Proposal and Observation Handling

1. Proposal and Observation Handling Ravi Sankrit (User Support Scientist) SSSC May 11, 2011

2. Flights GI Phase II TAC Review Proposal Call Open Phase II to Flights Before CfP User Support Activities: Timeline SSSC May 11, 2011

3. Before CfP 1. Update information on the Science website. 2. Prepare documents, such as the Observers’ Handbook. SSSC May 11, 2011

4. Proposal Call Open 1. Respond to proposers’ queries about SOFIA capabilities, use of Data Cycle System (DCS) tools, and procedures for submitting proposals. 2. Based on these queries, and on other findings, work with the DCS group to fix software and enhance capabilities to help users. 3. Keep the webpages and documentation up to date based on instrument characterization, software development and other ongoing project activities. SSSC May 11, 2011

5. Basic Science: Proposal Submission Rate SSSC May 11, 2011

6. Proposal Review 1. The information from proposals is ingested into the Data Cycle System (DCS). Permissions need to be set such that only authorized personnel can view and edit proposal information. 2. Staff scientists are assigned to carry out technical evaluations of all the proposals. These are edited and uploaded to the DCS, where they are available to the Peer Review Panel members. 3. Peer review panels are convened by the SMO Director and the panel meeting is organized at a nearby location. 4. After the Review Panel meeting, and the Director’s selection of accepted proposals, the DCS information is updated with the actual approved observation times. SSSC May 11, 2011

7. GI Phase II 1. One support scientist is assigned to each successful proposal. (During Basic Science, each scientist supported 3 to 5 proposals.) 2. User Support sends letters (emails) to the Principal Investigators of approved proposals outlining the Phase 2 preparation schedule and indicating who the assigned support scientist is. 3. Support scientists help the GIs prepare their Astronomical Observation Requests (AORs), which were then submitted via email to a special account. For Basic Science, we did not have an AOR editor that interfaced with DCS. Therefore, FORCAST AORs were created using an MS Excel template, and GREAT AORs were created using an ASCII template. SSSC May 11, 2011

8. Between Phase II and Flights 1. Based on regularly updated knowledge about instrument capabilities and about best practise for different observing modes, the GI submitted AORs were updated. The GIs were consulted, but the AORs were edited, for the most part, by SMO scientists. 2. The support scientists needed to update the DCS Observing Plans by hand to make them consistent with the AORs. This was necessary for the Flight Planning software, which uses the information contained in DCS. 3. Flight plans for the FORCAST series (8 flights) were constructed using the DCS Observing Plans. Sets of flight plans were made based on objective prioritization (proposal rank) and on schedulibility. These were iterated on after feedback from the science group, and the Director. These were handled very carefully in order to avoid all potential conflicts of interest. SSSC May 11, 2011

9. Plans for Cycle I 1. Provide input into the text of the Call for Proposals to help in the later stages. 2. Prepare the “Observers’ Handbook for Cycle I” by the CfP release date. 3. Respond to proposers’ questions, keep webpages and Handbook up-to-date. 4. We will have an AOR editor for Phase II submissions, so the scientists supporting proposals will spend most of their time and effort on scientific issues and concerns, and less on the mechanics of information management. SSSC May 11, 2011