Foreign Telescope Forms

The NRAO Foreign Travel Fund program is currently inactive.

NATIONAL RADIO ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY

Financial Support for U.S. Astronomers Observing at Foreign Telescopes

The following set of guidelines has been established in the administration of travel support to major foreign telescopes:

Each applicant for travel support should submit a statement in support of the "uniqueness" of the telescope/receiver system to be used as it impacts their planned research. Why are domestic facilities inadequate? Telescopes that will be considered as satisfying these conditions include:

Australia Telescope	Nancay Telescope
Bonn 100 Meter Telescope	Nobeyama 45 Meter Telescope
IRAM 30 Meter Telescope	Nobeyama Array
JCMT	Parkes 65 Meter Telescope
Jodrell Bank 250 Foot Telescope	SEST Telescope
Merlin Telescope	Westerbork Array

The proposal for telescope time should be initiated by the Principal Investigator (P.I.), who must be U.S.-based. (The foreign observatory should not require a local collaborator as a condition for telescope time being granted.)
The P.I. must not be employed at a national observatory.
The presence of the U.S.-based P.I. should be essential for the successful pursuit of the research program. (VLBI observers will not be covered due to existing in absentia observing policies.)
Documentation which verifies the acceptance of the proposal must be available.
Travel must be on an American air carrier. Reimbursement will be limited to an amount not to exceed the R/T Apex fare or its equivalent.
Support will usually be provided to only one investigator per proposal.

If your proposal and travel meet all of the above conditions, please verify by signing in the appropriate space below and returning this form, together with a copy of your proposal and the letter or observing schedule that indicates you have been granted observing time on one of the above telescopes, to:

Harvey S. Liszt
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
520 Edgemont Road
Charlottesville, VA  22903-2475

After completion of your travel, please fill out the attached travel claim form and send it, along with your original airline ticket, to the above address. Please allow at least one month for your application for reimbursement of funds to be processed.

Statement by the applicant:

This is to certify that my observing program satisfies all of the above-stated conditions in order for air travel costs to be reimbursable under the current program.

Signature:___________________________________________________Date:__________

Please submit the Travel Expense Voucher in duplicate to:

Harvey S. Liszt
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
520 Edgemont Road
Charlottesville, VA  22903-2475

TRAVEL EXPENSE VOUCHER

Name of Claimant:

Institution:

Address:

Foreign Telescope Used:

Observing Periods (Dates):

Proposal No.:

TRANSPORTATION: Attach original passenger coupon(s).

From (City) To (City) Airline Class of Service Amount

Reimbursement will be made to the organization only--not to the individual.

I certify that these charges, incurred by me, are proper and correct.

Claimant's Signature:____________________________________Date:__________

NRAO Director's Office Approval

By:___________________________________________________Date:__________

From (City)	To (City)	Airline	Class of Service	Amount