GSFC XMM-Newton GOF Status Report #037: NASA HQ call for XMM proposers

[Michael Arida <arida@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov>]

Dear US XMM-Newton Community,

    As you probably are already aware, ESA has released the XMM-Newton
AO-2 Call for Proposals.  NASA and the US XMM Guest Observer Facility
strongly encourage the participation by US astronomers in this
program.  Please find attached the NASA "Dear Colleague" letter
concerning this AO.

    Information concerning the AO can be found in the ESA XMM SOC web
pages (http://xmm.vilspa.esa.es/) and in the NASA GOF pages
(http://xmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/), and explicitly,
(http://xmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xmm/xmmhp_prop_tools.html).

Sincerely,
    Dr. Steve Snowden for the NASA/GSFC XMM-Newton GOF

---

Dear Colleague,

NASA is pleased to call to the attention of members of the U.S.
scientific community the release by the European Space Agency (ESA)
of the Announcement of Opportunity (AO), "XMM Call for Observing
Proposals", soliciting Guest Observing proposals for the second cycle
(AO-2) observing program for ESA's X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission
(XMM-Newton).  The subject Announcement solicits proposals for
observations to be performed during a one-year period commencing in
mid-2002.  Due to the nature of the NASA-ESA bilateral agreement,
proposals from scientists affiliated with U.S. institutions only are
solicited by this Letter; others are urged to contact ESA directly.
U.S. scientists may propose either as Principal Investigators or as
Co-Investigators on proposals with non-U.S. P.I.'s. The AO may be
accessed directly from ESA at the following address:

http://xmm.vilspa.esa.es/       
  
NASA has instituted an XMM Guest Observer Facility (GOF) at the
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) as a support center for XMM
activities in the U.S. Information of interest to U.S. observers, as
well as general project information, can be found at the following
address:
  
http://xmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  
A detailed description of the mission, including instrument
capabilities and additional information pertaining to the proposal
preparation and submission procedures, are also available via links
from the XMM home page at that address.  (General questions
concerning XMM and participation by U.S. investigators should be
addressed to xmmgof@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov.)  ESA will be responsible
for conducting a peer review of all submitted proposals, including 
those from U.S. investigators, and determining the associated time 
allocation.  Current plans call for ESA to notify proposers and NASA
of the results of the peer review in early Spring 2002.

As on Cycle 1, NASA has allocated funding for a Guest Observer (GO)
program to support the analysis, interpretation, and publication of
data obtained by U.S. proposers who are granted Open Time observing
on XMM through the ESA AO.   The level of funding available for any
approved program will depend on the total funding available, the size
and complexity of the investigation, and on the ultimate number of
U.S. investigations approved by ESA.  We anticipate that 
approximately $3.5 M will be available for support of US Guest
Observers under AO-2.  Details regarding the timing and mechanism of
NASA's solicitation for data analysis funding requests will be
announced at a later date; please do not submit a budget with your
observing proposal.

For additional technical or programmatic information regarding U.S.
participation in the XMM mission, please contact:


Technical Information:          Dr. Steve Snowden
                                Goddard Space Flight Center
                                Code 662
                                Greenbelt, MD  20771
                                Tel:  (301) 286-8100
                                Fax:  (301) 286-1684
                                snowden@riva.gsfc.nasa.gov
                                
                                
Programmatic Information:       Dr. Louis Kaluzienski
                                NASA Headquarters
                                Code SZ
                                Washington, DC  20546
                                Tel:  (202) 358-0365 
                                Fax:  (202) 358-3096 
                                lkaluzie@hq.nasa.gov 
                                                                
                                
Sincerely,                      

Dr. Paul Hertz
Senior Scientist
Astronomy and Physics Division, NASA