I am often struck when I attend meetings of the AAS by just how many of the research results depend at least in part on data from NOAO facilities. I am equally struck, however, by how rarely use of these facilities is acknowledged.
I can cite two recent examples. The first is a cover story in Nature that was based in large part on data obtained at KPNO. I was just about to send copies to the NSF astronomy division so that they could show the article to their colleagues in the Foundation when I realized that the required footnote acknowledging the use of NSF facilities was missing. As a result, I never called attention to what could have been very good publicity for NSF-funded astronomy. As another example, two recent review talks at the AAS were based in substantial part on discoveries at CTIO. Prior to the talk, I gave 50-50 odds that CTIO would not even be mentioned. My odds were just right. One talk mentioned CTIO; the other did not.
In this era of increased competition for funds, it is important that the staff in the funding agencies, our colleagues, and the general public be more aware of the contribution that both NSF and the national facilities make to advances in astronomy. It is also a legal requirement imposed by NSF that their support of the facilities used be acknowledged in published papers.
So here is the reminder. Visiting astronomers must, according to our cooperative agreement with the NSF, include the following footnote to the observer's name on the title page:
"Based on observations obtained at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (or whatever the appropriate observatory actually is) a division of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation."
We also suggest that you try to give credit to the NSF in press releases. Since press releases are always rewritten, and pedestrian details about who runs the observatory are often dropped, we suggest that in the body of the text you write something like the following:
"....have discovered.....using observations from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, near Tucson, Arizona."
For images, an accompanying statement below the image that simply says "National Optical Astronomy Observatories/National Science Foundation" or even "NOAO/NSF" is sufficient. More details about acknowledgements of images can be found on the NOAO web pages in the Image Gallery section.
Other suggestions for press releases are contained in the "yes" letters sent to successful proposers. We are also ready to work with your university on joint press releases. Contact Suzanne Jacoby if you have ideas for a press release.
Sidney C. Wolff