Applying for Telescope Time

All applications to the RSAA TAC must be made via the web. Submission by FAX or paper hardcopy will not be accepted.

Preparation Applications are prepared in LaTeX using a template form. Always download the current version of the template rsaatac_blank.tex (last updated October 2009), as old versions of the application form will be rejected. Fill in the details between the { brackets } where appropriate. Note that many fields are required to have a value. The application will be rejected if these fields are omitted. The comments in the template indicate if this is the case. Some fields also require a specific value. Where this is the case, all options are provided by the form. You simply need to remove the comment flag at the begining of the line. The email address of the PI is used as a username for your RSAA TAC user account. For this reason, the email address must be fully qualified ( e.g. f.nerk@myuni.edu.au ). Again, the application will be rejected if the email address does not have a valid structure. Science Case The science case may be prepared in one of two ways: The science case may be included in the LaTeX form, with additional postscript figures included as extra files. Figures may be imported into the LaTeX of the science case using either the psfig or epsfig packages. The postscript figures must be uploaded as additional files. Prepare the science case as an independent document, and submit this document in postscript format as an extra file. Figures may be incorporated into a single postscript document, or simply included as extra files. Any files to be included must be postscript, but may be compressed using gzip. All filenames must end in either ".ps", ".eps", ".ps.gz", or ".eps.gz". Do NOT submit the postscript version of the LaTeX template as an additional file. Do not include an additional postscript file that has the same filename prefix as your LaTeX application. LaTeX It is essential that you check your LaTeX application form compiles before attempting to submit the application. To do this will require the style file rsaatac.sty (last updated October 2009). Again, make sure you have the current version of this file. Submission - Stage 1 Once all of the files you wish to submit as part of the application are prepared, you can begin the web based submission process. In the textbox, enter the full path and filename of the LaTeX form your prepared. Alternatively, click on the browse button and select the file from the pop-up GUI. Up to 6 postscript files may be included with the application. Enter the full path and filename in the textboxes. Included each file only once, and leave the remaining textfields blank. Do not include a postscript version of the LaTeX form. Submit the form to begin the process. The LaTeX form will be uploaded, parsed and "LaTeX'd". This may take a couple of minutes to complete. If there were errors in parsing or compiling the LaTeX form, you will be notified of the errors. In this case, correct the problems and begin the submission again. Otherwise, you will be presented with a summary of the details in the LaTeX form, and a web form for "Submission - Stage 2". Check the details in the summary are correct. Fix the LaTeX file and start the submission again if they are not. Submission - Stage 2 Once all the details have been entered, "Submit the Application". The files are uploaded and archived. Should this process be successful, your application will have been accepted, and allocated a unique proposal ID number. Record this number. If this step fails, a message suggesting the appropriate course of action will be displayed on your browser. This may be to contact RSAA's computer system managers, or begin the submission process from scratch. If you wish to make changes to your application after it was submitted, contact tacinfo@mso.anu.edu.au. Do not submit the application again.