class telescope facilities, continuing research and development, and promoting the public understanding and support for astronomy and related sciences.

NOAO and NSO operate world-class telescope facilities for the nation’s astronomers at three location: Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) near Tucson, AZ; Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) near La Serena, Chile; and the National Solar Observatory (NSO) with facilities on Kitt Peak and in Sunspot, NM. The fourth NOAO division, the NOAO-Gemini Science Center (NGSC), provides scientific support for astronomers using the pair of twin 8-meter Gemini telescopes in Mauna Kea, HI and Cerro Pachon, Chile.

Astronomers come from all over the world to do research at NOAO and NSO facilities. Scientists conduct research in astronomy at all sites, and work with technical staff to plan, test, and develop new observing technologies and innovative telescope instruments on behalf of U.S. astronomers. We also foster partnerships with outside universities and research institutions to develop the breakthrough telescopes of the future.

NOAO promotes public understanding and support for astronomy, physics, and related sciences through a vigorous program of public information, media relations, and outreach. This includes major educational initiatives designed to make astronomy and science more accessible to U.S. teachers, schoolchildren, college students, and the general public.

NOAO and NSO are part of AURA, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. AURA views itself as acting on behalf of the science communities that are served by its Centers, and as trustees and advocates for the Centers' missions. The members of AURA include 30 US institutions and six international affiliates. AURA’s current membership consists of Australian National University, Boston University, California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. for Astrophysics, Indiana University, Iowa State University, Johns Hopkins University, Leiden University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, New Mexico State University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Princeton University, Rutgers University, SUNY - Stony Brook, Universidad de Chile, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, University of Arizona, University of California, University of Chicago, University of Colorado, University of Florida, University of Hawaii, University of Illinois, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , University of Texas at Austin, University of Virginia, University of Washington, University of Wisconsin, and Yale University.

Formed in 1957, AURA manages NOAO under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.Other AURA centers include the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, National Solar Observatory, Gemini Observatory and the New Initiatives Office. A board of directors elected from the association’s membership sets policy for AURA and its centers. The president of AURA through a small corporate office located in Washington, DC manages AURA’s executive and administrative affairs. In 1997 AURA commemorated its 40^th anniversary with the production of videotape celebrating its history and proclaiming its vision for the future of astronomical research. This videotape is available in the NOAO library. AURA’s corporate organization and mission are further described at http://www.aura-astronomy.org/.

Kitt Peak National Observatory maintains the world's largest concentration of optical telescopes. These include KPNO's Mayall 4-meter and 2.1-meter Telescopes. KPNO also operates the 3.5-meter WIYN telescope on behalf of the WIYN Consortium comprising the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University, and NOAO. WIYN also operates a 0.9-meter telescope, on which KPNO users get a share of the time. Also on Kitt Peak are: the National Solar Observatory's McMath-Pierce Telescope complex and Kitt Peak Vacuum Telescope; the University of Arizona's 2.3-meter, 0.9-meter, 1.8-meter optical telescopes and 12-meter millimeter-wave telescope; the MDM Observatory, a collaboration of Michigan, Dartmouth, Columbia, and the Ohio State Universities running two telescopes, the McGraw-Hill 1.3-meter, and the Hiltner 2.4-meter; the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's 25-meter Very Long Baseline Array dish; Edgar O. Smith's Calypso 1.3-meter; the RCT Observatory 1.3-m run by Western Kentucky University, Boston University, and South Carolina State University; the Wisconsin H-alpha Mapper (WHAM); Case-Western Reserve's Burrell-Schmidt 0.6-meter; the MIT/NASA Explosive Transit Camera and Rapid Moving Telescopes, and the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy's (SARA) 0.9-meter telescope.

