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Title: Preliminary Program Operating Plan FY2020 Author: ADs Date: 9/12/2019 Version: 1.1 Preliminary Program Operating Plan For NRAO FY2020 PREPARED BY ORGANIZATION DATE ADs NRAO 9/12/2019 APPROVALS ORGANIZATION Nicole Thisdell NRAO Tony Beasley NRAO Dave Curren AUI

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Page 1: library.nrao.edu · This National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) Program Operating Plan (POP) describes the planned allocation of the Observatory’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 funding

Title: Preliminary Program Operating Plan FY2020 Author: ADs Date: 9/12/2019

Version: 1.1

Preliminary Program Operating Plan

For NRAO FY2020

PREPARED BY ORGANIZATION DATE ADs NRAO 9/12/2019

APPROVALS ORGANIZATION

Nicole Thisdell NRAO

Tony Beasley NRAO

Dave Curren AUI

Page 2: library.nrao.edu · This National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) Program Operating Plan (POP) describes the planned allocation of the Observatory’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 funding

Title: Preliminary Program Operating Plan FY2020 Author: ADs Date: 9/12/2019

Version: 1.1

Change Record VERSION DATE REASON 0.01 7/6 Contributions from ADs collected

Master 8/2 Edits by CA, LTB, MTA

0.02 8/6 Review by CA complete, POP to ADs

0.03 Due 8/21 POP to AUI

0.04 Due 9/9 POP to Director

1.0 Due 9/16 Preliminary draft

1.1 Due 9/27 POP to NSF

1.1 December 11-12 Program Review

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Preliminary

Program Operating Plan For NRAO

FY2020

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Science Overview ........................................................................................................... 1

Time Domain Studies and Fundamental Physics ................................................................................. 2 Solar System ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Star and Planet Formation and the Search for Life ............................................................................. 6 Galaxies and Galaxy Formation ............................................................................................................... 8 Strategic Development Initiatives ......................................................................................................... 10 Long-Term Development in Radio Astronomy................................................................................. 11

1.2 Financial and Budget Overview ................................................................................... 13 Major Budgetary Actions in FY2020 .................................................................................................... 13

1.3 Structure of Plan .......................................................................................................... 14

2 NORTH AMERICAN ALMA OPERATIONS ........................................................ 16 2.1 The North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC) .......................................... 17

ALMA Community Support ................................................................................................................... 17 ALMA Telescope Interface and Diagnostics ...................................................................................... 18 NA ARC Data Analyst Group ............................................................................................................... 19

2.2 Development ................................................................................................................. 20 Administrative Process for Development Studies ............................................................................ 20 FY2020 Development Milestones ......................................................................................................... 21

2.3 Maintenance, Renewal, and Warranty Claims .......................................................... 22 Hardware Maintenance and Renewal .................................................................................................. 22 NA ALMA Offsite Hardware Support ................................................................................................. 22 Warranty Support .................................................................................................................................... 23

2.4 NRAO Chile Office ....................................................................................................... 24 2.5 NA ALMA Operations Major Milestones ................................................................... 27 2.6 NA ALMA Operations Financial Charts .................................................................... 29

3 NEW MEXICO OPERATIONS ............................................................................... 30 3.1 Very Large Array (VLA) .............................................................................................. 30

VLA Science Operations ......................................................................................................................... 30 VLA Array Operations ............................................................................................................................ 33 VLA Development .................................................................................................................................... 34 VLA Electronics Maintenance and Renewal ....................................................................................... 34 VLA Site Maintenance and Renewal ..................................................................................................... 36 VLA Observing Capability Enhancements ........................................................................................... 38 VLA Technical Upgrades and Enhancements ..................................................................................... 39

3.2 Very Long Baseline Array ............................................................................................ 39 VLBA Science Operations ...................................................................................................................... 40 VLBA Array Operations .......................................................................................................................... 41 VLBA Development ................................................................................................................................. 42 VLBA Maintenance and Renewal ........................................................................................................... 43 VLBA Observing Capability Enhancements ........................................................................................ 44 VLBA Technical Upgrades and Enhancements ................................................................................... 45

3.3 New Mexico Operations Major Milestones ................................................................ 46 3.4 New Mexico Operations Financial Charts ................................................................. 49

4 CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY ....................................................... 50 4.1 Repair, Maintenance, Production, and Support ........................................................ 51

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4.2 CDL Development Plans ............................................................................................. 52 4.3 Central Development Laboratory Major Milestones ................................................ 55 4.4 Central Development Laboratory Financial Charts ................................................. 56

5 SCIENCE SUPPORT AND RESEARCH ................................................................ 57 5.1 Telescope Time Allocation .......................................................................................... 57 5.2 Science Ready Data Products ...................................................................................... 58 5.3 Scientific User Support ................................................................................................ 59 5.4 Reference Services ....................................................................................................... 60 5.5 Scientific Staff and Jansky Fellows .............................................................................. 61 5.6 Student Programs ........................................................................................................ 62 5.7 Science Support and Research Major Milestones ...................................................... 64 5.8 Scientific Support and Research Financial Charts..................................................... 66

6 DATA MANAGEMENT AND SOFTWARE .......................................................... 67 6.1 Scientific Information Services ................................................................................... 67 6.2 System Software ........................................................................................................... 68

ALMA System Software .......................................................................................................................... 68 VLA System Software .............................................................................................................................. 70 VLBA ............................................................................................................................................................ 71

6.3 Software Development ................................................................................................ 71 CASA ........................................................................................................................................................... 71 CASA Testing ............................................................................................................................................ 72 CASA Pipeline ............................................................................................................................................ 73 Science Support and Archive (SSA) ...................................................................................................... 73

6.4 Algorithm Research and Development ...................................................................... 73 6.5 Data Management and Software Major Milestones .................................................. 75 6.6 Data Management and Software Financial Charts ................................................... 77

7 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ...................................................... 78 7.1 Program Management Office Operations ................................................................. 78 7.2 Proposal Development ................................................................................................ 78 7.3 Program Management Activities ................................................................................ 78

PMD Headquarters .................................................................................................................................. 78 New Mexico Operations ........................................................................................................................ 79 Central Development Laboratory ........................................................................................................ 79 ALMA Development ................................................................................................................................ 79

7.4 Project Management/Systems Engineering Activities .............................................. 79 Program Management Software Implementation .............................................................................. 79 ALMA OSF Sports Facility ...................................................................................................................... 79 Science Ready Data Products ................................................................................................................ 80 VLBA Fiber ................................................................................................................................................. 80 VLBA St. Croix Hurricane Repairs ....................................................................................................... 80 ALMA Band I LNA’s and LO’s ............................................................................................................... 81

