Policies for Applications to the Chilean Telescope Allocation Committee.

1. Context

The University of Chile has signed Scientific Cooperation Agreements with AURA (Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy), OCIW (Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington), and NAOJ (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan) for the installation and operation of astronomical telescopes in the territory of Chile. Through these agreements, these institutions allow the access of Chilean scientists to the use of 10% of the telescope time available with these instruments. The Department of Astronomy of the University of Chile (DAS) has the responsibility to administer such time. To this end, the DAS organizes a Chilean Telescope Allocation Committee (CNTAC), with the participation of local and international experts, with the purpose of making this time available to the Chilean community and promoting in this fashion the development of Chilean astronomy. Every semester the CNTAC announces a Call for telescope proposals (CfP), receives the applications, evaluates the proposals, and makes the telescope time assignments. The conditions for application are stipulated below.

2. Eligibility

Eligible principal investigators (PIs) are the following individuals:

• Chilean astronomers. For the purpose of applying for CNTAC time a Chilean astronomer is defined as a resident scientist working in a Chilean institution. 'Resident Scientists' are those scientists who maintain continuous residence in Chile for at least 9 months. If, during the year prior to the corresponding CNTAC CfP, the scientist has been in the country for a period shorter than 9 months and wishes to retain eligibility to apply for Chilean time in that Call, her/his institution must justify this absence to the CNTAC. This rule applies to both staff (including postdoctoral researchers) and visiting astronomers.

• Chilean graduate students. A Chilean graduate student is defined as a student enrolled in a local graduate program. The student must attach to the proposal a letter from his/her supervisor (holding the status of Chilean astronomer).

The PI of the proposal must be enrolled in a Chilean institution during the time of the requested observations. If the PI will no longer be working in Chile at the time the requested observations are allocated, she/he may still be eligible for the semester following her/his departure, only in the case of proposals clearly demonstrating the need to be completed during such semester and the participation of a Chilean co-investigator in the project.

3. Duration of the projects

The proposals are reviewed by the CNTAC on a semester by semester basis (except for those telescopes which are assigned on a yearly basis). The CNTAC can give special attention to proposals specifying their long-term nature (more than one semester). On telescopes larger than 2.0 m the CNTAC will reserve up to 20% of the Chilean time for long-term proposals, while on telescopes smaller than 2.0 m we will reserve 40% of the Chilean share for long-term proposals. In the case of long-term programs it is important that the applicants indicate the long-term nature of the program and the total duration. PIs holding postdoctoral positions are not excluded from applying with long-term programs but these applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

4. Telescope assignment

The CNTAC evaluates the proposals according to their scientific merit and assigns the telescope time in consultation with the international observatories. Through her/his application the PI is fully committed to carry out such observations. In the event that the PI cannot make use of such nights for the scientific program approved, he/she must immediately communicate the problem to the chairman of the CNTAC who will reassign such time to another applicant based on the ranking previously established by the CNTAC.