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JAC Home JCMT UKIRT Contact info JAC Divisions OMP Outreach Seminars Staff-only Wiki Weather Web Cameras ____________________ Observing at UKIRT Service Observing UKIDSS Survey Operations Target of Opportunity Calibration & Standards Astronomical Utilities UKIRT Archive Public wiki Accessing UKIDSS Data Accessing PI Data Reduction Cookbooks Telescope Site Quality Instruments Newsletter/Publications UKIRT Faults JAC Safety Manual Safety Briefing	THE UKIRT TIME ALLOCATION GROUP PROCESS Allocation of open time is the responsibility of the UKIRT time allocation group (TAG), which is a subcommittee of the STFC Panel for the Allocation of Telescope Time. The TAG: Meets twice yearly to consider open-time proposals, either face to face or by telephone conference depending on proposal loading and member availability. Normally comprises six academics based in University groups in the UK. JAC staff (typically the UKIRT Scheduler and Associate Director) are in attendance at the meetings. Is facility-based, the six members attempting to cover all possible science areas for which proposals may be received. Has access to one referee’s report per proposal. Has access to a technical assessment of the proposal from UKIRT staff astronomers. May contact PIs to discuss points on the proposal. The rest of this document details the process via which the TAG assesses proposals and assigns time. All proposals are read and graded by all TAG members. Discussion at the meeting is led, for a given proposal, by an “assessor” – a member of the TAG specifically assigned to follow up referee comments on the proposal and to understand its science at a deeper level than would be expected from the other TAG members. Where possible given current membership, the assessor will have expertise in the broad science area of the proposal. Proposals are ranked via an iterative process involving an initial vote, discussion and grade amendments and a final ranking. In general, after the first ranking iteration, the TAG discusses and determines time allocations for projects working down from the top of the rankings, until no time remains to allocate. Note that weather losses (which typically run at 25% on Mauna Kea) then produce a natural overallocation, which can mean that projects at the low end of the rankings can emerge from the semester systematically less complete than higher-ranked projects. Projects which fall below the “allocation line” are nonetheless fully discussed in the TAG meeting to ensure that high-quality feedback is provided to PIs. The final step – confirming allocations, producing rankings for the queue, and determining whether summit status should be conferred (see the UKIRT Flexing Model)–  is completed by JAC and the TAG Chair.

Contact: Andy Adamson. Updated: Thu May 14 12:03:56 HST 2009 Return to top ^