7.5 Program Management Department Major Milestones ............................................ 82 7.6 Program Management Department Financial Charts .............................................. 83

8 EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH ........................................................... 84 8.1 News and Public Information ...................................................................................... 84 8.2 Multimedia Engagement .............................................................................................. 85 8.3 STEAM Education and Outreach ................................................................................ 86 8.4 Visitor Center Operations ........................................................................................... 87

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8.5 Education and Public Outreach Major Milestones .................................................... 89 8.6 Education and Public Outreach Financial Charts ...................................................... 90

9 COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SERVICES ................................................ 91 9.1 Observatory-Wide Support ......................................................................................... 92 9.2 Site Specific Facilities Infrastructure .......................................................................... 92 9.3 Maintenance and Renewal ........................................................................................... 92 9.4 Computing and Information Services Major Milestones .......................................... 93 9.5 Computing and Information Services Financial Charts ............................................ 94

10 OFFICE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ......................................................... 95 10.1 Local and National Programs ...................................................................................... 97

Radio Astronomy Data Imaging & Analysis Labs (RADIAL) ...................................................... 97 National Astronomy Consortium .................................................................................................... 97 National and International Non-Traditional Exchange (NINE) ................................................. 98 VA-NC Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation ........................................................... 99 NSBP and SACNAS ............................................................................................................................. 99 URM Student Network Partnerships .............................................................................................. 99 ODI-Office of Chilean Affairs (OCA) Collaboration .................................................................. 99 ODI Chile REU Program ................................................................................................................. 100

10.2 Office of Diversity and Inclusion Major Milestones ................................................. 101 10.3 Office of Diversity and Inclusion Financial Charts ................................................... 102

11 HUMAN RESOURCES ........................................................................................... 103 11.1 Workforce Management ........................................................................................... 103 11.2 Training and Development ........................................................................................ 104 11.3 Compensation ............................................................................................................. 105 11.4 Benefits ........................................................................................................................ 106 11.5 Recruitment/Employment ......................................................................................... 106 11.6 General HR Goals ....................................................................................................... 107 11.7 Human Resources Major Milestones ........................................................................ 109 11.8 Human Resources Financial Charts .......................................................................... 110

12 SCIENCE COMMUNICATIONS .......................................................................... 111 12.1 Science Communications .......................................................................................... 111 12.2 Science Communications Major Milestones ............................................................ 113 12.3 Science Communications Financial Charts ............................................................. 113

13 ADMINISTRATION ............................................................................................... 114 13.1 Business Services ........................................................................................................ 114 13.2 Contracts and Procurement (CAP).......................................................................... 115 13.3 Environmental, Safety and Security ......................................................................... 115 13.4 Management Information Systems ........................................................................... 115 13.5 Technology Transfer Office ....................................................................................... 116 13.6 Administration Major Milestones.............................................................................. 117 13.7 Administration Financial Charts ............................................................................... 118

14 BUDGET .................................................................................................................. 119 14.1 Budget Major Milestones ........................................................................................... 121 14.2 Budget Financial Charts ............................................................................................. 122

15 SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT ............................................................................... 123 15.1 Site Spectrum Management ...................................................................................... 123

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15.2 National and International Spectrum Management ............................................... 123 15.3 Spectrum Management Major Milestones ............................................................... 125 15.4 Spectrum Management Financial Chart .................................................................. 125

16 DIRECTOR’S OFFICE ............................................................................................ 126 16.1 Director’s Office ......................................................................................................... 126 16.2 Director’s Office Major Milestones ........................................................................... 128 16.3 Director’s Office Financial Charts ............................................................................ 129

Appendix A: FINANCIAL PLAN ................................................................................. 130

Appendix B: FUNDING BY DEPARTMENT AND OBJECT .................................... 135

Appendix C: CSA EXPENDITURES ........................................................................... 136

Appendix D: COMMON COST EXPENSES BY LOCATION .................................. 140

Appendix E: WBS DICTIONARY ................................................................................ 141

Appendix F: MAJOR MILESTONES SUMMARY ....................................................... 146

Appendix G: ACRONYMS ............................................................................................ 157

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NRAO | Program Operating Plan FY2020 1

1 OVERVIEW

This National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) Program Operating Plan (POP) describes the planned allocation of the Observatory’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 funding from the National Science Foundation Division of Astronomical Sciences (NSF-AST) in support of its mission to enable forefront research into the Universe at radio wavelengths. The period of performance is 1 October 2019 through 30 September 2020. NRAO is managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) under AST-1519126 (CSA-V) and AST-1647375 (CSA-A). The NRAO POP highlights the community-driven science program for these facilities, and the fundamental role these programs will play over the coming year. The POP also discusses the implementation of development programs to improve the existing NRAO facilities in the near term and beyond. The NRAO Long Range Plan outlines the activities and key directions for the NRAO over the next five years, FY2021–2025. The NRAO Strategic Plan outlines several key initiatives the Observatory is pursuing over the next decade. Many of the activities described in this plan are directly related to these NRAO strategic initiatives:

• Developing ALMA capabilities • Renewing VLA Infrastructure and Developing a next generation VLA (ngVLA) • A VLA Sky Survey (VLASS) • Central Development Laboratory: New Focus and Growth • Science-Ready Data Products from NRAO instruments • Expanding Education & Public Outreach, Broadening Participation • Square Kilometer Array Engagement

1.1 Science Overview

This past year has seen some of the most important discoveries in physics and astronomy of the 21st century, in which all the NRAO facilities—the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)—have played critical and unique roles. Discoveries range from determining the physical conditions on the Jovian moon Europa, to detailed studies of planet formation, to the almost unimaginable: direct imaging of the event horizon of a supermassive black hole. In the era of multi-messenger astronomy, when discoveries are being made across the electromagnetic spectrum—and using new windows to the Universe provided by gravitational waves, neutrinos, cosmic rays, and time-domain astronomy—the world-leading NRAO radio arrays have repeatedly enabled the most technically challenging observations demanded by the community’s highest priority science time and again. Demand for these facilities is strong; ALMA proposal numbers eclipse those from all other telescopes, at any wavelength, on the Earth and in space. The paramount effort for the United States (U.S.) astronomy community over the last year has been preparation for the Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics (Astro2020), and efforts will continue through the coming year with final submission of the project papers, and subsequent reviews. The NRAO is playing a leading role in radio astronomy planning for Astro2020, and the NRAO facilities continue to have profound impact on the astronomy and physics communities. In preparation for Astro2020, the NRAO has implemented development programs which pave the way toward the next generation of major radio facilities. In response to strong community demand, and in close collaboration with the U.S. community, the NRAO has launched the next generation VLA program (ngVLA), as the natural next major step beyond the remarkably successful VLA. In parallel, the ALMA development program continues, with upgrade projects that are taking the first steps toward realizing the ALMA 2030 vision. The VLBA is making

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NRAO | Program Operating Plan FY2020 2

the first strides toward routine real-time Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)—an important step toward incorporating VLBI into the ngVLA program. In parallel, the NRAO is pursuing programs that facilitate ease-of-use of the NRAO facilities, such as Science Ready Data Products (SRDP) for the VLA, and continually improving the Common Astronomy Software Applications (CASA) software, while running multiple schools in radio astronomy techniques and science to foster community education and growth. The NRAO maintains close ties with the international community, and efforts are underway to coordinate long-term development in global radio astronomy, in particular, with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) program.

