[ASA] Extension of Australia's Magellan access

[Australian Gemini Office]

The Australian Gemini Office is pleased to be able to announce that the 
Carnegie Institution for Science and Astronomy Australia Limited (AAL) 
have signed an agreement to continue Australian access to fifteen nights 
per year on the Magellan telescopes until Semester 2017B.

AAL secured funding in August 2013 from the Australian Government’s 
NCRIS-2013 programme to support astronomical research infrastructure, 
including continued Australian access to large overseas optical 
telescopes. AAL consulted with the Australian astronomical community via 
its Optical Telescopes Advisory Committee who recommended that AAL 
invest NCRIS-2013 funds to maintain access to the Magellan telescopes. 
That advice was consistent with the high demand (mean over-subscription 
since 2007 ~3.5) by Australian astronomers to use the Magellan 
telescopes. AAL would like to thank the Australian Government for their 
continued support of research infrastructure via the highly-successful 
National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).

The next call for Magellan proposals in Semester 2014B will be issued in 
early March.


Stuart Ryder (AusGO) and Yeshe Fenner (AAL)


P.S. Don't forget the deadline for submitting content to the new Gemini 
Data Reduction User Forum (http://drforum.gemini.edu/), in order to be 
eligible for the Director’s Discretionary Time prizes, is February 28 2014.