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<body style="font: 10pt/normal Segoe UI; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><div class="GroupWiseMessageBody" id="GroupWiseSection_1611304338000_elpenhof@astron.nl_28E1F8D0171500008001DA0021002D00_"><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; text-align: center; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">International LOFAR
Telescope</font></span></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; text-align: center; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Proposal Call to the
Worldwide Community </font></span></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; text-align: center; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; text-align: center; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>LONG-TERM: 01 June 2021
– 31 May 2023</span></b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'> </span></font></font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; text-align: center; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>AND</span></b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'> </span></font></font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; text-align: center; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Cycle 16: 01 June 2021 –
30 November 2021</span></b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'> </span></font></font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; text-align: center; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p align="center" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; text-align: center; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Submission deadline
Wednesday </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">03<span style="color: black;"> March 2021, 12 UT</span></b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>
</span></font></font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> Submission only via the
online tool </font></span><a href="https://lofar.astron.nl/proposal"><span style='color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">NorthStar</font></span></a><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">. </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; border: currentColor; border-image: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> ** Proposers must
ensure their justification files adhere to the instructions given in Northstar,
including restrictions on formats and proposal length, repeated online </font></span><a href="https://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/observing-lofar/observing-proposals/justification-file-instructions/instructions-j"><span style='color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">here</font></span></a><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">. ** </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 14pt 0cm; border: currentColor; border-image: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> NOTE: </font></span></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><ul style="list-style-type: disc; direction: ltr;"><li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">This call represents the
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>last long-term opportunity</u></b>
for users to propose observations with the LOFAR1 system before its upgrade to
LOFAR2.0. </font></span></p></li><li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;"><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Follow-up proposals
concerning Long-Term science already reviewed at this round cannot be submitted
for future Cycles during the same long-term period.</font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></b></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></b></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>WORLD-WIDE ACCESS</span></b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>: Time on the ILT is
available to scientists from the worldwide community. All of the Long-term time
is allocated by the ILT-PC through Open Skies rules and endorsed by the ILT
Board, while the single-cycle time is allocated in tandem between National
Consortia and the ILT-PC. Scientific excellence and breadth as well as the
technical strength of the proposals are taken along in the evaluations. The
ILT-PC will define restricted data access rights (default period 1 year) based
on the specific science goals and arguments in the proposal. Other groups may
be allocated simultaneous access for different science.</span></font></font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></b></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>LONG-TERM PROPOSALS</span></b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>: </span>A
<u>last opportunity</u> is offered to propose for the use of LOFAR1
functionality in Long-Term (4-semester cycles) observing projects. Proposals
covering the <span style="color: black;">period 01 June 2021 to 31 May 2023
(Cycles 16 through 19) may either </span>request<span style="color: black;"> to
initiate fully new projects</span>, or <span style="color: black;">request to </span>augment<span style="color: black;"> and/or extend Long-Term allocations already obtained in
Cycles 16 and 17; in any case a full science and technical justifica</span>tion
is required.</font></font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">All remaining LOFAR1 Long<span style="color: black;">-Term </span>time will be allocated <span style="color: black;">entirely from proposals in response to th</span>e present<span style="color: black;"> call; no further </span>L<span style="color: black;">ong-</span>T<span style="color: black;">erm call is foreseen. </span>About<span style="color: black;">
5900 hours of Long-Term may be allocated, of which about 3600 hours </span>will
be assigned now as Priority <span style="color: black;">A (explained below). </span>Indicative
l<span style="color: black;">ook-ahead allocations will cover </span>roughly a
further <span style="color: black;">2300 hours; in future semester</span>s these