Time Domain Studies and Fundamental Physics

The NRAO facilities this past year have been at the forefront of a series of fundamental breakthroughs in general relativity and the physics of black holes. These results range from black holes of a few Solar masses, to black holes of billions of Solar masses. The results represent some of the most important discoveries in physics in the 21st century. Topping the list of science highlights is the direct imaging of a Supermassive Black Hole (SMBH) event horizon using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). Once considered the realm of science fiction, this astonishing result was the culmination of years of effort by an international team, in close collaboration with Observatory staff, to perform submillimeter VLBI observations at the unprecedented resolution of 20 microarcsec. The direct image of the event horizon of the M87 SMBH is perhaps the most dramatic affirmation of general relativity, and certainly the most photogenic. The role of the phased ALMA in this program cannot be overstated: without the ultra-sensitive phased ALMA, these observations would have been impossible.

Figure 1.1.1.1: [Left] EHT 230 GHz image of the event horizon of the M87 black hole at an unprecedented 20 microarcsec resolution. [Right] Model for the general relativistic shadow caused by the severe bending of space-time around the Schwarzschild radius, seen as a bright ring with a dark center, indicating the orbital radius of the last photons able to escape the extreme gravitational field of the 6 x 109 M� black hole (EHT Collaboration 2019). This year saw the publication of 17 years of VLBA monitoring of the M87 jet at 43 GHz, with a resolution as high as 30x the Schwarzchild radius (Rs), a significant event in VLBA history. The jet is edge-brightened, likely helical, and the jet knots accelerate from speeds < 0.5c to speeds > 2c, within the inner 0.1parsec

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NRAO | Program Operating Plan FY2020 3

(pc). A major goal in future VLBI studies of M87 will be to connect the structures seen by the EHT on scales of a few Rs, with structures seen by the VLBA on scales of a few tens of Rs.

Figure 1.1.1.2: VLBA image of the M87 jet at 43 GHz averaged over 17 years of observation (Walker, C. et al. 2018, ApJ, 855, 128). Cygnus A, as the closest powerful radio galaxy, has been a target of VLA observations since the array’s inception in 1980. Yet even today, the source presents surprises. Recent Cygnus A observations have led to the discovery of a new, variable radio source in the nucleus that VLBI imaging indicates is a secondary Supermassive Black Hole, implying that Cygnus A hosts a binary SMBH with a separation of only 400 pc. These same images reveal, for the first time, the obscuring torus in Cygnus A. Such a torus has long been hypothesized as a key element of physical models of powerful Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). However, evidence for such structures in AGN with quasar-like luminosities has remained circumstantial. VLA imaging of Cygnus A has revealed a structure extending perpendicular to the inner radio jets with a radius of 250 pc. This structure has been interpreted as thermal emission from ionized gas in a multi-phase obscuring torus—a complex mixture of gas and dust surrounding, obscuring, and ultimately feeding, the SMBH. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) has opened a new window on the Universe, and NRAO facilities have played a leading role in identifying the electromagnetic counterparts, as well as in determining the physical processes involved in neutron star mergers observed by LIGO. Studies with the VLA (and other facilities) of the radio light curve of the first localized gravitational wave source have verified the smothered jet model for the neutron star merger, in which the expansion of the relativistic jet generated during the merger is initially impeded by neutron star debris. Subsequent imaging with the VLBA has shown that this jet has now emerged from the debris, and is expanding at an apparent velocity of 4c into the diffuse Interstellar Medium (ISM) of the host galaxy.

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NRAO | Program Operating Plan FY2020 4

Figure 1.1.1.3: VLA image at 35 GHz of the jets, torus, and secondary supermassive black hole, in Cygnus A at 43 milliarcsec resolution (Carilli et al. 2019, 874, L32).

Figure 1.1.1.4: [Left] Proper motion of the VLBI components of GW170817 at 5 GHz over 155 days. [Right] Schematic model of the jets emerging from the nascent cocoon of neutron star debris, into the ambient medium at an apparent speed of 4c (Mooley et al. 2018, 868 L11). The VLBA has imaged a radio jet moving at 0.5c from the black hole/stellar binary system V404 Cygni, with an observing cadence short enough to follow the rapid precession of the jet on timescales of minutes.

The system involves a 9M⊙ black hole accreting mass from a close stellar companion. The disk and jet precession is caused by general relativistic frame-dragging of the accretion disk around the rapidly spinning black hole, driven by a misalignment between the black hole rotation axis relative to that of the accretion disk.

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Figure 1.1.1.5: VLBA 8 GHz observations of V404 Cygni over 10 days, showing a precessing accretion disk and jet (Miller- Jones et al. Nature, 2019, 569, 374). The VLA has traced the trajectory of a cannonball pulsar, traveling 1,100 km s-1, as it escapes its nascent supernova shell, CTB 1, which exploded 10,000 years ago. The pulsar, J0002+6216, was discovered as part of the citizen scientist project Einstein at Home. The pulsar forms a narrow, 7 arcmin, cometary tail of synchrotron emission caused by its bow shock as the pulsar passes through the ISM. The velocity is large enough that it will eventually leave the Milky Way. These results support the idea that hydrodynamic instabilities in the supernova explosion are responsible for the high velocity of this pulsar.

Figure 1.1.1.6: Composite of the VLA 1.5 GHz image at 10 arcsec resolution, and the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey image, of the supernova remnant CTB 1 and its birth-pulsar, J0002+6216 (Schinzel et al. 2019, 876, L17).

