Download ppt - OPTICON Access Programme. OPTICON Access Programme. Mid-term review September 2007. Corfú OPTICON Trans-national Access Programme under the auspices of

OPTICON Access Programme. OPTICON Access Programme. Mid-term review September 2007. Corfú

OPTICONTrans-national Access Programme

under the auspices of the European Commission

MID TERM REVIEW MID TERM REVIEW

Corfú, September 2007Corfú, September 2007


• Objective: Widen access to all European telescopes of 2m+ aperture which have state of the art instrumentation.

• Special emphasis on new users, especially those from CEE countries.

OPTICON Access Programme


Proposal and Contract

• Initial proposal was for 25 telescopes/2555 nights-days • After contract negotiations 22 reduced to telescopes.

• Immediate concern was that we could not meet likely demand.

• Special additional conditions for qualifying proposals agreed at first TDF.


• 17 institutions involved (OPTICON partners)– 18 optical-infrared telescopes (between 1.5 – 4m aperture)– 4 solar telescopes

• Commencement date and duration:– 1st January 2004 , 60 months

• External users are welcome to apply for observing time:– Free access to each of these 22 European operated telescopes

• Scientific, technical and logistic support• Travel and subsistence grants

– Standard selection procedures:• Scientific merits and feasibility

OPTICON Access Programme General Overview


• Approx. 1200 observing nights/days– 630 users, 400 observing runs, 400 - 500 T&S grants.

• Usual deadlines and application forms/procedures.

• New users, young researchers and users from countries with no similar facilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

• OPTICON Trans-national Access Office: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

OPTICON Access Programme General Overview


La Silla Chile

Canary Islands (OT & ORM)

Mauna Kea Hawaii

Calar Alto Obs. Pic du MidiObs. Saint-Michel

Obs. Helmos, Kalavryta

Anglo-Australian Observatory

AAT UKST

SSTTHEMIS

DOTVTT

LT TCS

NOTTNG INTWHT

UKIRT

CFHT

ESO 3.6m

ESO 3.5m ESO

2.2m

Aristarchos

TBLOHP

CAHA 3.5m

CAHA 2.2m

OPTICON Access Programme: Observatories


18 night-time and 4 solar telescopes


After first 18 Months

• 409/1188 observing periods supported equivalent to 35% of available budget in just 2 semesters

• Prediction was that 5 year budget would be expended by middle of year 3 which was unacceptable to TDF and OPTICON board.

• Not all qualifying nights supported in years 2 and 3 to return spend to roughly flat profile over 5 years

Limited number of nights at each telescope each year


Situation by late 2006

• Due to these strict controls most telescopes were close to 60% of the contracted access by mid 2006, restoring the flat spend profile.

• There were a few, well understood exceptions (eg LT, Aristarchos, ESO 3.5, TBL)

• The September 2006 TDF rebalanced some allocations to achieve 80-90% commitment at most telescopes by end 2007.


Provisional situation by August 2007

TIME ALLOCATED BY EACH TELESCOPE

0,0010,0020,0030,0040,0050,0060,0070,0080,0090,00

100,00

% O

PT

ICO

N T

IME

(A

NN

EX

1)

2007

2006

2005

2004

Most of the telescopes have already surpassed the 80% of allocation time

LT, Aristarchos, ESO 3.5m and ESO3.6m present a considerable delay


Provisional situation by 2007

OPTICON ELIGIBLE PROPOSALS IN THE LAST THREE OBSERVING CAMPAIGNS (2006B, 2007A & 2007B)

2085

1231

228

104

710

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

SUBMMITED AWARDED TIME SUPPORTED BYOPTICON

Nr

ELIGIBLE

OTHERS

OPTICON ELIGIBLE PROPOSALS IN THE LAST THREE OBSERVING CAMPAIGNS (2006B, 2007A & 2007B)

2085

1231

228

104

710

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

SUBMMITED AWARDED TIME SUPPORTED BYOPTICON

Nr

ELIGIBLE

OTHERS

PIs by country home institution with projects meeting EC criteria of eligibility during the last three observing campaigns (06B, 07A & 07B)48

25 21 19 15 12 11 10 10 7 7 7 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 20

1020304050

United K

ingdom

Germany

France

Ireland

Italy

Netherlands

Poland

Greece

Spain

Belgium

Switzerla

nd

Austria

Hungary

Bulgaria

Norway

Portugal

Lithuania

Slovakia

Sweden

Czech

RepublicN

r o

f p

roje

cts

sub

mm

ited

Satisfactory participation of researchers form Central and Eastern European countries

Last three observing campaigns show a significant oversubscription rate for the OPTICON Access Programme

Nr of users Central-Eastern Europe

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

2004 2005 2006 2007

Czech Republic

Slovenia

Slovakia

Hungary

Israel

Poland

Ukraine

Amount of access / PI Home Institution

8

19

32

15

0

15,8

0

6

0

17

5

10

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2004 2005 2006 2007


New Observers and Young researchers

YES58%

NO33%

pending9%

YES

NO

pending

New Observers 2004- 2007

Young researchers 2004- 2007

Provisional situation by 2007

pending9%YES

33%

NO58%

YES

NO

pending


93

42

4258 53

23

127

196

23375519

85

46

49

19

64

3023

4AATCAHA 2.2mCAHA 3.5mCFHTDOTESO 3.6mESO NTTINTMPG/ESO 2.2mNOTOHPSSTTBLTCSTHEMISTNGUKIRTUKSTVTTWHT

Nr. of users / Telescope

January 2004 – December 20071088 astronomers


Accumulative results(2004 - 2007)

• 69,84% - of the total amount of access to be provided under the contract.

• 1088 users (members of observing teams).

• 211 travel and subsistence grants (plus an extra 9% of user groups pending of select their observers)

• 57% new observers


Future Plans

• October 2007 TDF will make final rebalancing to ensure contract obligations are met.

• Unused travel and Access Office funds (if any) will be converted into extra access.

• New Access programme will be defined for FP7 building on strengths of FP6 experience.