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A New CTIO Observing Proposal Form (1Sep94)
(from CTIO, NOAO Newsletter No. 39, 1 September 1994)

CTIO has converted its electronic observing proposal system to one that is a
near-duplicate of the system introduced at KPNO last semester. Instructions
for retrieval and submission of the new form are given below. As this form is
being introduced somewhat at the last minute, we will accept proposals on the
old form (and if e-mailed, to the old ctiosked e-mail address) for this
semester only. We have run tests on the system, and it all seems to work.
Nevertheless, we encourage proposers to follow two basic precautions:

1) Print your proposal out before you send it in. If it comes out looking
terrible it won't look any better when we print it out here, and we are  not
going to be able to fix it up for you. We will work (within our  limitations)
to properly print out proposals that print out OK for you  but not for us. In
this regard, please exercise restraint in modifying  the form! If you don't
know for sure what you are doing, don't do it.

2) If you try anything ambitious in the way of figures, please don't wait
until the last day to e-mail your proposal. First of all, if there are
incompatibility problems, we may need time to work them out. Second, our
e-mail link to the US is a satellite link that is normally good for about  4
kbytes/sec. You can work out for yourself the consequences of a horde  of
people trying to send megabytes of text on the same day.

We provide the observing proposal instructions below, which are also sent you
electronically when you request the new form, and a blank copy of the new
form. (Included at the back of this Newsletter.) If you don't want to submit
by e-mail, this can be filled out by typewriter.

Any questions about the new form or procedures can be sent to me
(jelias@noao.edu) or to ctioprop-help@noao.edu.

                        Additional Procedure Changes

We are also making two additional changes in the way we handle proposals. The
first, which we effectively implemented some time ago, is to provide
acknowledgment of receipt by e-mail rather than by regular mail. We will send
acknowledgment by regular mail - to the principal investigator - only in
those cases where e-mail acknowledgement is not possible. Second, the letters
granting and not granting time, together with the supplementary information,
will be sent only to the principal investigator. It will be the PI's
responsibility to advise the collaborators of the fate of the proposal, and
to ensure that the visitor questionnaires and travel information are returned
on time to CTIO.

Jay Elias

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