MidScale Projects Vernon Pankonin Team Leader MidScale Projects

Mid-Scale Projects Programmatic Characteristics Historical Perspective 2005 --2010 • • • • Not a

Current Projects Under Mid-Scale Rubric Mid-Scale Projects • VERITAS -- Very Energetic Radiation Imaging

Program Officer Management & Oversight • Review of proposal includes ad hoc reviews and

Prime Challenge to create Mid-Scale Innovations Program as recommended by Astro 2010 The Goal:

Implementation is under study • Questions to be answered. – – Should there be

Slides: 6

Download presentation

Mid-Scale Projects Vernon Pankonin Team Leader

Mid-Scale Projects Programmatic Characteristics Historical Perspective 2005 --2010 • • • • Not a formal funding program. Collection of proposals and projects needing an administrative home. Proposals & projects that are much larger in cost and more complex than an Individual Investigator Grant. Proposals & projects require more attention in review and in post-award. Projects usually involve a collaboration of institutions. Projects cover a wide range of topics and techniques. PI does not submit a proposal directly to this program. AST assigns proposals to Program Officer on a case-by-case basis. Budget of program line is not fixed. There are no “free” funds in the budget to support new projects as projects end. Projects are supported on a case-by-case basis; with funding from Division level in AST. Projects are often supported jointly with other MPS Divisions, other NSF Directorates, and other agencies. Funded as projects with defined duration; no long term operations. COV-AST 2008 recommended against a program solicitation.

Current Projects Under Mid-Scale Rubric Mid-Scale Projects • VERITAS -- Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System – V. Pankonin • ACT and ACTPol -- Atacama Cosmology Telescope – R. Barvainis • SDSS-III-- Sloan Digital Sky Survey III – V. Pankonin • MWA -- Murchison Widefield Array – V. Pankonin • QUIET -- Q/U Imaging Experimen. T – V. Pankonin • POLARBea. R -- POLARization of the Background Radiation – R. Barvainis • DES -- Dark Energy Survey – N. Sharp • VAO – Virtual Astronomical Observatory – N. Sharp Design & Development (D&D) or Technology Development (TDP) • LSST -- Large Synoptic Survey Telescope – C. Foltz • GSMT -- Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope – C. Foltz • SKA -- Square Kilometre Array – R. Barvainis

Program Officer Management & Oversight • Review of proposal includes ad hoc reviews and panel meeting (reverse site visit). – Longer dwell time before funding is available – May be significant revisions to budgets and project plan. • • Funding instrument often a Cooperative Agreement. Project Execution Plans are required. Program Officer Project Oversight Group in post award. Quarterly or semi-annual reports. Annual reports at physical meeting. Conducts interim reviews as needed. Attendance at collaboration meetings. Projects sited around the globe.

Prime Challenge to create Mid-Scale Innovations Program as recommended by Astro 2010 The Goal: To evolve the ad hoc collection of projects, as represented by the current portfolio, into a coordinated programmatic framework that can be managed to fulfill a community need. Can reprogram some current funding, but need new money to really get Program going. First opportunity for new money is FY 2013.

Implementation is under study • Questions to be answered. – – Should there be a general mid-scale solicitation? Should there be targeted solicitations? How often? How should a budget for a program and/or a solicitation be set? For how long should AST support operations?