[ASA] 2021A Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) Call for Proposals

Tue Aug 18 16:44:48 AEST 2020

2021A Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) Call for Proposals

The main proposal deadline for the AAT in Semester 2021A (1 February 2021 – 31 July 2021) is:

18 September 2020, at 17:00

Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC + 10 hrs)

Proposals to the Australian Time Allocation Committee (ATAC) must follow the ATAC Policies and Procedures <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/hqOiCk81N9tMK7WjC2tNyM?domain=astronomyaustralia.org.au>  and be submitted before the deadline using the Lens proposal form (https://www.aao.gov.au/lens/ <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/CeYdClx1NjiBVyn8F9JL53?domain=protect-au.mimecast.com> ).

Applying for AAT Telescope Time through ATAC

Australian proposals may seek either Open Time or Paid Time on the AAT. A proposal is Australian if at least half of the proposers and the lead proposer are based at Australian institutions. Open Time is only available to Australian proposals. There is no charge to Australian astronomers for the use of Open Time. Paid Time is available to both Australian and non-Australian proposals. Non-Australian proposals can only access Paid Time, not Open Time. Inquiries regarding the terms and conditions for AAT Paid Time can be made to Astronomy Australia Limited (info - at - astronomyaustralia.org.au <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/xGnZCmO5glumgZJ3iByLoN?domain=protect-au.mimecast.com> ).

ATAC will rank all Open Time proposals by scientific merit, and time will be allocated on this basis (subject to practical constraints) until the available Open Time is fully allocated. More details are available in the ATAC Policies and Procedures document <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/hqOiCk81N9tMK7WjC2tNyM?domain=astronomyaustralia.org.au> . 

Important information: COVID-19 pandemic update

We anticipate that all astronomers will need to observe remotely using one of the remote observing stations or from home. The latter is restricted to experienced observers and requires a good internet connection. Exceptions to observe in person from SSO will be granted on a case-by-case basis. Any changes to this policy will be advertised on  <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/8efBCnx1jniJPzO2hZVJqR?domain=aat.anu.edu.au> the AAT web pages.

Important information: AAT is operated by a consortium of Australian universities 

Since 1 July 2018, AAT operations have been managed and funded through a consortium of Australian universities, led by the Australian National University (ANU). Operating procedures for AAT observations following the transition have changed little, with the exceptions that successful applicants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs to the observatory and will have more limited expert assistance on site.  

Important information: proposal preparation

- Time available for new proposals: accounting for existing Large Programs, Director’s time and instrument commissioning, there are expected to be at least 77 nights available for new proposals in Semester 21A (37 dark, 36 grey, 4 bright).

- Due to the reduction in expert assistance at the telescope, proposers are required to describe the relevant experience and expertise of the team with the instrument(s) being applied for. Observers are encouraged to liaise with the Observatory staff sufficiently in advance of their run to gain such training as is needed for their run.

- The current Large AAT Program, the DEVILS survey, has been allocated 9.5 dark nights at certain RAs. New programs with targets outside of these RAs are more likely to be scheduled. The RA information for Large AAT Programs is available at https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/LNWNCoV1kpf7gMqRSOd0Px?domain=aat.anu.edu.au <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/tlogCp81lrtjVGMWh2uGPA?domain=protect-au.mimecast.com> . Please note that GALAH Phase 2 Large Program has been allocated 50 bright nights in this semester.

- Based upon historical weather trends, about 33% of time is lost to bad weather. Proposers are therefore required to multiply their time requirement by a factor of 1.5 to allow for time lost to weather.

Important information: anonymous-double blind review trial

The AAT Consortium places a high value on equity and integrity and it commenced a trial of an implementation of the dual-anonymous proposal review process for regular proposals in 2020B. The trial will continue in 2021A. In this process, the identities of the proposing team are concealed from reviewers. The goal is to enable reviewers to focus on the science, not the scientist. Several studies have shown that a reviewer's attitude toward a submission may be affected, even unconsciously, by the identity of the lead author or principal investigator (see the Anonymous-Double Blind Review Annotated Bibliography <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/ehQeCq71mwfpED03SqH4TB?domain=stsci.edu> ). Proposers are required to anonymise their proposals following the guidelines below. Sufficient care should be used, especially if resubmitting a proposal from a previous cycle or other submission. Lead investigators should avoid directly disclosing their identity in the science or technical justification sections. 

The names and affiliations will not be included in the proposals generated for the ATAC reviews.

Anonymity Guidelines for Proposers. 

These guidelines will help conceal the identities of the proposers and ensure a fairer proposal evaluation process. 