Solar System

Studies of Solar System objects are of great interest, both in terms of understanding the origin of the Earth and the development of terrestrial life, and to search for potential bodies in the Solar System that could promote the development of life. The Jovian moon, Europa, is a target of particular interest in this regard, being covered in a liquid water ocean below its frozen ice crust. However, to date, the full surface temperature structure of Europa has been determined only by the Galileo mission, ~25 years ago. ALMA has now performed a full-area survey of the brightness temperature of Europa at 230 GHz with a resolution of 50 milliarcsec (200 km).

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NRAO | Program Operating Plan FY2020 6

Figure 1.1.2: ALMA image of the 230 GHz brightness temperature (deg K) of Europa at 200 km resolution (Trumbo et al. 2018, AJ, 156, 161). ALMA also imaged the organic molecule HCN in the nucleus of the periodic comet, 46P/Wirtanen, one of the brightest and closest comets in years. The ALMA observations provide clues into the theory that cometary debris supplied the organic compounds that potentially seeded the development of life on Earth.

Star and Planet Formation and the Search for Life

ALMA has completed the Disk Substructures at High Angular Resolution large program (DSHARP) to image the dust in a sample of 20 protoplanetary disks at 5 Astronomical Unit (AU) resolution. The program seeks to understand the complexity in planet formation, from hot Jupiters to massive rocky worlds, icy dwarf planets, and possibly, distant Earth-analogs. The survey reveals rings, gaps, and even spiral patterns indicative of dust trapping and planet formation. The results suggest that large gas planets, similar to Saturn, often form quickly, within 1 million years—much faster than predicted by theory, and they form in the outer reaches of the disks. ALMA also reveals dense inner rings of dust, which likely enhance the formation of rocky planets, providing stable, dense environments that give planets more time to grow.

Figure 1.1.3.1: ALMA images of protoplanetary disks at 230 GHz, 35 milliarcsec resolution (Andrews et al. 2018, 869, L41).

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The new ALMA Band 10—the highest-frequency receiver capability—has performed its first science observations, and the results are spectacular. Images of the Cat’s Paw Nebula, an active star-forming region in Scorpio at a distance of 1.4 kpc, show jets of heavy water (HDO) emerging from the proto-stars. These jets have dramatic impact on the local ISM, as revealed in VLA observations of maser emission from the termination shocks. Numerous complex organic molecules have been observed, including glycolaldehyde, the simplest sugar-related molecule.

Figure 1.1.3.2: [Left] Complex organic chemistry in the Cat’s Paw. [Right] Image of the HDO outflows (blue), plus red continuum emission, in the Cat’s Paw nebula, at 880 GHz and a resolution of 0.2 arcsec (McGuire et al. 2018). Massive stars are typically in binary systems, but a key unanswered question is whether they formed from a single nascent gas cloud, or the binarity arose post-formation via capture. ALMA imaging of the gas and dust in the star forming region, IRAS-07299, has provided the first evidence for the formation of a massive binary star system within a single rotating gas disk, suggesting co-formation in a single, massive, dusty disk.

Figure 1.1.3.3: ALMA 230 GHz images of the ionized gas at 0.3 arcsec and 30 milliarcsec in the forming massive binary star system, IRAS-07299, color coded by velocity (Zhang et al. 2019, Nature Astronomy, 3, 517).

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Galaxies and Galaxy Formation

A key question in galaxy evolution is the relationship between molecular gas and star formation. ALMA has released the first results from the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) survey of CO 2-1 emission from 74 spiral galaxies within 17 Mpc. These observations resolve 100,000 Orion-like Giant Molecular Clouds (GMC) down to 1 arcsec (~ 50 pc), in the galaxy sample. The gas dynamics results imply marginally self-gravitating GMCs, and that the star formation efficiency per free-fall time ~0.7%. The first comparison of Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer for the Very Large Telescope (MUSE/VLT) and ALMA data on individual molecular clouds and HII regions in NGC 628, shows that the gas depletion times for molecular clouds in NGC 628 are much longer (> 1 Gyr) than for similar clouds in the Milky Way (~ 0.2 Gyr).

Figure 1.1.4.1: ALMA images of CO 2-1 emission from three PHANGS galaxies at 1arcsec resolution (Sun et al. 2018, ApJ, 860, 172). The Cosmos HI Large Extragalactic Survey (CHILES) VLA deep field is the first high-resolution, three-dimensional survey of HI 21cm emission over a substantial cosmic volume. The first results from this large program have been published, showing numerous massive HI galaxies to z ~ 0.17, or look-back times of

2 Gyr, with gas mass approaching 1010 M⊙. The images show rich structure, including disks, tidal features, and massive groups. These observations provide crucial insight into the physics of the evolution of the neutral atomic gas in galaxies, and guidance for future deeper surveys with next generation radio arrays.

Figure 1.1.4.2: CHILES VLA image of an HI group at z = 0.12 (Hess et al. 2018).

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The wide bandwidths and high sensitivity of ALMA and the VLA have revolutionized the approach to cosmic deep fields, through full three-dimensional, blind searches for molecular gas over large cosmic volumes in the early Universe. Results from the CO Luminosity Density at High Redshift (z) survey (COLDz) VLA molecular deep field were published over the last year, presenting the first unbiased determination of the molecular gas content of galaxies throughout the Universe. This blind survey for CO over a large cosmic volume shows the rise and fall of the mean cosmic cold gas density to z ~ 6, paralleling the cosmic star formation rate density. The results support and quantify models in which star formation is fueled by molecular gas in distant galaxies, thereby completing the picture of the baryon cycle of gas to stars across cosmic time.

Figure 1.1.4.3: [Left] A CO emitting galaxy from the COLDz VLA large program at z = 2.1. [Right] the dense gas history of the Universe determined by COLDz (Reichers et al. 2018, ApJ, 872, 7; Pavesi et al. 2018, ApJ, 864, 49).

ALMA images of the dust, and VLA observations of the molecular gas, in the most luminous galaxy known, W2246–0526 (z = 4.6), reveal a complex system comprised of a massive star-forming galaxy, plus numerous gas and dust streamers and merging minor galaxies. These observations provide the clearest look into the details of extreme mass galaxy formation in the early Universe.

Figure 1.1.4.4: ALMA observations of the dust continuum emission at 1.1 mm and 0.4 arcsec resolution (contours), from the z = 4.6 massive starburst system, W2246–0526 (Diaz-Santos et al. 2018, Science, 362, 1034), overlaid on the optical image.