NSO telescopes on Kitt Peak include the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope facility, which is the world’s largest solar telescope (1.6-meter main and two 0.9-meter auxiliaries, as well as a 70-cm Vacuum Telescope). The McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope is uniquely capable of panchromatic, flux-limiting studies of the Sun. It is the only telescope in the world on which investigations in the relatively unexplored infrared domain beyond 2.5 microns are routinely accomplished. These characteristics have led to a number of important discoveries concerning the nature of the solar atmosphere and its pervasive magnetic fields. Adaptation of a low-order adaptive optics system for diffraction-limited imaging in the infrared has been initiated. A large-format infrared array camera system for advanced imaging and spectroscopy applications is being implemented.

NSO also operates telescopes at Sacramento Peak, NM, located 50 miles southeast of Alamogordo, at an elevation of 9,200 feet in an area of excellent observing conditions. The principal observing instruments of NSO at Sacramento Peak are the Dunn Solar Telescope and the Evans Solar Facility. The 0.76-meter Dunn Solar Telescope was designed to provide the sharpest possible image of small solar details. The Evans Solar Facility contains a 0.4-meter coronagraph that permits coronal observations, a 0.4-meter telescope, and a coelostat. The Observatory also operates a number of specialized instruments to measure magnetic and velocity fields in the solar atmosphere and monitor sunspots, flares, and other daily activity on the Sun’s surface.

NSO is working with the solar physics community to develop the next generation solar telescope that will enable observations of fundamental astrophysical processes at their intrinsic scales. This major new ground-based facility for solar physics is the 4-m Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST). When coupled with adaptive optics, the ATST will be capable of breaking the 0.1-arcsec barrier in the visible and provide the resolution needed to analyze the fundamental structures of solar magnetic fields. Achieving high temporal and spectral resolution simultaneously with the necessary data quality requires a high photon flux, which, in turn, requires a large-aperture telescope (~ 4-m), even for the Sun. Critical diagnostics of the solar magnetic field in the low chromosphere and the corona reside in the thermal infrared, thereby adding a requirement for an all-reflective telescope with low-scattering optics.

NSO/Tucson is also the headquarters of the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG), an international, community-based project which is conducting a detailed study of the internal structure and dynamics of the Sun by means of helioseismology—the measurement of resonating acoustic waves that penetrate throughout the solar interior—using a six-station, world-circling network that provides nearly continuous observations of the Sun’s “five-minute” oscillations, or pulsations. The GONG stations are hosted by, and operate in close collaboration with, major international astronomical facilities: the New Jersey Institute of Technology's Big Bear Solar Observatory in California, the High Altitude Observatory's site on Mauna Loa in Hawaii, the IPS Radio and Space Services’ Learmonth Solar Observatory in Western Australia, the Physical Research Laboratory's Udaipur Solar Observatory in India, the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias' Observatorio del Teide on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. The network averages around 90% coverage, and at this level, it is possible to reliably "fill in" the few remaining gaps and have essentially complete data. GONG has also established a major, distributed data reduction and analysis system, located at NSO/Tucson, to facilitate the coordinated scientific investigation of these measurements. The existing 256 rectangular-pixel cameras were replaced with 1,024 square pixel devices in 2001. This upgrade, known as GONG+, is scheduled to operate for a full eleven-year solar cycle, producing continuous magnetograms in addition to the helioseismic data and science.

Development of CTIO began in 1963 after extensive tests to select a site in the Southern Hemisphere for observation of those parts of the sky not seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The observatory headquarters is located in La Serena, Chile, a pleasant coastal city about 300 miles north of Santiago. Facilities at La Serena include instrument laboratories, administrative offices, and housing for expatriate employees and official visitors on a campus shared with Gemini South. Additional living quarters are located at the observing site. Observing facilities are located on Cerro Tololo (a 90-minute drive from La Serena) and include the Blanco 4-meter, 1.5-meter, and 0.9-meter telescopes. NOAO is a partner in the international YALO consortium, which operates a 1-meter telescope on loan from Yale University. "Tenant" facilities on Cerro Tololo include the 2MASS 1.3m telescope, the University of Michigan 0.6-meter Curtis Schmidt telescope, a 0.6-meter telescope originally installed by the Lowell Observatory of Flagstaff, AZ and an astrometric survey facility operated for the United States Naval Observatory. More details can be found at http://www.ctio.noao.edu. NOAO is also a partner in the 4.2m SOAR optical/infrared telescope (http://www.soartelescope.org,) currently being constructed on Cerro Pachon, close to the 8-m Gemini South facility and a 30-minute drive from Cerro Tololo. Pachon, Tololo and La Serena are connected to each other by a wide-band (OC-3) communications link. As at Kitt Peak, facilities on Cerro Tololo are used by visiting scientists for at least sixty percent of available observing time, with the remainder available for use by staff members and/or for engineering upgrades and tests.

