DATE: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:33:05 +1000
SUBJECT: AAT Proposal Call (2010A) - deadline 15 September 2009


       Call for AAT proposals in Semester 2010A

       Deadline: Tuesday, 15 September 2009, at 23:59
(Australian Eastern Standard Time, i.e. UTC + 10hrs)


The Anglo-Australian Observatory is now accepting proposals for
observing time on the AAT in Semester 2010A (1 Feb - 31 Jul 2010).
All AAT proposals are assessed by a single joint time assignment
committee - the Anglo-Australian Time Assignment Committee (AATAC).
Links to the AATAC application form, together with instructions on
how to fill it out and submit it, can be found at:

   http://www.aao.gov.au/astro/apply/AATAC.html

General information on applying for AAT time can be found at:

   http://www.aao.gov.au/astro/applying.html



Important Notes for 10A applicants:

* This is the final semester that the UK has direct access. (Non-
Australian proposals will continue to be welcomed in future semesters.
The public access policy for Semester 10B and onwards will be released
in due course.)

* The fractional access to the AAT in Semester 10A is: 71.2% Australian:
8.8% UK: 20% Other. Australian or UK proposals whose national share
has been exhausted may draw upon international "Other" time. All
applicants should familiarise themselves with the procedure for time
accounting currently used for AAT allocations:

   http://www.aao.gov.au/AAO/astro/newformula.html

* Due to existing commitments to the WiggleZ and GAMA Large Observing
Programs in Semester 10A, all applicants are warned that availability
of dark/grey time in March-May is extremely limited.

* CYCLOPS, the new cassegrain-mounted fibre feed for UCLES will be
offered on a shared-risks basis in 10A, (subject to its successful
commissioning in January 2010). The AAO expects that CYCLOPS will
be the default feed into UCLES for most applications using the
79 l/mm echelle. Interested users are urged to consult the UCLES page

   http://www.aao.gov.au/AAO/astro/ucles.html

* 2dF top-end maintenance time is scheduled for the period 1 - 4  
February
2010. During this time it will be unavailable.

* Large Observing Programs (i.e. those requiring 50 nights or more,
possibly over several semesters) are not being accepted in this round.

* Australian-based AAT observers are eligible for Travel and
Accommodation support. UK observers are eligible (in some cases) for
support under agreement with the Science and Technology Facilities
Council. European (non-UK) observers are potentially eligible for
support under the OPTICON FP7 agreement.


Heath Jones
AATAC Technical Secretary
aatac -@- aao.gov.au