Large Multi-year Approved Projects

UC Keck Telescope Time for LMAPs

Purpose

The LMAP program allows large programs extending for more than one semester to be carried out with multi-year approval at the beginning. An LMAP is a program with well-defined goals that from the outset clearly requires a large number of nights to bring to completion. The program is not to be open-ended, but must have a well-justified total number of nights required for the complete project. Thus LMAPs will generally be directed toward obtaining a high quality, coherent, homogeneous data set that will allow scientific questions of major importance to be addressed in a thorough, systematic manner. LMAPs normally are defined as those requiring 10 or more nights per semester, though programs of fewer than 10 nights/year may qualify for LMAP status if specifically justified. No more than 30% of the UC Keck time will be devoted to LMAPs. It is expected that LMAPs will generally involve the collaboration of a fairly large group of UC PIs.

Process

To obtain approval for an LMAP, a special proposal must be submitted at the outset. The scientific discussion with figures and references should be no longer than 10 pages with a 20 page maximum for the entire LMAP proposal. Along with the normally-required sections, it must include the following items:

1. There must be an extended, detailed discussion of the scientific goals of the program, including justification for the program having LMAP status. Such programs must exploit to the maximum extent possible the full potential of the Keck Observatory.

2. A clear and well-justified statement of the total number of nights needed must be included.

3. For programs lasting more than two years, the program should be structured so that intermediate results will be published before the entire project is completed. These milestones should be discussed carefully.

4. The discussion of the team involved should be more lengthy than usual, making clear who will be responsible for what, how the data will be reduced and analyzed, and how the final results will be disseminated.

5. If results to be obtained with other telescopes are an important part of the project, this should be made clear, and information should be provided that will allow the TAC to judge the likelihood of such data being available.

6. After approval, future allocations of LMAP time will depend on evidence of continued good progress. For each subsequent semester a brief proposal should be submitted, outlining the progress to date and the distribution of nights and instruments requested for the coming semester. The proposal should make clear that it is a continuation of an approved LMAP and cite the original proposal number. Any papers in press or publication that are part of the project should also be cited.

7. It is expected that all or the vast bulk of an LMAP PI's Keck observing time will be devoted to the LMAP. However, proposals for relatively small projects on unrelated subjects may also be submitted if a strong case can be made for awarding supplemental time.