NGSC is the NOAO-Gemini Science Center, and is the liaison between the U.S. astronomical community and the Gemini 8-Meter Telescopes Project, an international collaboration to operate two 8-meter telescopes—one on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, the second on Cerro Pachon, near Cerro Tololo in Chile. NGSC is concerned with representing our national scientific and technical interests in the design and operation of these telescopes. The program represents NOAO's commitment to provide leadership and access to advanced technology for the nation's astronomers.

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EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

Equal Opportunity in Employment

NOAO and NSO prohibit discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, color, age, religion, national origin, lawful political affiliations, veteran status, or mental or physical disability. This policy extends from consideration for hire through all aspects of employment, including termination. Employees will be treated fairly and with respect.

Additionally, we take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment members of protected classes. A copy of our affirmative action plan is available on the Central Administrative Services section of the NOAO intranet, and from the human resources office in Tucson. The Center Human Resources Manager is designated as the EEO/AA Program Manager. In Arizona, NOAO and NSO maintain the policy to grant preference in employment to Native Americans living on or near the Tohono O’Odham Nation, as agreed by the National Science Foundation and the Tohono O’Odham Nation in a lease agreement dating back to 1958.

Recruitment and Employment

Open positions are publicized a minimum of 5 days. Such publication shall include listing in the recruitment notice and on the employment opportunities web page. For positions in Arizona, the recruitment notice will be shared with the Tribal Employment Rights Office for a minimum of 3 days prior to filling the vacancy. Additional advertisement for positions may be required depending on the position, and must be coordinated through the human resources Office. The human resources office is to be a party to all decisions regarding qualifications, rate of pay, etc.

If staff members from other AURA Centers, or affiliated observatories are under consideration for open positions with NOAO or NSO, the Center Director of the other observatory will be contacted (normally through Human Resources networks), to notify them of our interest in their staff member.

Conditions of Employment

All new hires working in the United States must comply with the attestation and verification requirements of the Immigration and Control Act of 1986. Employees must show evidence that they are authorized to work in the United States within three days of the hire date, or they will not be allowed to work until documentation is provided.

In general, no definite duration is implied by employment. Continued employment is subject to satisfactory job performance and to the availability of funds and work. Certain Scientific Staff appointments may include specified contractual terms, and are more completely detailed in the AURA policy and procedure manual (policy B-I).

Staff Reassignments

Staff members may be reassigned between departments to meet changes in funding, workloads, or requirements. Reassignments will be at the convenience of the Center; however consideration will be given to the employee’s wishes when possible. Those reassignments creating a vacancy will not become effective until a replacement has been selected, or by mutual approval of the supervisors involved. Reassignments will not result in increased pay except in cases of bona fide promotions or where the new position utilizes training or experience not required by the former position. After reassignment, an employee has no rights to return to the former position.

Scientific Staff Appointments

Scientific Staff include appointments with Tenure, Tenure-Track and Scientific Track (non-tenure parallel) term appointments, Distinguished Research Scholar, Emeritus Status, Non-Resident Staff, Guest Investigators and Visiting Scientists, etc. There are specific contractual terms and programs associated with these various appointments, and the Human Resources Office or the AURA policy manual (policy B-I) should be referenced for more information.

