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COO Proposal Format
The cover sheets: One per proposal.
- Palomar see
http://www.astro.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/TAC/palcover.cgi
for the Palomar cover sheet.
You can enter, Show then Print (as a pdf or ps file) the cover information.
Please include standardized telescope reference(s) in publications utilizing Palomar data.
- Keck see
http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/inst/siastng/release/web/CoverSheet/proposalCoverSheet.php
for the Keck cover sheet.
You can use the LaTeX forms below to create Keck & Palomar proposal(s).
The Proposal consists of 6 components:
See ./cooforms/COO_blank.pdf for an example template.
- The cover sheet obtained by entering, Showing and printing the appropriate Palomar or Keck cover form (above).
You can use your browser to Print the completed form to a pdf or ps file for submission with your proposal.
- The discussion. A SHORT description
of the project, explaining the scientific goals and methodology,
and justifying the time and equipment requested. New projects
should estimate the total time required to complete the work.
Ongoing projects should give the status of previously obtained data.
Explain any constraints that may affect scheduling. (see also TAC criteria).
The TAC requires a maximum of:
of
11 or 12-pt, single-spaced text with appropriate
margins, and up to 2 sides of diagrams, tables and
references.
Message from the Director: You are reminded to stick to the font and page limit. Smaller
margins can win you word-space, but will not work in your favor as
most referees are put off by overly dense text. Cramming figures may
not annoy Lilliput citizens, but will certainly annoy Brobdingnagians.
The Director's office reserves the right to reject or truncate proposals that do not conform to these guidelines.
- Allocation history. Summarize time allocated to you in the last 4 semesters.
- Bibliography of your refereed papers from the last 2 years - emphasis on Keck/Palomar based papers.
Items 3 & 4 can be combined as a separate file (eg. PIname_pub_time.pdf), and submitted only once for PIs with multiple proposals.
- Observing List. A list of targets: names, coordinates, magnitudes (and band). Include for each proposal.
- Thesis Project. Details of time awarded and status of data obtained
for approved thesis projects.
Multiple proposals for different projects should each include items 1,2,5 & 6 (if applicable).
Proposals for one subject that involve multiple telescopes should include the
scientific discussion (2) with the proposal to the largest telescope. The
related proposals should include at least a cover sheet for each
telescope requested, with sufficient information to indicate the
connections.
Please let tac know of problems or suggested improvements to these forms.
SUBMISSION of Proposals
- Please use one email per proposal to TAC at astro...
Multiple linked proposals can be submitted together.
Please ensure that color figures can be reproduced on standard color printers.
Please DO identify your files by your name, ie. PIname_keckI.pdf
rather than confusingly anonymous KeckI.pdf or proposal.pdf
- The proposal documents can be submitted electronically as separate pdf
attachments
(you can combine proposals into a single file using the
"create PDF file from multiple files" option in Acrobat professional,
or just send me the pieces, with identifying names).
Or they can still be printed and handed in to Carlton Parker in Robinson room 17.
LaTeX template forms to construct proposals
- see
http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~tac/obsforms/cooforms
for LaTeX forms that can be used for Palomar AND Keck proposals.
- The COO_blank.pdf template illustrates how your file may look.
- Download the COO_* and (3) cit_* files. Do not edit the cit_xxx files.
- latex then xdvi the COO_blank.tex file to see a complete template, consisting of:
- Telescope time awarded to the PI in the last 2 years,
- Relevant publication list from the last 2 years,
- Object list for the proposal,
- Details of thesis program if appropriate, and
- Scientific Discussion (see TAC criteria),
including an example embedded ps figure.
- If you have only one proposal, it is easiest to:
- Edit COO_blank.tex and COO_discuss.tex (or another discussion file).
- 'latex COO_blank' then 'xdvi COO_blank' to view it, then
- 'dvipdf COO_blank' and 'mv COO_blank.pdf PIname.pdf' to obtain pdf versions for submission (below).
- If you have multiple proposals, it is easier to:
- Edit COO_pub_time.tex (and save as PIname_pub_time.tex) to produce a single description of your relevant publications and time allocations, to submit once.
- 'latex PIname_pub_time' then 'dvipdf PIname_pub_time'
- Edit COO_obj_sci.tex to produce the object list and scientific discussion for each proposal.
- Please ps2pdf any intermediate ps file(s) to obtain pdf versions for submission (below).
- Full copies of successful proposals are made available to the support staff at Keck and Palomar.
The title and short abstract are listed on the Palomar web schedule.
General
    Instrument availability
    TAC criteria
    Travel Support
    Forms for Downloading
    Important dates