Large Program policy

A Large Program should require more than 100 hours of observing time, spread over a maximum of three years, i.e. 6 contiguous semesters, or longer for programs requesting more than 1000 hours. IRAM will accept a limited number of Large Programs to be carried out per semester and instrument (30-meter and NOEMA), allocating up to 50% of observing time to such projects.

The Large Program should address strategic scientific issues leading to a breakthrough in the field. Large Programs should be coherent science projects, not reproducible by a combination of smaller normal proposals. The Large Program proposals should contain a solid management plan ensuring an efficient turnover, including data reduction, analysis, and organization of the efforts. Because of the large investment in observing time, but also of the inherent support from IRAM, it is advised that Large Programs involve one or more IRAM internal collaborators.

In order to ensure proper management of Large Programs in close interaction with the IRAM observatory, including the provision of suitable archive data products for the general scientific community, only programs led by PIs located in one of the IRAM partner countries will be considered.

Once accepted, PIs of a Large Program cannot submit other proposals (as PI) during the active time of the Large Program. 

During the execution period of the Large Programs (ideally before mid-term), the team leading the Large Program should report to IRAM about the preliminary results and possible technical difficulties, so that IRAM could assess the progress made, assist with any problems encountered in the course of the observations, and, if needed, adjust the program scheduling.

The proprietary period ends 18 months after the end of the last scheduling semester in which the Large Program was observed. The raw data and processed data then enter the public domain. An extension of this proprietary period may be granted in exceptional cases only. A corresponding request will have to be submitted to the IRAM director.

For further details on the submission of a Large Program for an upcoming observing semester, please consult the Call for Proposal web pages.

*Guaranteed Time Observations