Personnel Classifications and Definitions

Employees are classified as either exempt or non-exempt according to the type of work performed. Exempt personnel include scientific staff, engineering, managerial, and other professionals who qualify for this classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). They are paid a fixed salary which covers all time worked during the pay period. Non-exempt personnel do not meet the exemption tests under the FLSA. They are paid on a salaried or hourly basis and receive compensation for all hours worked, including overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per workweek.

Employees are also defined as regular or temporary; and full-time, part-time or seasonal. Regular full-time employees work a minimum of 40 hours per week and, unless otherwise stated, have no definite limit to their contemplated term of service. They may participate in all benefit plans and may be classified as either exempt or non-exempt.

Regular part-time employees work less than the standard full-time workweek and, unless otherwise stated, have no definite limit to their contemplated term of service. Regular part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week may participate in benefit plans on a proportionate basis according to the number of hours worked, and by paying a portion of certain insurance premiums.

Temporary staff may work full-time or part-time and are hired to meet a specific workload or complete a project of limited duration. Normally, employment in this status will not exceed six months without approval of the Center Director or designee. Additionally, employees may be hired in a seasonal status to work intermittently on temporary projects. Temporary and seasonal employees are eligible for only very limited benefits.

Relocation of Employees

Employees recruited from or transferred to locations beyond a 50-mile radius of the Center may receive one-way travel and relocation expenses, contingent on available funds. Some relocation costs paid by the organization are considered taxable income and appropriate tax withholding is performed in conjunction with a regularly scheduled pay period in the year in which the relocation expenses are paid.

Within the U.S., travel allowance for a private automobile will be paid at the currently authorized rate for no more than two vehicles between the point of origin and the city in which the center is located, by the most direct route. Alternately, and for international moves, NOAO or NSO will pay one-way air coach fare for the employee and dependents.

For international moves, NOAO or NSO will not relocate automobiles. Meals and lodging en route will be reimbursed as substantiated by receipts. Up to 30 days lodging, inclusive of any lodging previously reimbursed during the recruitment or transfer process, may be allowed after arrival.

Moving of household goods may include packing and unpacking, and may be arranged by the Center upon approval of the Center Director or a designee. For international moves, weights will be limited to 7,000 pounds for an individual or 11,000 pounds for a family. An additional shipment will be allowed by airfreight of up to 250 pounds for an individual or up to 500 pounds for a family. In addition, NOAO or NSO will pay for movement of authorized household goods into and out of a warehouse and for up to 30 day’s storage. Insurance not provided in base moving rate schedules may be obtained at the employee's expense.

Moves to NOAO-South are covered by a separate policy (available in the AURA policy and procedures manual) and are coordinated through the Procurement Office in Tucson.

Visa and Permanent Resident Sponsorship

NOAO and NSO seek to hire the most suitable job candidate without regard to national origin or citizenship, as long as the selected individual is authorized to work in the United States. Where deemed necessary, we will facilitate securing an appropriate employer-sponsored work authorization visa or permanent resident alien designation.

All offers of employment to candidates requiring work authorization are contingent on the attainment of the required work authorization. The organization will normally utilize the AURA Exchange Visitor Program to obtain a J-visa for the employee and appropriate travel visas for the employee’s authorized family members. Authorized family members are normally limited to the employee’s spouse and dependent children to age 21. As appropriate, other types of visas may also be sought. The hiring department will pay reasonable attorney fees and INS fees for work authorization visas as a recruitment expense.

When deemed in the best interest of NOAO or NSO, an employment–based permanent resident alien petition may be supported. In such cases, we require the employee benefiting from such petition to sign a letter of intent to remain employed with NOAO or NSO for a minimum of 24 months following receipt of the permanent resident alien card, or to reimburse NOAO for any funds expended on the employee’s behalf if the letter of intent is not fulfilled. Please see the human resources office in Tucson for a complete copy of this policy.

Employment Records

Personnel records and information from them are treated as confidential.