Confidentiality of Proposal Data
Both Observatory staff and external members of the scientific community participate in the Observatory proposal evaluation and time allocation process. They will regularly be exposed to confidential information and proprietary data and ideas. The information, data, and ideas must be held in confidence and not disclosed to others. However, several exceptions apply according to the role of the individuals in question.
- Members of a given Science Review Panel may disclose and discuss the contents of any proposal assigned to them with one another, consistent with the conflicts of interest policy.
- Members of the Time Allocation Committee may disclose and discuss the contents of any proposal under consideration with each other, consistent with conflicts of interest policy.
- Observatory staff serving as technical reviewers may need to consult with each other to ensure a fair and complete assessment of technical elements of the proposal. Hence, technical details may be disclosed and discussed internally by relevant Observatory staff as needed.
- Observatory staff members that participate in the Director’s Review may disclose and discuss the contents of any proposal under consideration with each other, consistent with the conflicts of interest policy.
