US National Virtual Observatory

US National Virtual Observatory Research Initiatives

9 August 2005

Application Deadline: 1 October 2005

Contact Information: vo-research@us-vo.org

Detailed Call For Proposals

Introduction and Motivation

A major goal of the US NVO initiative is to foster the development of new NVO research tools and applications and to encourage the refinement of existing capabilities. A natural and effective means to this end is to employ the opportunities offered by the NVO in carrying out astronomical research. In order to encourage this development, the US NVO project is initiating a small program of community research support, entitled "NVO Research Initiatives". The principal objective is to seed NVO-enabled research and to expand NVO applications by providing financial support for small, start-up research projects. The total amount of stipends to be awarded will be approximately $400,000, and the amount of each research stipend will be $25,000 for one year

The areas of research to be supported by this program may be in any subfield of astronomy and astrophysics, but particular attention should be given to use of NVO enabled facilities and tools in carrying out the proposed research. Projects that both exploit and extend the VO technology are particularly encouraged, as are projects that utilize the TeraGrid for large-scale computation. Individuals need not apply separately for TeraGrid time, since this will be done through a pooled request originating from the NVO. Applicants should familiarize themselves with current NVO applications, software development tools, and computational capabilities via the links noted below.

Application Procedure

Proposals are limited to two pages and should address (briefly!) the science goals, the approach to be taken and how it draws upon NVO resources and capabilities, the nature of any tools or science applications to be developed, and the estimated TeraGrid resource requirements (if needed). Applicants should also include a brief CV (one page) and a brief budget justification (one page, or the minimum as required by your organization).

Applications are encouraged from junior staff such as graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Proposals may be sponsored by senior staff at those institutions that disallow independent proposals from graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Such proposals should strongly limit the amount of funds to be used for overhead and faculty salaries. Proposals for which overhead can be waived are particularly encouraged. Astronomers at any US research organization are eligible to apply.

Each project will provide a brief final report (three pages) or reference to a peer-reviewed research publication based on the research. Any software developed as a result of this effort should be shared with the astronomy community through the NVO facilities.

Applications should be submitted via this website by no later than 1 October 2005. Additional information and answers to questions may be obtained by sending e-mail to vo-research@us-vo.org.

The proposed projects will be reviewed by a Selection Committee drawn from the NVO Executive Committee and the NVO Science Steering Committee (which is composed of representatives from the general community and not NVO project team members) and chaired by the NVO Project Scientist. The NVO Technical Working Group will advise the Selection Committee on the technical feasibility of the proposed projects. It is anticipated that the final awards of the stipends for the 2005-2006 period will be made by 1 November 2005 .

Background Information