Space Telescope Science Institute
HST Call for Proposals and Primer
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Table of Contents

Hubble Space Telescope Call for Proposals for Cycle 21
Chapter 1: General Information
1.1 About this Document
1.2 New and Important Features of Cycle 21
What’s New for Cycle 21
Important Features Carried Over From the Previous Cycle
1.3 General Guidelines for Proposal Preparation
1.4 Resources, Documentation and Tools
1.4.1 Cycle 21 Announcement Webpage
1.4.2 Phase I “Roadmap”
1.4.3 HST Primer
1.4.4 Instrument Handbooks
1.4.5 The Astronomer’s Proposal Tool (APT)
1.4.6 Exposure Time Calculators (ETCs)
1.4.7 HST Data Archive
1.4.8 Duplication checking
1.5 STScI Help Desk
1.6 Organization of this Document
1.6.1 Policies, Procedures and General Information
1.6.2 Preparing and Submitting Your Proposal
1.6.3 Information Pertaining to Accepted Proposals
1.6.4 Appendices
Chapter 2: Proposal Submission Policies
2.1 The Proposal Process: Phase I and Phase II
2.2 Deadlines
2.3 Who May Submit
2.3.1 Principal Investigator and Co-Investigators
2.3.2 ESA Scientists
2.3.3 Student PIs
2.4 Institutional Endorsement
2.5 Funding
2.6 Proposal Confidentiality
Chapter 3: Proposal Categories
3.1 Overview of Proposal Categories
3.2 General Observer (GO) Proposals
3.2.1 Small GO Programs
3.2.2 Medium GO Programs
3.2.3 Large GO Programs
3.2.4 Calibration GO Programs
3.2.5 Long-Term GO Programs
3.2.6 Treasury GO Programs
3.3 Snapshot (SNAP) Proposals
3.3.1 Characteristics of SNAPs
3.3.2 Calibration SNAP Programs
3.3.3 Guidelines for SNAP Programs
3.4 Archival Research (AR) Proposals
3.4.1 Regular AR Proposals
3.4.2 Legacy AR Proposals
3.4.3 Calibration AR Programs
3.4.4 Theory Proposals
3.4.5 Guidelines for AR Programs
3.4.6 Suggestions for AR Proposals
3.5 Joint HST-Chandra Observing Proposals
3.6 Joint HST-Spitzer Observing Proposals
3.7 Joint HST/XMM-Newton Observing Proposals
3.8 Joint HST-NOAO Observing Proposals
3.9 Director’s Discretionary (DD) Time Proposals
Chapter 4: Observation Types and Special Requirements
4.1 Primary Observations
4.1.1 Continuous Viewing Zone (CVZ) Observations
Restrictions on Using the CVZ
4.1.2 Target-of-Opportunity (ToO) Observations
Turn-Around Time and ToO Limits in Cycle 21
Activation of a ToO
Long-Term ToOs
ToO Programs with COS, STIS/MAMA or ACS/SBC
4.1.3 Special restrictions on observations with COS, STIS/MAMA and ACS/SBC
Observations of variable sources
Additional restrictions
4.1.4 Solar System Targets
4.1.5 Observations of Targets that have not yet been discovered or identified
4.1.6 Time-Critical Observations
Limitations Related to Time-Critical Observations
4.1.7 Dithering strategies with ACS and WFC3
4.2 Parallel Observations
4.2.1 Coordinated Parallel Observations
4.2.2 Pure Parallel Observations
Restrictions
Matching with Primary Programs in Phase II
Review and Execution
4.2.3 Restrictions and Limitations on Parallel Observations
Parallel Observations with ACS
Parallel Observations with COS
Parallel Observations with FGS
Parallel Observations with STIS
Parallel Observations with WFC3
Pointing Accuracy for Parallel Observations
4.3 Special Calibration Observations
Chapter 5: Data Rights and Duplications
5.1 Data Rights
5.2 Policies and Procedures Regarding Duplications
5.2.1 Duplication Policies
ACS and WFC3 Duplications of WFPC2, NICMOS or STIS imaging
Snapshot Targets