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Strategic Development Initiatives

VLA Sky Survey (VLASS): The first epoch of the VLASS all-sky observations was completed in July 2019. The two remaining epochs are planned for the coming years until 2024, and will complete the first all-sky, high angular resolution synoptic radio survey. The primary VLASS science goals are to search for transient sources, study polarization properties of radio sources, image highly obscured sources in the Milky Way, and understand the demographics of extragalactic radio sources and their effects on galaxy evolution. VLASS will provide a reference radio sky image at an angular resolution of 2.5 arcsec, comparable to new large-area optical/infrared (OIR) surveys such as Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS), and Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The Quick Look image products derived from the first epoch of observations, covering the whole sky visible to the VLA (~34,000 deg2 north of declination –40 deg) will be completed in Q4 FY2019. The second epoch of observations will begin in Q4 FY2020, with two important new developments: (1) the Realfast system will acquire data during the survey observations, allowing the rapid identification and arcsecond localization of any detected Fast Radio Bursts (FRB); and (2) the second epoch Quick Look observations can be compared directly to those of the first epoch to search for transients and highly variable sources. Even with only a single epoch, transient science with VLASS is being actively pursued via comparisons with previous surveys. For example, Law et al. (2018, ApJ, 866, L22) use VLASS data to identify a decades-long transient event in a z = 0.02 star-forming galaxy, very likely the first known example of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) that was not beamed towards us (an orphan GRB). Algorithms for the production of higher accuracy single epoch images, including polarization and spectral index information, and component catalogs, are in an advanced stage of development and will be finalized during FY2020. In addition, community-driven efforts, in particular the Canadian Initiative for Radio Astronomy Data Analysis (CIRADA) project, are developing enhanced data products and services for the global radio community. ALMA Development Program: An innovative aspect of the ALMA operations plan was the agreement by the ALMA partners to include a robust development program designed to keep ALMA at the forefront of scientific discovery over its lifetime. The primary tenets of the ALMA development program are that it be driven by science requirements identified by the community and supported by peer review; and comprised of short-term studies to explore proof-of-concepts and technical readiness as well as longer-term development projects, which most often result in deliverables for the ALMA array. Projects must undergo rigorous technical and scientific review, and must be approved by the ALMA Board or Director, depending on size and scope. The rigorous evaluations continue even after the approval of a project to ensure progress is being made, or to help inform the decision regarding ending a project. NRAO plays a key role in several ongoing ALMA development projects that are being managed at different institutions. NRAO is providing low-noise amplifiers and local oscillator assemblies for Band 1 construction being led by the Academia Sinica Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA). The Band 2 design being led by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and NRAO is being considered for technical collaboration in key areas. A years-long effort to upgrade Band 3 cartridges with de-flux heaters is entering production and should be completed in FY2020. The ALMA Phasing Project is improving the array’s sensitivity, flexibility, and spectral capabilities for VLBI. Low Frequency Radio Astronomy: NRAO continues to work closely with the low-frequency radio astronomy community, fostering the development of new techniques and telescopes in studies ranging from persistent radio emission from meteor trails, to exoplanet magnetospheres, to the HI 21cm signal from the Universe just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. NRAO is a core member of the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA)—the flagship U.S.-led experiment to search for the HI

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signal from cosmic reionization. The HERA telescope, being built in the radio quiet zone in the Karoo, South Africa, is well into construction of the full 351-element array of 14-meter parabolic antennas, and the results from the first season of observation using 50 antennas are being analyzed. The NRAO participates in all aspects of the project, from engineering design, to array testing and calibration, to science data analysis. The NRAO hosts the HERA data archive. The NRAO is also working with the Long Wavelength Array (LWA), led by the University of New Mexico, with low frequency dipole arrays located at the VLA site, and in the Sevilleta Wildlife preserve in Socorro County, New Mexico. This last year saw the start of commissioning of a new, broadband low-frequency system on the VLA, funded by the Navy. The VLA signals will be correlated with the LWA stations, to form a sensitive, high resolution, low frequency array.

Long-Term Development in Radio Astronomy

The NRAO has a mandate to foster the long-term growth of radio astronomy in the U.S. Beyond the immediate improvements to existing facilities which continue to yield numerous front-line scientific discoveries, NRAO engages with the community in processes like the Decadal Survey on the development of major new initiatives for the coming decade and beyond. ALMA 2030: In 2018, the ALMA Observatory released the ALMA 2030 Development Roadmap. This document was based on new, primary ALMA science drivers:

• Origins of Galaxies—tracing the cosmic evolution of the first galaxies through the peak of star formation; • Origins of Chemical Complexity—tracing the evolution from simple to complex organic molecules

through the process of star and planet formation down to solar system scales; and • Origins of Planets—imaging protoplanetary disks in nearby star formation regions to resolve the

Earth-forming zone. The ALMA 2030 Development Roadmap also prioritized new capabilities for ALMA development through the next decade, and the North American ALMA Development Program is aligned with these goals through existing and planned projects. The primary areas of emphasis are: (a) broadening the receiver intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth by at least a factor of two, and (b) upgrading the associated system electronics and correlator to allow for this increased bandwidth. Such a bandwidth improvement will impact all aspects of ALMA science, from continuum sensitivity to spectral line searches. Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA): The NRAO has engaged the broad science and technical community in the design of a next generation Very Large Array (ngVLA). The ngVLA is envisaged as an interferometric array with ten times the sensitivity and ten times higher spatial resolution than the VLA and ALMA, operating at 1.2–116 GHz. The ngVLA will open a new window on the Universe via ultra-sensitive imaging of thermal line and continuum emission down to milliarcsecond resolution, as well as unprecedented broadband continuum polarimetric imaging of non-thermal processes. These capabilities are the only means to address a broad range of critical questions in modern astronomy, including:

• Direct imaging of planet formation in the terrestrial zone; • Studies of dust-obscured star formation, and the cosmic baryon cycle down to parsec-scales

out to the Virgo cluster, making a cosmic census of the molecular gas which fuels star formation back to first light and cosmic reionization; and

• Novel techniques for exploring temporal phenomena from milliseconds to years in this new era of multi-messenger astrophysics.

