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Mid-Scale Projects. Vernon Pankonin Team Leader. Mid-Scale Projects Programmatic Characteristics. Historical Perspective 2005--2010. Not a formal funding program. Collection of proposals and projects needing an administrative home.
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Mid-ScaleProjects Vernon Pankonin Team Leader
Mid-Scale ProjectsProgrammatic Characteristics Historical Perspective 2005--2010 • Not a formal funding program. • Collection of proposals and projects needing an administrative home. • Proposals & projects that are much larger in cost and more complex than an Individual Investigator Grant. • Proposals & projects require more attention in review and in post-award. • Projects usually involve a collaboration of institutions. • Projects cover a wide range of topics and techniques. • PI does not submit a proposal directly to this program. • AST assigns proposals to Program Officer on a case-by-case basis. • Budget of program line is not fixed. There are no “free” funds in the budget to support new projects as projects end. • Projects are supported on a case-by-case basis; with funding from Division level in AST. • Projects are often supported jointly with other MPS Divisions, other NSF Directorates, and other agencies. • Funded as projects with defined duration; no long term operations. • COV-AST2008 recommended against a program solicitation.
Current Projects Under Mid-Scale Rubric Mid-Scale Projects • VERITAS -- Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System • V. Pankonin • ACT and ACTPol -- Atacama Cosmology Telescope • R. Barvainis • SDSS-III-- Sloan Digital Sky Survey III • V. Pankonin • MWA -- Murchison Widefield Array • V. Pankonin • QUIET -- Q/U Imaging ExperimenT • V. Pankonin • POLARBeaR -- POLARization of the Background Radiation • R. Barvainis • DES -- Dark Energy Survey • N. Sharp • VAO – Virtual Astronomical Observatory • N. Sharp Design & Development (D&D) or Technology Development (TDP) • LSST -- Large Synoptic Survey Telescope • C. Foltz • GSMT -- Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope • C. Foltz • SKA -- Square Kilometre Array • R. Barvainis
Program Officer Management & Oversight • Review of proposal includes ad hoc reviews and panel meeting (reverse site visit). • Longer dwell time before funding is available • May be significant revisions to budgets and project plan. • Funding instrument often a Cooperative Agreement. • Project Execution Plans are required. • Program Officer Project Oversight Group in post award. • Quarterly or semi-annual reports. • Annual reports at physical meeting. • Conducts interim reviews as needed. • Attendance at collaboration meetings. • Projects sited around the globe.
Prime Challenge to create Mid-Scale Innovations Program as recommended by Astro2010 The Goal: To evolve the ad hoc collection of projects, as represented by the current portfolio, into a coordinated programmatic framework that can be managed to fulfill a community need. Can reprogram some current funding, but need new money to really get Program going. First opportunity for new money is FY 2013.
Implementation is under study • Questions to be answered. • Should there be a general mid-scale solicitation? • Should there be targeted solicitations? How often? • How should a budget for a program and/or a solicitation be set? • For how long should AST support operations?