Submitting Observing Proposals By the Web

You can now prepare and submit observing proposals by the Web, starting with this observing period. We hope our users will find the new Web version easier and faster to use than delving into a LaTeX template.

LaTeX is still used to format proposals submitted through the Web. Information provided on the Web forms is used to construct a LaTeX proposal, using the same LaTeX template and style files that you would use for submitting a proposal by email. LaTeX symbols and math mode are thus acceptable input. Proposals submitted through the Web will therefore produce similarly formatted paper copies for review by the Telescope Allocation Committee.

Each proposal has a unique identification name for your proposal and password supplied by you to protect it. Each time that you log on to work on your proposal you may retrieve what you have already done by typing in the id/password associated with the proposal. You can share your id/password with collaborators so you can work jointly on the same proposal. The Web proposal form has many features:

• All proposal information entered is stored locally at NOAO and can be accessed at any time by supplying the correct id/password.

• You can duplicate proposals already prepared using the Web to make a new copy. Thus you can send similar proposals to KPNO and CTIO without having to reenter redundant information. You can also resubmit a similar proposal each observing period without having to start over each time.

• Options are available to run LaTeX and dvips on the proposal - LaTeX errors are reported back in a format that allows you easily to find them on the form so they can be fixed.

• There is a spell checker for the essay-type fields of the proposal.

• There is a "check proposal" option that checks the information that has been entered and tells you what is missing.

• The PostScript version of your proposal can be viewed to be sure the proposal looks the way you expect it to appear.

• Options are available to have both the LaTeX and PostScript versions of the proposal emailed back to you.

• Encapsulated PostScript figure files can be "attached" to your proposal through your Netscape browser--the figures are then formatted to appear at the end of the Justification section of the proposal. Up to three EPS files are allowed.

• The essay-type sections of the proposal may also be provided by means of "attached" files through your Netscape browser or you may enter this information directly on the form.

The Web forms work best under Netscape 2.0 or later although they can probably be used with Internet Explorer if you do not need the "file attachment" option to prepare your proposal. If you have figures (up to three) to include with your proposal you will need to use Netscape since figures must be "attached;" they can not be submitted separately.

If you cannot submit your observing proposal using the Web form because of some problem with your figures, you can still use the Web form to prepare your proposal, have the LaTeX version emailed back to you, and then, after modifying the LaTeX file to include your figures, submit your proposal by email to the standard address noaoprop-submit@noao.edu.

Web-based proposal form:
     http://www.noao.edu/noaoprop/

FTP archive for LaTeX files:
     ftp.noao.edu, cd noaoprop

Email address for automatic retrieval of necessary LaTeX files to 
prepare a proposal:
     noaoprop-request@noao.edu

Address for submitting your LaTeX proposal by email:
     noaoprop-submit@noao.edu

Help from a person for proposal preparation:
     noaoprop-help@noao.edu

Site-specific questions related to an observing run:
     ctio@noao.edu and kpno@noao.edu

Email address for thesis and visitor instrument letters:
     noaoprop-letter@noao.edu

Caty Pilachowski, Jeannette Barnes,
Dave Bell, Ron Probst