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The ngVLA will be optimized for observations at wavelengths between the superb performance of ALMA at submillimeter wavelengths, and the future Phase I Square Kilometre Array (SKA-1) at decimeter and longer wavelengths. The key ngVLA science goals were distilled from individual science cases and discussed and reviewed by the ngVLA Science Advisory Council and Science Working Groups. The goals are described in detail in ngVLA Memorandum #19 (arXiv: 1711.09960), and include:

• Unveiling the Formation of Solar System Analogs; • Probing the Initial Conditions for Planetary Systems and Life with Astrochemistry; • Charting the Assembly, Structure, and Evolution of Galaxies from the First Billion Years to the Present; • Using Pulsars in the Galactic Center to Make a Fundamental Test of Gravity; and • Understanding the Formation and Evolution of Stellar and Supermassive Black Holes in the Era of

Multi-Messenger Astronomy. Prior to FY2020, the primary focus of the ngVLA project has been to prepare a proposal for the Astro2020 Decadal Survey, including a compelling science case, and a rationally costed and realizable design for all the major telescope elements. This effort was driven by the larger community and coordinated through NRAO via close consultation with external Science and Technical Advisory Councils. The ngVLA proposal for Astro2020 was submitted in FY2019. The activities completed in FY2019 in support of the proposal included the publication of the ngVLA Science Book, facilitating community submission of ngVLA science white papers to the Decadal Survey, hosting a meeting on Astrophysical Frontiers in the Next Decade in Charlottesville, Virginia, completing the reference design cost model, completing antenna design reviews, developing a computing and software design architecture, verifying the performance and manufacturability of ngVLA feed horns, and developing thermal and noise models for ngVLA receivers. The longer-term goal of the ngVLA project is to develop science requirements, system requirements, system architecture, and supporting system design that can form the foundation for conceptual development of the facility and a proposal to the NSF AST Division for Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) candidacy. In FY2019, three proposals were written to fund this detailed design and development effort that is to occur in FY2020 and beyond. At the time of writing, one proposal has been declined and the outcomes of the other two are pending. Broadening the NRAO User Base: User demand for the NRAO facilities remains strong, and the community has enthusiastically engaged with the NRAO in long-range planning for radio astronomy through the ngVLA and ALMA 2030 programs. As part of these processes, the NRAO is pursuing numerous programs aimed at continued broadening of the user base beyond the traditional community of experts in radio astronomy. Over the coming year, the NRAO will run schools and workshops on radio astronomical techniques and science. Our radio schools remain the gold standard in global radio astronomy. A call for Extra Large Proposals (X Proposals) has been initiated, based on clear interest by the community. These programs will help define the science from the facilities over the coming years, and will likely represent pathfinders to ngVLA science later in the next decade. Improvements to CASA will continue, maintaining the software as the industry standard. The Science Ready Data Products project delivered the first capability to the astronomy community in 2019, with pilot operations providing delivery of calibrated measurement sets, quality assured calibration

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for the VLA, and user-driven ALMA image creation. In the coming year, SRDP will offer these capabilities in routine operations, while expanding the scope and sophistication of the offered capabilities. Through the SRDP project, the NRAO is developing a new suite of proposal tools to simplify and streamline the proposal and observing preparation process.

1.2 Financial and Budget Overview

This POP is written to a balanced budget based on NSF-AST FY2020 projections for NRAO, the following NSF Cooperative Support Agreements (CSAs), and other funding elements:

• NSF CSA-V Management and Operations of the NRAO; • NSF CSA-A Operations and Maintenance of the ALMA; • NSF CSA-L VLBA Operations and Reintegration into NRAO; • NSF CSA-F VLBA Fiber Project; • Non-programmatic activities associated with NSF (i.e. collaborations with other NSF divisions,

other educational institutions funded by NSF, etc.); • Programmatic elements funded by non-NSF sources (e.g. program income, external contracts

and proceeds).

The FY2020 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) enables visibility and clarity across all business units and sites. All financial tables in this POP reflect this WBS structure. ngVLA activities are not included in this budget. Details of the preliminary funding profile—new funds, carryover, total available, the financial plan including budget narrative, and the WBS dictionary—are provided in Appendices A–E.

Major Budgetary Actions in FY2020

NRAO has an iterative and inclusive budget process that begins each spring. The budget process evaluates expense trends for key inputs such as rents, power, benefits, and compensation, and solicits input from the Assistant Directors (ADs) about significant needs and revenue opportunities. The Budget Department processes this information to produce a preliminary budget. The ADs discuss this budget, along with initial guidance from NSF, at an annual budget and resource planning summit where tradeoffs are made to produce a balanced budget aligned with the Observatory’s most pressing needs and priorities. NRAO ICC: NRAO comprises multiple CSAs, including CSA-V, CSA-A, and CSA-L, as well as other funded activity. In addition, NRAO shares many services and functions with another AUI research center, the Green Bank Observatory (GBO). To allocate the cost of these services and functions equitably, NRAO established a series of Internal Common Cost (ICC) pools. As activity associated with the ngVLA project grows, the ICC pools are also growing to keep pace with the increased level of activity and need for support. Overall rates are targeted to remain steady while the absolute size of the pools grows. Compensation and Benefits: NRAO has allocated funds for compensation increases in January 2020, including the possibility of an above-average increase to allow for catch-up to the market. AUI is moving away from its traditional pay-as-you-go policy as regards the expensing of vacation. Historically, vacation is charged when taken. From January 2020 forward, vacation will be charged as it is accrued by the employee. The salary and benefits lines have been restructured to reflect the move of vacation from a salary expense to a benefits expense and to allow for timing differences in vacation utilization (e.g. an employee did not take their vacation earned within the Fiscal Year during that Fiscal Year).

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VLA Infrastructure: With the end of FY2019, NRAO successfully completed the large three-year push on VLA infrastructure maintenance envisioned in the recompetition proposal. Moving forward, VLA infrastructure and maintenance support will continue at a lower level and in a strategic manner consistent with the need for robust operations and recognizing the possibility of instrument retirement in the next decade. ngVLA: No funding is specifically allocated for the ngVLA project in the programs that comprise this POP. Throughout the document, the ngVLA may be referred to as a project independently funding NRAO staff, however no POP milestones are associated with the project.