5.2.2 How to Check for Duplications
Chapter 6: Proposal Selection Procedures
6.1 How STScI Conducts the Proposal Review
6.1.1 The Review Panels
6.1.2 The Telescope Allocation Committee (TAC)
6.2 Selection Criteria
Criteria for all Proposals
Additional Criteria for all GO and SNAP Proposals
Additional Criteria for Large GO Proposals, Treasury GO Proposals and Legacy AR Proposals
Additional Criterion for SNAP Proposals
Additional Criterion for Calibration Proposals
Additional Criteria for all Archival Research Proposals
Additional Criteria for Treasury GO and Legacy AR Proposals
Additional Criteria for Theory Proposals
6.3 Ultraviolet Initiative
Ultraviolet GO Proposals
Ultraviolet Archival Proposals
Chapter 7: Guidelines and Checklist for Phase I Proposal Preparation
7.1 General Guidelines
7.1.1 Deadline
7.1.2 Phase I Proposal Format
7.1.3 Page Limits for PDF Attachment
7.2 Proposal Preparation Checklist
Chapter 8: Filling Out the APT Proposal Form
8.1 Title
8.2 Abstract
8.3 Proposal Phase
8.4 Category
8.5 Cycle
8.6 Requested Resources
8.6.1 Primary and Parallel Orbits
8.6.2 Total Targets
8.6.3 Budget
8.7 Proprietary Period
8.8 Scientific Category
8.9 Keywords
8.10 Special Proposal Types
8.10.1 Chandra ksec
8.10.2 Spitzer hours
8.10.3 XMM-Newton ksec
8.10.4 NOAO Nights
8.10.5 Theory
8.10.6 Legacy
8.10.7 Calibration
8.10.8 Treasury
8.10.9 UV Initiative
8.11 Proposal PDF Attachment
8.12 Principal Investigator
8.13 Co-Investigators
8.14 Datasets
8.15 Targets
8.15.1 Target Number
8.15.2 Target Name
8.15.3 Provisional Coordinates
8.15.4 V-Magnitude
8.15.5 Other Fluxes
8.16 Observation Summary (OS)
8.16.1 Target
8.16.2 Instrument
8.16.3 Instrument Setup(s)
8.16.4 Config
8.16.5 Science Mode
8.16.6 Coronagraphy
8.16.7 Polarizer
8.16.8 Spectral Element
8.16.9 Orbits
8.16.10 Number of Iterations
8.16.11 Special Requirement Checkboxes
8.16.12 Scheduling Requirements
8.16.13 Verifying Schedule Constraints
Chapter 9: Preparation of the PDF Attachment
9.1 Scientific Justification
9.2 Description of the Observations
9.3 Special Requirements
9.4 Coordinated Observations
9.4.1 Joint HST-Chandra Observations
9.4.2 Joint HST-Spitzer Observations
9.4.3 Joint HST/XMM-Newton Observations
9.4.4 Joint HST-NOAO Observations
9.5 Justify Duplications
9.6 Analysis Plan
9.7 Management Plan
9.8 Past HST Usage
Chapter 10: Proposal Implementation and Execution
10.1 Notification
10.2 Phase II Submission
10.3 Program Coordinator and Contact Scientist Support
10.4 Duplication Checking
10.5 Technical Review
10.6 Proposal Scheduling
10.6.1 Unschedulable or Infeasible Programs
10.7 Access to Data Products
10.8 Archival Research Support
10.9 Visits to STScI
10.10 Failed Observations
10.11 Publication of HST Results
10.12 Dissemination of HST Results
Chapter 11: Education & Public Outreach Proposals
11.1 NASA SMD E/PO Policies
11.2 HST E/PO Proposals
11.2.1 Assistance for the Preparation of E/PO Proposals
Chapter 12: Grant Funding and Budget Submissions
12.1 Overview
12.2 Eligibility for STScI Grant Funds
12.3 Foreign Agreement Letters
12.4 Allowable Costs
12.5 Grant Period
12.6 Award of Funds
Appendix A: Contact Information
A.1 Space Telescope Science Institute
A.2 Canadian Astronomy Data Centre
Appendix B: Scientific Keywords
Appendix C: Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations
Appendix D: Internet Links

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