3.6 Joint HST-Spitzer Observing Proposals

If your science project requires observations from both HST and Spitzer, then you can submit a single proposal to request time on both observatories to either the HST Cycle 21 review or the Spitzer Cycle 10 review. This avoids the “double jeopardy” of having to submit proposals to two separate reviews. Technical information about Spitzer instrumentation and observations is available from the Spitzer Science Center (SSC) Website and specific questions can be addressed to the SSC Helpdesk (help@spitzer.caltech.edu).

By agreement with the SSC, STScI will be able to award up to 60 hours of Spitzer observing time. Similarly, the SSC will be able to award up to 60 orbits of HST time to highly rated proposals awarded Spitzer time in its TAC process. The only criterion above and beyond the usual review criteria is that the project must be fundamentally of a multi-wavelength nature, and that both sets of data are required to meet the science goals. Spitzer time will only be awarded in conjunction with HST observations (and should not be proposed for in conjunction with an Archival or Theory Proposal). Proposers may request up to 20 hours of Spitzer time in any one HST Cycle 21 proposal. Any program requiring more than 20 hours of Spitzer time should be submitted as a Spitzer Cycle 10 proposal. Spitzer observations of approved joint HST-Spitzer Cycle 21 proposals will be scheduled from October 2013 through September 2014.

Highly constrained Spitzer programs are discouraged as joint HST-Spitzer proposals. Proposers may not request target-of-opportunity Spitzer observations that require execution sooner than eight weeks after the Astronomical Observation Requests (AORs) are defined. Please direct any questions you have about Spitzer ToO or constrained observations to the SSC Helpdesk at help@spitzer.caltech.edu.

Proposals for combined HST and Spitzer observations should be submitted to the observatory that represents the prime science (not to both observatories). While there is multi-wavelength expertise in the review panels for both observatories, typically the HST panels will be stronger in optical/UV science and the Spitzer panels in infrared science.

Establishing the technical feasibility of the Spitzer observations is the responsibility of the PI, who should review the Spitzer documentation or consult with the SSC. A description of the technical information that should be included in the proposal is given in Section 9.4.2. For proposals that are approved, the SSC will perform detailed feasibility checks. The SSC reserves the right to reject any previously approved observation that proves to be non-feasible or impossible to schedule. Any Spitzer observations that prove infeasible or impossible could jeopardize the overall science program and may cause revocation of the corresponding HST observations. Duplicate Spitzer observations may also be rejected by the SSC.

Joint HST-Spitzer Proposals must be identified in the ‘Special Proposal Types’ section of the proposal (see Section 8.10). Also, you must include technical information about the Spitzer observations in the ‘Coordinated Observations’ section of the proposal (see Section 9.4.2).