hours can <span style="color: black;">be either confirmed (</span>probably<span style="color: black;"> as priority B), or reassigned to other projects, when the
ILT-PC t</span>ensions off the demands in its <span style="color: black;">full
portfolio (that will </span>successively<span style="color: black;"> include </span>new
single-cycle proposals and <span style="color: black;">progress reports). </span>The
final availability in 2023 is the most uncertain, as it relates to the start of
the LOFAR2.0 upgrade. </font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">While there are no
explicit limits, the Long-Term queue is intended for proposals that either
require a more substantial amount of observing time than can realistically be
allocated within one semester cycle, or that demonstrate that the observing has
an intrinsic long-term or persistent nature.</font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Long-Term projects must adopt the system observing modes and
functionalities as they will become available during the next four cycles (see
description </font></span></u></i><a href="http://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/observing-lofar/observing-proposals/observing-capabilities-cycle-16-19/availabilit"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style='color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">online</font></span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">). In particular, some
observing modes will initially be offered with a limited set of
functionalities. Proposers should take this into account when planning their
projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></span></u></i></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></i></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Projects that do not
qualify for Long-Term status may be proposed successively for each semester
cycle, provided that the appropriate observing functionality has been
advertised.</font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Follow-up proposals
concerning Long-Term science already reviewed cannot be submitted in answer to
the future calls within this long-term period.</font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Proposers are strongly
encouraged to seek timely advice in case of questions regarding the eligibility
for Long-Term status of their intended project. </span>Proposers
can contact the Science Data Center Operations group through the </font></font><a href="https://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/submit-support-request/jira-ro-helpdesk-ticketing-system"><span style='color: rgb(17, 85, 204); mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">JIRA helpdesk</font></span></a><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">.</font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></b></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>SINGLE-CYCLE PROPOSALS</span></b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>: In addition, this call
more traditionally covers all of the further observing time that will be
available within the single semester Cycle 16, 01 June – 30 November 2021. It
is expected that about 590 hours may be allocated in Priority A (explained below),
while additional priority B time may be considered by the ILT-P</span>C
in competition with Long-Term allocations. </font></font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">The list of available
Cycle 16 functionality is available </font></span><a href="http://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/observing-lofar/observing-proposals/observing-capabilities-cycle-16-19/availabilit"><span style='color: rgb(17, 85, 204); mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">online</font></span></a><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">.</font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>PRIORITY CLASSES</span></b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>: Due to ongoing upgrade
work, system availability and stability will vary with time. The ILT-PC will
classify observing allocations as A and/or B priority time. Allocations in A
priority will have a high likelihood to yield a successful observation in the
period concerned; in case such an observation suffers substantial failures, it </span>will<span style="color: black;"> be repeated (once) at a later date. Allocations in
priority B will likely be realized partially; they are carried out on a
best-efforts basis, where the total of all priority B allocations requires an
optimistic availability scenario.</span></font></font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></b></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>LST AND RESOURCE AVAILABILITY:</span></b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>
The availability of observing time as a function of LST after taking into
account the already active long-term projects is presented </span></font></font><a id="Nav_2fecb4c648d96efa299bf2ab71928014" contenteditable="false" href="http://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/observing-lofar/observing-proposals/lst-availability-during-cycles-16-and-17/lst-a"><span style='color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">online</font></span></a><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">. </font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Each proposal must
request processing time to match the observing time within appropriate
documented ratios (see documentation </font></span><a href="https://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/observing-capabilities/depth-technical-information/major-observing-modes/major-obs"><span style='color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">online</font></span></a><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">), or should justify how
processing will proceed elsewhere. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Required
support</i> for the proposed projects is taken into account during allocation.
