In the February 2009 NRAO eNews, we announced the availability of the EVLA's WIDAR correlator for Early Science, beginning in March 2010 in the D configuration. Access to the EVLA will be through two observing programs: the Open Shared Risk Observing (OSRO) program for the general user community, and the Resident Shared Risk Observing (RSRO) program, which provides enhanced capabilities to those who are able to spend a period of time in Socorro to help with EVLA commissioning. The science proposed under both programs will be peer-reviewed through NRAO's current refereeing and time allocation process.
A description of the mechanism by which users can apply for EVLA Early Science time is given under the descriptions of the OSRO and RSRO programs at the EVLA Information for Astronomers web page. These web pages also describe the expected capabilities to be offered under the OSRO and RSRO programs. The proposal deadline for this first round of EVLA proposals using WIDAR is October 1, 2009. OSRO proposals for the D configuration will be considered, along with RSRO proposals for all configurations. Proposals for both programs will continue to be considered at subsequent deadlines until further notice.