2 July 2019

Call for Observing Proposals: SOFIA Cycle 8

Arielle Moullet NRAO

The SOFIA Observatory, the only aircraft-based facility offering an access to the 4-600 µm wavelength range, has recently released calls for proposals for the Cycle 8 period. The deadline for submitting proposals is 6 September 2019 (9:00 pm PDT). Anyone in the astronomy scientific community is welcome to apply for time, and US-based proposers are also eligible for funding opportunities listed below.

In this observing Cycle, we are offering:

  • up to 300 hours of observations for Regular Proposals and up to 400 hours for Legacy Proposals (one to four proposals up to 200 h of observations each, spread over two observing cycles);
  • one Southern Hemisphere deployment to New Zealand with two instruments;
  • improved mapping modes on instruments FORCAST (spectral mapping) and HAWC+ (on-the-fly polarimetry mapping);
  • new filters for FIFI-LS improving the sensitivity at the [OIII] 52µm line and for HAWC+ making band B (63µm) available.

Also note the following funding opportunities for US-based proposers:

  • up to $3M for Regular Proposals;
  • up to $2M per year for Legacy Proposals;
  • ~ $300k available through our new archival research proposal program;
  • for proposals which are central to a PhD thesis, additional funding can be requested through the Thesis-enabling Program (up to two years of graduate student funding).

In addition, the SOFIA Science Center provides specialist support for proposal preparation and data analysis via email, phone, and otherwise. Please feel free to contact the Science Center through our HelpDesk: [email protected]. We will also hold a webinar on 9 August to provide support for proposers on how to design effective observing proposals and use SOFIA proposal tools (more information to come on the SOFIA website).

The selection results will be announced in December 2019. Good luck!