An </font></span><a href="http://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/observing-lofar/observing-proposals/support-load-instructions/support-load-instruc"><span style='color: rgb(17, 85, 204); mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">online</font></span></a><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'> tool is available to
understand whether a proposal entails a low, medium, or high support load of
the observatory staff. During the allocation process, the ILT-PC will be
advised about the amounts of support effort requested and available, and these
will be used as boundary conditions for proposal allocations; support will be
treated as a scarce resource in the same way as has become customary on LOFAR
for processing and data storage resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Advice is </span>available </font></font><a href="http://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/observing-lofar/observing-proposals/support-load-instructions/support-load-instruc"><span style='color: rgb(17, 85, 204); mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">online</font></span></a><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"> on<span style="color: black;"> how
proposers can reduce the support load of their project by a prudent choice of
observing mode. The proposal may also indicate that the support will be carried
out by members of the proposing team; in that case, both the expertise and the
work plan must be carefully argued in the proposal. </span></font></font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></b></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>SYSTEM CAPABILITIES</span></b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>: The ILT is a powerful
radio telescope for frequencies below 240 MHz that offers state-of-the-art
observing capabilities thanks to its phased-array technology with digital
beam-forming. LOFAR delivers correlated visibility data for synthesis imaging,
plus (in)coherently-added single and multiple station data (several beam-formed
modes) as well as transient buffer read-out, for example for studies of
pulsars, transients, and cosmic rays. LOFAR capabilities are described in
detail </span></font></font><a href="https://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/astronomers/technical-information/lofar-technical-information"><span style='color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">online</font></span></a><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">. </font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">IMPORTANT
CONSIDERATIONS</b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>: </span></font></font></p></li></ul><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><ul style="list-style-type: disc; direction: ltr;"><li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">For all proposals, the
technical case must argue both the optimal and the minimal required total
amount of time and other resources (and any requirements on cadence or time
span). <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>If the stated minimum time or
other requirements cannot be allocated, the proposal will not be carried out at
all.</u></b> </font></span></p></li><li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">When preparing the
proposal, please take into account proper ordering of the target list (see
details </font></span><a href="http://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/observing-proposals/target-list-order/target-list-order"><span style='color: rgb(17, 85, 204); mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">online</font></span></a><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">) and check if any data
is already available in the </font></span><a href="https://lta.lofar.eu/"><span style='color: rgb(17, 85, 204); mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">LOFAR Long Term Archive</font></span></a><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">. </font></span></p></li><li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>For standard HBA and LBA
imaging, the possibility is offered of co-observing with the LOFAR </span>S<span style="color: black;">urvey project (see details</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></font></font><a href="http://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/observing-proposals/co-observing-surveys-ksp-team/co-observing-surveys-ksp-team"><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">here</font></span></a><span style="color: black;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> for HBA and </font></span><a href="http://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/observing-lofar/observing-proposals/lba-co-observing-strategy/lba-co-observing-str"><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">here</font></span></a><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><span style="color: black;"> for LBA</span><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>). </span></font></font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><a name="_gjdgxs"></a><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>OBTAINING ADVICE</span></b><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>: In view of the novel and evolving character of the ILT,
proposers are strongly urged to get in contact with Science Data Center
Operations at ASTRON </span>through the </font></font><a href="https://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/submit-support-request/jira-ro-helpdesk-ticketing-system"><span style='color: rgb(17, 85, 204); mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">JIRA helpdesk</font></span></a><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> well ahead of the
deadline. Novice groups may wish to seek or request to be connected to suitable
collaborators, and should also consider keeping the scope of initial projects
modest while they become familiar with the complexities of data handling and
analysis.</font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><a name="_30j0zll"></a><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">The Observatory will
explore the possibility for a few users unfamiliar with the reduction of LOFAR
data to come to ASTRON for assistance with this by ASTRON personnel. If
this is desired, it must be specified in the proposal. Limited travel subsidies
for eligible users can be supported by RadioNet. Further details are given </font></span><a href="https://old.astron.nl/radio-observatory/observing-proposals/radionet-transnational-access-programme/radionet-transnational"><span style='color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">online</font></span></a><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">. </font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 14pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Ren</span>é<span style="color: black;"> Vermeulen </span></font></font></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 14pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Director, International
LOFAR Telescope </font></span></p><p style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;"><span style='color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p></li></ul><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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