19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

Cycle 7 Peer Review: 21-23 June 2005

747 proposals, 12 panels, 101 reviewers Hilton, Logan Airport

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

Submitted Proposals

New in Cycle 7– Decrease in allowance for constrained observations:

15%, plus accurate accounting of # obsvns. – Database-based panel GUI software: faster and more

accurate access to proposal information– PDF files only– Electronic proposal distribution, hardcopies on request

(~20% requested hardcopy)– Spitzer joint time program– Fully-web-based peer-review reports– “War Room” at deadline time!

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

Aggressive Advertising of New Constraint Policy

CfP Erratum: describing new Constraint Policy Electronic Bulletin including the same notice Pitch Angle Restrictions: web page updated FAQs on Constrained Observations: web page

posted Helpdesk: available as always to answer detailed

questions

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

Receipt Curve

Cycle 7 Cycle 6

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

% Proposals accepted per Type vs Cycle

Percent Proposals Accepted

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Cycle

Perc

en

t A

ccepte

d

GOLPVLPTheoryArchiveTotal

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

% Proposals Approved by Science Area

Time Allocated byScience Category

WD Binaries & CV1%

BH & NS Binaries

12%

SN, SNR18%

Galaxies: Diffuse10%

Galaxies: Population

11%

Active Galaxies15%

Galactic Surveys4%

Stars & WD16%

Clusters of Galaxies

10%

Extragalactic Surveys

3%

Solar System0%

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

% Requested Time Approved by Science Area

Percent of Requested Time Approved

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Solar System

Stars & WD

WD Binaries & CV

BH & NS Binaries

SN, SNR

Galaxies: Diffuse

Galaxies: Population

Active Galaxies

Clusters of Galaxies

Extragalactic Surveys

Galactic Surveys

Percent of Requested Time Approved

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

Time Allocated per Instrument

Time Allocated per Instrument

ACIS-S/ LE T G

1%

HRC-I

1%

HRC-S

1%

ACIS-S

15%

ACIS-S/ HE T G

19%

ACIS-I

21%

HRC-S/ LE T G

20%

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

Grant Award Periods

Award Periods:– Grants may be requested for 1 or 2 years– One-year no-cost extension to allow completion of

science project is available on request with a brief justification

– Second one-year no-cost extension is also available if justified

Documentation:– CfP Section 8.6, updated to clarify – Updated Section VE of the Terms and Conditions ready

for Cycle 7: 1st extension straight-forward, 2nd or subsequent need justification

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

Constraints and the Peer Review

New Guidelines: – 15% of observations– Observation: individual pointing, e.g. count monitoring

sequence, or long observations split due to orbit– Each panel given quota determined by ratio of requested to

available constrained observations– Instructed to abide by the quota, but talk to me if they

needed/wished to go over

Results:– Real time determination of use/quota for each panel allowed

us to update quotas as needed– No panel turned down a highly ranked proposal due to this

quota

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

Suggestions from Panel Chairs Survey

Organization: generally very favorable comments Pundits: get involved in review reports in advance

of the review LP/VLP: panel chairs (or panels) should meet on

Wed pm to strategize on LP/VLPs Stop it being a race! Time: should we add another morning? Too may junior/non X-ray panel members:

– Starting much earlier to recruit panel chairs (5 already) and reviewers

– Strong emphasis on inviting only senior people first (it is much easier to get junior people!)

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

Revised Observation Completion Policy

Complete observation: 90% (or more) of allocated time has been observed

Exceptions, implemented 8 July 2005:– TOO/DDT due to scheduling restrictions– Observations >200 ksec, any remaining time > 20 ksec

will be observed Exceptions, proposed for 1 Dec 2005:

– Observations < 5ksec, observed only once– Observations with <2 ksec remaining will be

considered complete Policy posted on website and sent in an electronic

bulletin Will be described in Cycle 8 Call for Proposals

19 Oct 2005 Chandra Users' Committee

Summary of Response to Jan 2005 Report

E&PO:– Complexity of Process

> NASA requirements are inherently complex. They are holding workshops. The E&PO CfP will be updated to clarify.

– Low funding levels> 2% of GO budget: about $200K. No more funding is available,

unless CUC should recommend using more of GO budget to fund E&PO as opposed to GO science

All other items should have been covered during the day