2008 will be an eventful year for the user community. The peer review for the science proposals for Cycle 1 of the GLAST Guest Investigator (GI) Program has been held. In mid-January proposers will be notified whether to submit budgets for the second phase, or whether their proposal has unfortunately been rejected. The results of the second phase will be announced by early May, and funds will be released when the GI cycle begins approximately two months after launch. The GLAST Fellows will be announced February 7. Finally, launch is currently scheduled for May 16!
The NASA Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Program is initiating a Fellowship Program. NASA plans to award up to 3 GLAST fellowships in 2008. The goal of these fellowships is to stimulate an infusion of new ideas, techniques, and approaches that will enhance the scientific return of GLAST which will be launched in early 2008.
+ Learn more
The deadline for the proposals for GLAST's Cycle 1 Guest Investigator Program passed on Friday, September 7, with the receipt of 167 proposals. The peer review panels will meet on December 17-19; scientists interested in participating in this review should send an e-mail to the HEASARC Peer Review mailbox.
The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and the GLAST mission have formed a long-term cooperative arrangement in which NOAO commits observing time on its optical telescopes for coordinated observations with GLAST. This observing time will be available on a competitive basis during Cycle 1 of the GLAST Guest Investigator program.
+ Learn more
NOIs are still welcome after July 13. The GLASTspec spectrum simulation tool is now available.
A GLAST workshop will be held in the Boston-area hosted by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics on Thursday, the 21st of June. The objective of the workshop is to encourage participation in the GLAST Guest Investigator program and to facilitate discussion of the scientific potential of GLAST among scientists from different institutions in the New England area.
+ Learn more
Preparations for the launch proceed with many successful tests. In the current mission schedule GLAST will be launched no earlier than January 31, 2008. The proposal deadline for the first cycle of the GI program remains September 7, 2007.
+ Learn more
The proposal materials for the first cycle of the GLAST guest investigator program are now posted on the GSSC website. These materials included detailed proposal-submission instructions, a technical handbook and FAQs. In addition, phase 1 proposals can now be submitted.
+ Learn more
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the GLAST mission have formed a long-term cooperative arrangement in which NRAO commits observing time on its radio telescopes for coordinated observations with GLAST. This observing time will be available on a competitive basis during Cycle 1 of the GLAST Guest Investigator program.
+ Learn more
An amendment to ROSES 2007 modifies the GLAST GI program. The new Cycle 1 proposal deadline is September 7, 2007.
The new Notice of Intent (NOI) due date is July 13, 2007; NOIs should be submitted at http://glast.gsfc.nasa.gov/ssc/proposals/cycle1/noi/. The page limit for Large proposals is increased to 6 pages, while for Regular proposals the page limit remains 4 pages.
+ Learn more
The GLAST GI Program is announced in the 2007 Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES).
+ Learn more
The First GLAST Symposium was held at Stanford University. Over 320 scientists presented studies related to the upcoming mission. The GSSC staff demonstrated the tools that will assist investigators prepare Guest Investigator proposals, and were available to answer questions.
+ Learn more
The GLAST Users Committee (GUC) met at Stanford, and reviewed plans for the GLAST Guest Investigator Program.
+ Learn more
A workshop on how to get involved with GLAST was held on January 17, 2007 at GSFC. The agenda and presentations are now online.
+ See the presentations
The GLAST mission had special oral and poster sessions at the semi-annual American Astronomical Society conference that was held in Seattle, WA.