APT Proposal Information
The JWST Proposal Information section of APT can be found in the tree editor (left column in the APT GUI). It provides a place to enter details of a supporting nature for your proposal.
Words in bold are GUI menus/
panels or data software packages;
bold italics are buttons in GUI
tools or package parameters.
Dark gray boxes hold information that is automatically filled by APT, and are not editable. The Proposal Information GUI contains several such boxes that will be filled and adjusted as you edit your proposal. For example, when your proposal is complete and you have run Smart Accounting, the official Science Time, Charged Time, and Data Volume for your proposal will be automatically filled. The Allocated Time box will only be filled in for accepted proposals.
Proposal Information
The Form Editor at the top tool bar is used to fill the Proposal Information GUI. Click on Proposal Information in the tree editor to see it in the active GUI window. It contains entry areas for required information about each JWST proposal. Required parameters are:
- Title
- Abstract
- Category (a pull-down menu shows GO, GTO, DD, ERS, AR, SURVEY, and NASA, as well as checkboxes for Calibration, Treasury, and GO-Archival)
- Pure Parallel Proposal * (check this box if you're submitting a pure parallel program)
- Cycle
- Requested Exclusive Access Period for new data (the default is 12 Months for GO proposals)
- Scientific Category and Science Keywords (note that an Alternate Category can also be selected)
- PDF Attachment (science justification/description of observations; prepare this separately and attach it prior to submitting your proposal)
As proposed observations are entered, APT calculates the science time request and total time request (including overheads) for all observations specified, and displays these values in the Proposal Information GUI. These values are a point of reference used by the JWST time allocation committee in reviewing the proposal.
Proposers may edit the following additional parameters if needed:
- Explain unschedulable observations (in small font under Cycle) is used to explain unresolved APT errors or warnings at the time of submission. In most cases, proposers are expected to resolve errors prior to submission, but if an unanticipated situation is encountered and an STScI exception is obtained, this text section can be used to provide the relevant information.
- Supply Meteoroid Zone Justification (in small font under Cycle) is only used for programs whose science objectives require observing targets when they fall within the JWST Micrometeoroid Avoidance Zone. In that case a red X will appear next to this box until the justification is entered. For more details, see APT Micrometeoroid Avoidance.
- Number of Target of Opportunity Activations (in small font under Cycle)
- Request custom time allocation (in small font under Data Volume) is for special situations where normal accounting in APT may be inaccurate. If the requested time allocation for your proposal is different from that calculated by APT, proposers may enter a "custom time allocation." However, an explanation is required for a custom time allocation (e.g., like a target of opportunity observation). The APT-calculated times cannot be modified and will remain visible.
- Request time in Future cycles (in small font under Data Volume)—such requests must be scientifically justified.
Selecting the small arrow to the left of items in the tree editor will show subordinate sections, known as containers, that can be selected to enter information. For Proposal Information, this includes Proposal Description and Team Expertise, as well as containers to enter the proposal's principal investigator and/or co-investigator information.
The Proposal Description and Team Expertise containers provide free-format text boxes where you should enter any relevant details about your proposal that may be useful for future reference. The Unnamed PI and Unnamed CoI containers include a search box that can be used to find and enter contact information directly from an STScI database (or you can enter new investigator information, if needed). They change to show the PI or CoI name in the tree editor when completed.
For a previously submitted proposal, the Reset to Draft... button will allow the current .apt file to be submitted as a new proposal, instead of a re-submission.
* Normal proposals can contain primary observations and coordinated parallel observations, but pure parallel proposals are completely separate proposals and are handled differently. See JWST Parallel Observations to understand the specifics of these different kinds of parallel observations.