1.3 Structure of Plan

The NRAO POP structure reflects the Observatory’s departments and describes the FY2020 goals, milestones, and deliverables for each major department, program, and project. Sections 2 through 16 describe the program plans for each major organization unit. Each section concludes with a chart of the major milestones and a financial chart associated with the planned activities. Financial tables are organized by WBS code and followed by a pie chart showing FY2020 expenditures by object. Appendix A provides the overall financial plan. Appendix B includes a summary of expenditures by department. Sections 2 through 4 describe the plans for the telescope systems and research and development facilities operated by NRAO for the astronomy community: ALMA Section 2; VLA Section 3; and CDL Section 4. Section 2 describes the plans for North American ALMA Operations (NA ALMA Ops), the department that provides North America’s scientific and technical partnership support to the international ALMA Observatory and supports the North American community in their use of ALMA. NA ALMA Operations incorporates four divisions: (1) the North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC); (2) the NA ALMA Development Program; (3) Offsite Technical Maintenance and Support, including the Construction Warranty group; and (4) the Office of Chilean Affairs (OCA). The plans for the New Mexico Operations department are given in Section 3. Subsections highlight VLA science and array operations, development, electronics and site maintenance and renewal, observing capabilities, and technical upgrades. VLBA subsections cover science and array operations, development, maintenance and renewal, observing capabilities, and technical upgrades. Section 4 details the Central Development Laboratory’s (CDL) plans to sustain and enhance existing NRAO facilities and develop the technology and expertise to build the next generation of radio astronomy instruments. Subsections describe repair, maintenance, production and support activities, and the CDL research and development programs. Sections 5 through 15 outline the plans for NRAO’s Observatory-wide departments and other key organization units, such as Spectrum Management. Section 5 describes the plans for the Science Support and Research (SSR) department that aligns the Observatory-wide efforts to support scientific users of NRAO facilities, broaden the Observatory’s impact, and oversee the research and productivity of the scientific staff. Subsections describe plans for telescope time allocation, Science Ready Data Products, Scientific User Support, reference services, scientific staff and Jansky Fellows, and student programs.

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The Data Management and Software (DMS) department will provide vital infrastructure for the VLA Sky Survey and develop and improve tools for user access. Plans are detailed in Section 6, including scientific information services, system software, software development, and algorithm research and development. Section 7 provides the plans for the Program Management Department (PMD), which ensures best practices in the management of projects, proposal development, project management, and systems engineering. The Education and Public Outreach (EPO) department plans are given in Section 8, including news and public information, multimedia engagement, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education and outreach, and VLA Visitor Center plans and programming. Section 9 describes the plans for the Computing and Information Services (CIS) team to provide Observatory-wide support, cybersecurity, site-specific facilities infrastructure, and maintenance and renewal. Section 10 details the Observatory’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and its development of the internal culture and programs designed to improve diversity and build a vibrant STEAM pipeline with local, national, and international partners. The NRAO Human Resources (HR) Department plans are specified in Section 11, including workforce management, training and development, compensation, benefits, and recruitment/employment. Section 12 covers the Science Communications Office’s plan for communication and involvement with the scientific community, Observatory scientific staff, and key external stakeholders. Section 13 presents the Administration Department’s plans for NRAO business services, contracts and procurement, environmental safety and security, management information systems, and technology transfer. Section 14 describes the NRAO budget that supports all of the activities described in this FY2020 POP. The Observatory’s plans for domestic and international Spectrum Management are described in Section 15. The Director’s Office activities are outlined in Section 16. Seven appendices provide additional information. Appendix A is the high-level Financial Plan. Appendix B summarizes funding by NRAO department and object. Appendix C lists all CSA-V and CSA-A expenditures. Appendix D describes all Common Cost Expenses by location. Appendix E is a dictionary for the Observatory WBS. Appendix F summarizes the major milestones. Appendix G defines each acronym and abbreviation that appears in this POP.

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2 NORTH AMERICAN ALMA OPERATIONS

ALMA is a millimeter/submillimeter interferometric array of 66 elements located at 5000 meters altitude in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. ALMA operations are led by ESO on behalf of its European Member States, by the NRAO/AUI on behalf of North America, and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO), based in Chile, is responsible for onsite operations. In FY2020, ALMA will enter observing Cycle 7, and will be in Steady State Operations with respect to average antenna array element availability, observing hours, and observing efficiency. The demand for ALMA observations remains strong with 1785 proposals submitted for Cycle 7. The science results from ALMA over the past cycles are transforming our understanding of planet and galaxy formation and stellar evolution. Recent remarkable results revealed by the ALMA 12-m array include the first image of the shadow of a black hole around the center of M87, in coordination with the Event Horizon Telescope Consortium. In FY2019, initial results from the first North American Large program were published, showing the remarkable structures in protoplanetary disk systems. To date, there are 1482+ refereed ALMA publications available in the scientific literature and 2200+ publicly available project data sets available in the ALMA Archive. North American ALMA Operations (NA ALMA Ops) is the NRAO department that provides North America’s scientific and technical partnership support to the international ALMA Observatory, and supports the North American scientific community in their use of ALMA. NA ALMA Ops ensures that the North American scientific community has the tools, information, support, and access to make optimal scientific use of ALMA. It also provides scientific, technical, and business support to ALMA Observatory operations in Chile in concert with the JAO staff and international partners, and supports a long-term development program for the technical enhancement of ALMA. NA ALMA Ops consists of four divisions: (1) the North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC); (2) the Offsite Technical Maintenance and Support group, including Construction Warranty support; (3) the NA ALMA Development Program; and (4) the NRAO/AUI Office of Chilean Affairs (OCA). In FY2020, NA ALMA Ops will focus on the following high-level initiatives:

• Support JAO Operations and NA scientific community use of ALMA. Continue the outstanding scientific productivity of the Observatory;

• Support the JAO and the NA science community with the Cycle 7 Supplemental Call, utilizing Distributed Peer Review;

• Support the NRAO SRDP strategic initiative while continuing to meet ALMA core deliverables; • Facilitate NA Principle Investigators (PIs) in the publication of their ALMA results and help ensure

that they have the tools, training, and assistance to be competitive with their regional peers; • Initiate the strategic plan to continue to expand the ALMA user-base beyond the radio,

millimeter, and submillimeter experts; • Enhance staff relations and the work environment in Chile, building toward the next collective

bargaining agreement; complete the Multicancha indoor gymnasium project and deliver to JAO Operations for use by the staff.

• Participate in the implementation of the ALMA 2030 Development Roadmap through NA projects and collaborations, and collaborate on long-range visions for ALMA.

The sections below highlight the FY2020 deliverables that will realize these high-level initiatives of NA ALMA Ops.

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2.1 The North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC)

In FY2020, the NAASC will support the SRDP initiative as a top priority. SRDP will enhance delivered PI data products in support of publications, and expand the NA ALMA user base. To position the NAASC to contribute to SRDP while continuing to meet ALMA requirements, the NAASC will focus on user-facing tasks, telescope-facing tasks, data analysis, and development.

