SCUBA Applications for Semester 96B

It was clear at the December Telescope Time Allocation meeting that the ITAC wished to determine the scientific prioritization of programmes that would be selected for 'shared risk' observations in the early phases of SCUBA usage.

When we got down to the practicalities of how this would happen, the ITAC felt it to be unworkable within a sensible timescale. It was therefore agreed that there should be a second call for applications for semester 96B, involving SCUBA proposals only. This will be announced on the WWW (via our email exploder - see October 1995 JCMT Newsletter) along with details of SCUBA performance figures and observing templates. The status of SCUBA is expected to be sufficiently well known at the May/June 1996 national TAG and ITAC meetings so that a percentage of time during semester 96B can be set aside for SCUBA observations. The present plans are for the call for SCUBA proposals to be made sometime in July/August 1996, with observations anticipated to take place in November 1996 to January 1997. The manner in which SCUBA programmes will be allocated (small blocks of time for many observers, large programmes, etc) will be made by the individual national TAGs. However, all observations will be priority queue- scheduled and undertaken by JCMT support staff, hence the observing templates (see later article).

Ian Robson,

Director JCMT