Call for Proposals for ALMA Science Capability Upgrades

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) invites interested parties in the North American ALMA partnership to submit proposals for "Development Projects for Upgrades of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)."

A Call for NA ALMA Development - Cycle 5 Project Proposals was issued 10 October 2016, and $11M USD is available for funding projects during the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Development Program cycle (subject to the FY2018 US Federal Budget and continued allocation of funds). The NRAO expects to fund at least two projects. No individual project will be funded in excess of $1.5M USD annually over a multi-year period.

This call is to invite proposals to develop projects from ideas that may be further developed and implemented to sustain and enhance science from ALMA. The primary aims of this Call for Project Proposals are to support:

• the flow of development ideas from the North American ALMA community into the ALMA Development Program Plan;
• development of conceptual and detailed designs by the North American ALMA community for potential inclusion in the ALMA Development Program Plan;
• long-term ALMA research and development by the North American community; and
• strategic initiatives consistent with a long-term vision for ALMA development.

Limited funding is available from NRAO to support projects within the North American partnership community and will be allocated on a competitive basis. Projects partly or fully supported from external sources are also solicited and, if presented, will be considered in the preparation of the ALMA Development Plan. Prototype/pre-production and full production initiatives – "projects" – are typically funded every few years. Calls for projects will be governed by, and conducted through, a similar process to that followed in the previous 2013 call. All members of the North American ALMA partnership, and the North American radio astronomy community at-large, are invited to participate in the ALMA Development Program.

The release date for the FY2018 Call for Project Proposals was 10 October 2016. The period of performance for funded projects will run from the award date, Quarter 1, Fiscal Year 2018, to no later than a mutually agreed date ending in a subsequent Fiscal Year.

Proposers are requested to submit a Notice of Intent by 28 October 2016. The closing date for this call will be 30 January 2017. Proposals received after the closing date may be rejected, at NRAO’s sole discretion.

Further details are can be found in the Conditions Governing the Call for Project Proposals, available via the Proposal Documents table at the Documents section of the call webpage. To support this new call, a Development Workshop was held on 24-25 August, at NRAO headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia. An overview of the current ALMA Development Plan and its projects and studies past and continuing was given and presentations are available online at the workshop site.

Disclaimer: The entirety of available funds will not necessarily be awarded. Acceptance of the project proposal and granting an agreement for the project does not guarantee that the upgrade will be implemented at the Observatory as part of the ALMA Development Plan.

Please submit questions concerning the present Call for Project Proposals, including any request for documentation referred to in this document, by email to the address linked on the call webpage by 16 December 2016. Queries will be directed to, and answered by, appropriate persons unassociated with this call.

Tony Beasley (NRAO Director)
Phil Jewell (NRAO Deputy Director)
Al Wootten (North America ALMA Program Scientist)