NA ALMA Develpment FY2023 Call for Study Proposals

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) invites interested parties to submit proposals for Studies to explore potential upgrades for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Principal Investigators (and funded co-investigators) for NA ALMA Development projects or studies must have as their primary affiliation a US or Canadian institution. The priority for ALMA development is addressing the goals described in the ALMA Development Roadmap  (hereafter called the Roadmap) which lays out the vision for keeping ALMA at the forefront of scientific discovery into the 2030s. The ALMA Partnership is currently pursuing the highest near term priority of the Roadmap which is to at least double (with an ultimate goal of quadrupling) the system bandwidth of ALMA with improved receiver sensitivity. This initiative is called the ALMA 2030 Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (WSU). So far development projects are either underway or in an advanced stage of the approval process for an upgraded wideband Band 6 receiver (Band 6v2), to prototype the new wideband digitizers, and to build the 2nd Generation ALMA Correlator. Projects are also underway to complete ALMA's full suite of receiver bands, with Band 1 (35-50 GHz) expected to be available for Cycle 10 and Band 2 (67-116 GHz) expected to be completed within a few years.

Of particular interest to the NA ALMA Partnership for the FY2023 Call are Studies that aim to explore improvements to:

  • ALMA data processing and/or data analysis for the wider bandwidth data that will be produced by the WSU (~two orders of magnitude more channels will be available for high spectral resolution observations)
  • Receiver sensitivity at wide IF bandwidth
  • The ALMA Science Archive / data mining.
  • Longer baseline lengths (2-3x) in the form of a detailed science case (including simulations) that demonstrates the potential for significant science gains. Any ALMA science topic is welcome, apart from dust in protoplanetary disks which have already been studied.

Additionally, Studies on any ALMA-related development topic are welcome. Funded studies and projects from previous calls are summarized including their abstracts and final reports HERE.

Studies for the FY2023 Proposal Call may request up to $200k USD for a duration of up to 1 year to start January 1, 2023. Please note, that apart from demonstration of exceptional circumstances (family or medical leave) only one 6-month No Cost Extension will be granted for successful FY2023 Studies. Therefore the goals for submitted Studies should be commensurate with a 1 year duration.

Call for FY2023 Study Proposals Schedule

MilestoneDate
Release of Call for Study Proposals 9 May 2022
Informational Meeting
 7 June 2022
Deadline for Mandatory Notice of Intent 14 June 2022
Deadline for Submission of Proposer's Questions 7 July 2022
Deadline for Proposal Submission 12 July 2022
NSF Notification of Outcome* mid-Nov 2022
Project Start Date 1 January 2023

* See the Proposal Instructions for complete description of approval/notification procedure.

A general description of the ALMA Development Program can be found in the Principles for the ALMA Development Program. Also see the full range of applicable documents in the Table at the bottom of this page.

Questions about this Call for Study Proposals

Questions related to this Call for Proposals should be submitted via .

A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page is available, and will be updated as questions are received and answered. This FAQ includes questions from all past calls in chronological order.

Information/Coordination Meeting - June 7, 2022 at 2-3pm EDT

An optional informational webinar with question/answer period will be held on June 7, 2022 from 2-3pm EDT. Registration is required to attend the webinar, please follow this link to register and receive the Zoom link: https://nrao-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oxEf6mTGTZOjkaJst4X52w

Presentations from the Webinar:

Submission of a Notice of Intent (NOI) is Mandatory

Proposers are required to submit a Project Proposal Notice of Intent by 14, June 2022 (23:59 EDT). This will ensure that all Proposers are included in the FY2023 Call mailing list in case of late breaking news, and that proposals can be reviewed in a timely fashion. An NOI is non-binding, but proposals that have not been preceded by an NOI will not be accepted. Please submit your NOI by filling out the following NOI WEB FORM.

NOTE: Prospective NRAO Proposers are required to submit a New Ideas Form for approval by the NRAO Director before proceeding.

Preparing and Submitting a FY2023 Study Proposal

Details regarding the preparation of a FY2023 Study Proposal can be found in the following documents:

FY2023 Study Call Proposal Documents
Call for FY2023 Study Proposals - Instructions PDF
FY2023 Study Proposal Template Word

Submit the completed FY2023 Study Proposal (with signatures), in “.pdf” format, online at this proposal submission WEB FORM.

[Prior to 10:54am EDT we were having issues with the submission server, please resubmit if submitted during this timeframe. Also, if you do not receive a confirmation later this evening, or have any other problem please send your pdf to almadevelopment@nrao.edu before the midnight EDT deadline.]

FY2023 Study Proposals received by 23:59 EDT, 12 July 2022 will receive full consideration. Individual organizations and institutions may submit multiple proposals. Each proposal, however, must comply fully with all of the applicable requirements, including content and submission by the deadline. If you experience problems with submission please email almadevelopment@nrao.edu asap -- be sure to do so before the deadline passes.

Supporting Documents & Links

ALMA Development DocumentsAuthor
ALMA Development Roadmap ALMA Development Working Group Link
Principles for the ALMA Development Program ALMA Board Link
ALMA Development Program Implementation Plan (V8) ALMA Management Team Link
New ALMA 2030 System Specification Recommendations
Document No.
Report of the ALMA Front-end & Digitizer Requirements
Upgrade Working Group (Draft)		 ALMA-05.00.00.00-0048-A-REP Link
Specifications for a Second-Generation ALMA
Correlator (Draft)		 ALMA-05.00.00.00-0049-A-SPE Link
ALMA StandardsDocument No.
ALMA Product Assurance Requirements ALMA-80.11.00.00-001-E-GEN Link
ALMA SpecificationsDocument No.
ALMA System Technical Requirements ALMA-80.04.00.00-005-C-SPE Link
ALMA System Electromagnetic Compatibility Requirements ALMA-80.05.01.00-001-A-SPE Link
ALMA Environmental Specifications ALMA-80.05.02.00-001-B-SPE Link
ALMA ProceduresDocument No.
ALMA Design Reviews - Definitions, Guidelines and Procedures ALMA-80.09.00.00-001-D-PLA Link
ALMA Product Tree ALMA-80.03.00.00-001-T-LIS Link

Connect with NRAO

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory and Green Bank Observatory are facilities of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense..."

AUI collaborates with the scientific community and research sponsors to plan, build, and operate cutting-edge facilities. We cultivate excellence, deliver value, enhance education, and engage the public.