Abbreviations Used in this Document

The OPT, SCT and RCT abbreviations were introduced in the previous section. When referring to the OPT in the remainder of this document, most of the time it is implicitly referring to the tool that creates a sequence of observing scans. On the other hand, when we refer to the OPT web application we specifically refer to the combination of tools consisting of OPT, SCT and RCT.

The use of the term (re)source is short-hand for the text source and resource: the sentence applies to both source and resource. Similarly, project (etc.) allows us to avoid having to write project, program block(s), scheduling block(s) and scan(s) which otherwise would make sentences confusing. For program block and scheduling block we will use PB and SB, respectively, or blocks when we mean either or both.

We will further use PST and PSC to refer to the Proposal Submission Tool and Proposal Selection Committee, which have some interaction or influence on what goes on in the OPT web application. Finally, we will use OSRO to indicate anything related to the Open Shared Risk Observing period, starting in the spring of 2010, for which the full capabilities of the new EVLA WIDAR correlator are not yet available.

Connect with NRAO

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Founded in 1956, the NSF NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NSF NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NSF 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. NSF NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.

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