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Open Access Allocation Process

Who Can Apply Where

With the NSF-funded open-access, the U.S. astronomical community became a member of LCO's Science Collaboration with guaranteed time on the LCO network. Like other such partners - Australian National University, South African Astronomical Observatory, the Chilean astronomical community, University of Hawaii, University of Texas at Austin, St. Andrews University, the Israeli consortium I-CORE, the National Astronomical Observatory of China, and LCO itself - the U.S. community runs its own time allocation process each semester (through NOIRLab), and NOIRLab communicates to LCO the projects that have been awarded time. The policies governing who can apply for time through each partner's allocation process are theirs to decide. Regular proposals, handled through each partner's allocation process, should not directly compete with LCO Key Projects.

In addition, the LCO Science Collaboration participates in a Key Project program to identify large-scale, high-impact projects that highlight the unique capabilities of the LCO network. All partners (including the U.S. community) are invited to propose these projects through an annual call from LCO. LCO runs the TAC review for these proposals and provides the network observing time (though partners are encouraged to supplement the time allocated to the successful key projects through their own allocation processes).

Time Available

The Open Access program provides 625 hours on the 1-m telescopes and 100 hours on the 2-m telescopes for the U.S. community in the 2024B semester. Time is charged as it is used, including observation overhead, but not weather or technical downtime.

Where to Apply

Researchers at US institutions may apply through the NOIRLab.

Time Allocation Process

The NOIRLab TAC evaluates US community proposals for LCO Open Access time, with LCO staff providing feedback on the technical feasibility at the TAC's request. NOIRLab notifies applicants of the outcome of their proposals, and forwards the details of successful proposals to LCO. Successful PIs are then invited to create accounts on the LCO system, where LCO initializes their projects and add the allocated time to them.