1.       Do not include author names or affiliations anywhere in the proposal text. This includes but is not limited to, page headers, footers, diagrams, figures, or watermarks. This does not include references to past work, which should be included whenever relevant (see below).

2.       Referencing is an essential part of demonstrating knowledge of the field and progress. When citing references within the proposal, use third person neutral wording. This especially applies to self-referencing. For example, replace phrases like “as we have shown in our previous work (Doe et al. 2010)” with “as Doe et al. (2010) showed...” Do not refer to previous projects using AAT or other observatories in an identifying fashion. For instance, rather than write "we observed another cluster, similar to the one we are proposing under AAT program #XXXXX," instead write "AAT program #XXXXX has observed this target in the past..."

3.       We encourage references to published work, including work citable by a DOI. It may be occasionally important to cite exclusive access datasets or non-public software that may reveal (or strongly imply) the investigators on the proposal. We suggest proposers use language like "obtained in private communication" or "from private consultation" when referring to such potentially revealing work.

4.       Do not include acknowledgements, or the source of any grant funding. 

Examples of re-worked text can be found on the The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) website <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/0xnZCr81nyt5kpVYSQt8NT?domain=outerspace.stsci.edu> . 

A strict compliance with these guidelines is required. Feedback on these changes are welcome and should be sent to the ATAC Technical Secretary (aat - at - astronomyaustralia.org.au <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/xGnZCmO5glumgZJ3iByLoN?domain=protect-au.mimecast.com> ).

Important information: instrument availability and upgrades

·         Available AAT instruments include: 2dF+AAOmega, 2dF+HERMES and KOALA. Additionally, Veloce will be offered on a shared-risk basis. Veloce will be provisionally accepted by the Observatory before semester 2021A starts, at which point the Observatory will review the shared-risk status.

          Target of Opportunity mode is available with 2dF+AAOmega, 2dF+HERMES and KOALA. The Target of Opportunity policy is available at https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/SkxYCvl1rKiDYGN5IwSTD1?domain=aat.anu.edu.au <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/B2n-CwV1vMfDq78mIlvDA8?domain=protect-au.mimecast.com> 

          Additional instrumentation status information is available at https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/zTlxCxngwOf27yMVixrOOc?domain=aat.anu.edu.au <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/eQQgCyojxQTl8gXwUgp1U5?domain=protect-au.mimecast.com> . Note that AAOmega will be unavailable during May, June and July 2021 due to maintenance of its cryostats. 

Lens proposal submission system

All proposals should be submitted with the AAT's online application system Lens <https://www.aao.gov.au/lens/home> , which will open on the day this call is made. This system is a user account based system, which allows for improved security and better tracking of past and current proposals. There is a FAQ <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/GVgzCzvkyVC0k3gZSxrBcK?domain=aao.gov.au>  available for Lens online, or available via the FAQ tab in Lens itself.

All new users must register (https://www.aao.gov.au/lens/register <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/ql7-CANpgjCvwg6XsnXuYq?domain=protect-au.mimecast.com> ) with the system.

Note that users cannot be added to proposals if they are not registered in Lens. Please ensure that all investigators on a proposal have registered well before the deadline!

For any queries or comments, please email: lens - at - aao.gov.au <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/JCm_CBNqjlCgw16riEgycO?domain=protect-au.mimecast.com> 

Remote observing

All observations are now done remotely due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Observers who are not experienced with their requested instrument may need to find additional help or prior training, which may require eavesdropping on other observations that use the same instrument. If a visit to the Observatory is required, it has to be approved by the RSAA Director.

Remote observing stations are available at ANU, ICRAR, Swinburne, UNSW, USQ, UQ and Australian Astronomical Optics (North Ryde). The Observatory is open to help establish new remote observing stations. 

How to Apply for AAT Time

Instrument status and policies

All ATAC applicants should check the latest version of  ATAC Policies and Procedures <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/hqOiCk81N9tMK7WjC2tNyM?domain=astronomyaustralia.org.au> , the latest Instrumentation Status for the AAT <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/zTlxCxngwOf27yMVixrOOc?domain=aat.anu.edu.au>  and recent Policy Announcements <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/AL2NCD1vlpTRE1vzuEMWiR?domain=aat.anu.edu.au> . Those seeking long term status should refer to the Long-term Programs <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/g6VXCE8wmrtQvm92foSUq_?domain=aat.anu.edu.au>  page. For further clarification on any issue, please contact the ATAC Technical Secretary (aat - at - astronomyaustralia.org.au <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/xGnZCmO5glumgZJ3iByLoN?domain=protect-au.mimecast.com> ).

