In 1999 NOAO began a new program to support major survey programs of up to five years duration on telescopes at the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, the Kitt Peak National Observatory, and, when available, the Gemini, MMT and HET Observatories. Up to 20% of the observing time available through NOAO may be allocated to Survey Programs. Survey proposals will be solicited annually as part of the March proposal cycle.
A Survey Program is a significant observational program which:
• Addresses novel, well-focused scientific goals;
• Enables scientific programs requiring large, statistically complete, and homogeneous data;
• Provides a basis for planning more detailed follow-up studies;
• Enables extensive archival research; and
• Represents a significant enhancement over existing surveys.
Survey programs must make processed data available to the community within 12 months of the first pipeline processing, and representatives from each survey team will also be expected to attend an Annual Open Meeting held in conjunction with the January AAS meeting to present science results and progress reports to the community.
As part of the March 1999 proposal round, NOAO received 21 proposals for major survey programs. These proposals were peer-reviewed by a Survey Panel chaired by S. Strom. Five programs were recommended for scheduling:
To apply for the 2000 Survey Program, investigators must submit a Letter of Intent by e-mail to surveys@noao.edu no later than 31 January 2000. Check the NOAO Web page for Survey Proposals for detailed instructions on the required content of the letter of intent. Proposals are due 15 March 2000. Proposers may obtain detailed proposal information and forms on the web.
Todd Boroson, Steve Strom