Observatory Science and Technology Council

Observatory Science and Technology Council

The NRAO Director appoints the Observatory Science and Technology Council (OSTC) members for 3-year terms that can be renewed. The OSTC has the responsibility for providing the scientific and technical assessment of Observatory activities to ensure their prioritization maximizes the scientific and technical impact of NRAO and for facilitating and organizing an ongoing dialog between the scientific and technical staff on future directions in astronomy that is addressable by radio astronomy techniques.

The OSTC advises and reports to the Director.

The Chief Scientist and the Chief Technologist are ex-officio members of the OSTC and shall act as co-chairs of the OSTC. The membership of the OSTC should include scientific staff members with a broad range in scientific and technical expertise. Representation should be maintained for the NRAO sites and operational divisions.

The OSTC shall meet face to face or by videoconference at least twice a year. Decisions of the OSTC and resultant recommendations to the Director are expected to be via consensus. Before each meeting, the Chair of the OSTC shall coordinate with the Director, or her/his designee, to formulate a set of charges to the committee.

The OSTC should organize an annual Observatory-wide discussion among the scientific and technical research staff on the development activities relevant for future directions in astronomy.

One important activity of the OSTC is to review the scientific merit of ideas and proposals for new telescopes or new projects, and new instrumentation for existing telescopes, as part of the Observatory funding allocation process.

Specifically, the OSTC shall perform scientific and technical evaluation of proposed development projects for the annual NRAO budget summit, and provide a prioritized list to the Director's Office:

https://staff.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/OPM/InternalProposalProcess

In response to off-annual cycle development and funding opportunities, as well as to consider other issues of scientific and technical relevance at the NRAO, the Director, or her/his designee, can also ask the OSTC to consider the appropriate charges.

OSTC members (April 2016)

Tony Beasley(Chair)
Tim Bastian (co-Chair)
Chris Carilii (co-Chair)
Arielle Moullet
Betsy Mills
Bill Shillue
Bryan Butler
Claire Chandler
David Frayer
George Moellenbrock
Jim Braatz
Ken Kellermann
Rich Bradley
Scott Ransom
Urvashi Rao

Modified on Monday, 22-Feb-2016 15:52:03 EST