Proposal content

Full technical details, outlining how you derived your time estimates, observing constraints, and any special requests should be included in the scientific case (preferably under a separate section heading). 

Important: Proposers should demonstrate that their team has the skills and experience with the required observing modes to effectively conduct the proposed observations. Please include this information under a separate heading “Team Expertise and Background”. Note the ATAC will conduct their pre-grading without access to this section. Once the ranked list is set, the ATAC will be given access to the "Team Expertise and Background" information associated with each proposal recommended for implementation. At this point, proposals may only be flagged for downgrade (resulting in a non-selection of the proposal), if a team is clearly unqualified to undertake the work proposed.

Proposals should be written so that the content and significance is understandable by astronomers with different backgrounds. Proposals should also be written using the Anonymity Guidelines.

If your proposal seeks time on two instruments, outline carefully the relative requirements of the different instrument set-ups, including the split in observing time between the instruments.

If the observations are essential to the completion of a student's PhD thesis, then a full explanation must be given in the science case. No special consideration is given to proposals involving PhD students, except when attempting to schedule proposals near the scientific ranking cut-off, when some priority may be given.

After including overheads (detector readout, calibrations and telescope slewing), observers are required to multiply their time request by 1.5 to account for bad weather.

A list of the principal targets (field centres for 2dF programs) should be prepared as a separate PDF document. The target list should contain target name, RA (h m s), Dec (d m s), target brightness, and priority. There is a 2-page limit for this target list PDF file. Other document formats will not be accepted. 

If feasible, please provide a list of backup targets that can be observed in the weather conditions that are worse than required for the principal targets. Any backup project must use the same instrument as the main project. More information on backup considerations can be found in Guidelines for AAT Observers <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/bQ7yCGv0oyCVDmYRtNi9Y7?domain=aat.anu.edu.au> .

Proposal submission details

Prepare your main proposal offline, including an abstract, target list, science case, and technical justification. The science case and technical justification together should be in PDF format, no more than three pages total, with two pages for the science case and one page for technical justification. Those three pages should include all references and figures, use 11pt font (or larger), and have at least 10mm margins. Numerical referencing should be used (e.g. “as shown by [1]…”, instead of “as shown by Smith et al. (2017)” ). Colour figures are accepted. Other document formats will not be accepted.

Submitting your proposal

When your proposal details are ready, submit your application to ATAC through Lens, the AAT's online proposal submission system. As noted above, this is a user-account-based system and all investigators on a proposal must be registered.

Acknowledgements

The AAT Consortium requests all publications based upon data obtained through the AAT include the following acknowledgement:

Based [in part] on data obtained at Siding Spring Observatory [via program XXX]. We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which the AAT stands, the Gamilaraay people, and pay our respects to elders past and present.

New Opportunity: Guaranteed time on GSAOI/Gemini South in 2021A

The NGS2 is a new, more sensitive Tip-Tilt Wavefront Sensor for the Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics systems (GeMS) that was constructed at ANU for the Gemini-South 8m telescope.  NGS2 allows the use of guide stars up to at least one magnitude fainter than the current system, significantly extending the number of astronomical objects that can be studied at high angular resolution with GeMS.  The NGS2 system also reduces target acquisition overheads increasing the efficiency of science programs.  The system was successfully commissioned in October 2019.  

Part of the agreement with Gemini for the NGS2 project is that there are to be 7 nights of guaranteed time with GSAOI+NGS2 available for the Australian community. There will be 4 nights available in 2021A. This time will be allocated by ATAC. The Call for Gemini Proposal for observations with this system will be released in September 2020.

Contacting the ATAC Secretariat

Postal Address:

PO Box 2100

Hawthorn VIC 3122

E-mail: aat - at - astronomyaustralia.org.au <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/xGnZCmO5glumgZJ3iByLoN?domain=protect-au.mimecast.com> 

Web: www.astronomyaustralia.org.au/aat.html <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/G-4qCJyBrGf76RrvS9rhLC?domain=protect-au.mimecast.com> 

Dr Lucyna Kedziora-Chudczer
Program Manager

Astronomy Australia Ltd (Sydney Office)
E: lucyna.chudczer at astronomyaustralia.org.au <mailto:lucyna.chudczer at astronomyaustralia.org.au>  
W:  <https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/UI4ICK1DvKTjXlENhOxIsS?domain=astronomyaustralia.org.au> https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/UI4ICK1DvKTjXlENhOxIsS?domain=astronomyaustralia.org.au/

AAL is committed to equity and diversity and endeavours to create an environment in which every individual is treated with dignity and respect.

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