ALMA Community Support

The ALMA Community Support group will develop the strategic plans and initiatives to grow and educate the ALMA user base beyond the radio, millimeter, and submillimeter experts, to help the community optimize their use of ALMA, and to facilitate the publication of data (original or archive). To realize these goals, the group is also responsible for the validation and analysis of existing or proposed user tools, research in support of requirements definition for the ALMA calibration and imaging pipeline, more routine testing and requirements definition for these user tools, and the coordination of NRAO-wide Common Astronomy Software Applications (CASA) testing. The group will also be responsible for the calibration, imaging, and delivery of PI science data to the community and contributing to the ALMA archive improvements and deployment testing. The ALMA Community Support group will be responsible for the following activities in FY2020: NAASC Community Outreach: The NAASC hosts many outreach forums designed to broaden and facilitate ALMA use by the scientific community. Building on the successful ALMA Community Days and recent NRAO Live! events, NAASC staff will continue to organize and participate in outreach activities to inform the community about upcoming ALMA capabilities and data reduction and analysis techniques. NAASC staff will continue the ALMA Ambassadors program in which scientists from the community visit the NAASC for training in the use of ALMA tools and software. The Ambassadors then organize and run ALMA training events around the country. In Q2, NAASC staff will begin to investigate the possibility of running interferometric training workshops using a similar model to the ALMA Ambassadors, with a goal of facilitating such workshops nationwide. Hosting or sponsoring scientific meetings and workshops is an integral part of the NAASC strategic initiative for knowledge transfer and results dissemination, and in expanding the ALMA user base beyond the traditional radio, millimeter, and submillimeter community. In FY2020, the NAASC will be a major contributor and/or host to multiple scientific and topical meetings. Applications for this program can be submitted to the NAASC anytime in FY2020 for upcoming conferences in Calendar Year 2020 and decisions will be announced within four to six weeks of submission. In addition, the NAASC will also contribute to the following:

• Organize and host a Special Session at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting in Honolulu, 4–8 January 2020;

• Be a major corporate sponsor for the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy, in Champaign, Illinois, 15–19 June 2020 (isms.illinois.edu);

• Provide logistical and scientific support for the 17th NRAO Synthesis Imaging Workshop in Socorro, NM in FY2020.

User Documentation: Documentation preparation and review activities will include the upcoming Call for Proposals, Proposer’s/User’s Guide, ALMA Primer, ALMA Technical Handbook, Guide to the NA ARC, software user guides (including CASAGuides), and additional documentation on how to access NAASC services. The team participates in the international ALMA working groups to prepare these documents for the user community. NAASC staff will take a lead role in the preparation of the Cycle 8

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Call for Proposals and user documentation including all updates and edits to the ALMA Science Portal. Additionally, the JAO will test a new proposal review process via a Supplemental Call for Proposals for the Atacama Compact Array (ACA, 7-m and Total Power or TP arrays) in mid-Cycle 7. NAASC staff will assist the JAO in preparing for the Cycle 7 Supplemental Proposal Call by helping draft the relevant call documentation and preparing the ALMA science portal with the relevant information. Face-to-face Visitor and Helpdesk Support: The NAASC manages ALMA Helpdesk activities including routine ticket reviews, enforcement of ticket service level agreements, and formulation of new Knowledgebase articles based on user questions. Face-to-face (f2f) support includes hosting one to two data processing teams from NA institutions per week at the NA ALMA Regional Center (ARC) in Charlottesville, VA or at the National Research Council (NRC) in Victoria, British Columbia. The visiting data processing teams work with the NAASC data analysts and NAASC or NRC scientific support staff on various aspects of data processing and image analysis. ALMA Pipeline Development and CASA Testing: ALMA calibration and imaging pipeline testing and development will continue in FY2020 for the deployment of the Cycle 8 ALMA pipeline in Q1 FY2021, and is aligned with the broader aim of supporting the SRDP project. The development effort in FY2020 will include the following:

• Improved Quality Assurance 2 (QA2) scores and assessment will definitely benefit the Data Reduction Managers (DRM) and the Data Management Group (DMG) at the JAO;

• Phase-only self-calibration; • Pipeline-assisted polarization calibration.

Data Processing Workflow/Lustre Access: An important objective of the Data Processing Workflow group is to deliver fully calibrated data and representative images of ALMA standard observing modes to PIs within 30 days of the date of last successful execution on the array. NAASC staff will continue to work closely with the JAO teams and deliver, on average, 30–35 datasets per week to the NA ALMA user community. This rate is required to maintain pace with data acquisition and to prevent a data processing backlog. In addition, the NAASC will continue to coordinate and manage the calibration, imaging, and delivery of PI data products through the ALMA Archive and the htaccess tool which provides calibrated Measurement Sets (MS) and value-added data products generated by the ALMA Data Mining Toolkit to North American PIs. The team provides summary reports on data processing and delivery as needed as well as quarterly projections of anticipated workload.

ALMA Telescope Interface and Diagnostics

The Telescope Interface and Diagnostics group is the NAASC technical liaison to the JAO. In FY2020, the group will be responsible for several initiatives, including again organizing and running the ALMA proposal review process. Communication and interaction between the ARCs and the JAO, especially f2f visits, are of critical importance to ALMA project success. NAASC staff will formally take part in an ALMA Science Exchange with the other ARCs and the JAO. The ALMA Telescope Interface and Diagnostics group will be responsible for the activities described below in FY2020. ALMA Proposal Review Process: The NAASC provides technical expertise in support of the ALMA proposal review process, the Proposal Handling Tool (PHT) technical assessment, and technical secretary functions. In Q3, the NAASC staff will work closely with the JAO in organizing and running the Cycle 8 ALMA proposal review process. The NAASC will again provide technical secretaries who will attend the ALMA Review Panels and Proposal Review Committee meetings. The NAASC will send the Phase 1 Manager Cognizant Lead to the ALMA Proposal Review meeting.

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Phase 2 Group (P2G): NAASC P2G staff provide the technical expertise required to review and set up Phase 2 materials (Scheduling Blocks or SBs) submitted by NA PIs for an observing cycle. This includes modifying SBs that require expert technical input, coordinating with the JAO to request calibrator searches, and ensuring that all SBs are ready to run on the telescope. During a cycle, the NAASC staff also provide any SB changes required following an approved change request or other edits requested by the PI or as needed for scheduling, and also support new programs approved mid-cycle, including Director’s Discretionary Time (DDT) proposals, and supplementary calls. In preparation for an upcoming cycle, NAASC staff participate in software testing of the ALMA Observing Tool (OT) and relevant end-to-end tests, as well as related software such as the Project Tracker, and closely coordinate with the JAO and the other ARCs on developing P2G best practices at the annual P2G face-to-face meeting. Contact Scientists: NAASC staff provide oversight and support for all approved NA ALMA PI programs for an observing cycle. This includes ensuring PIs have submitted, reviewed, and approved their projects for scheduling prior to the start of a cycle, and, if needed, providing communication between PIs and the JAO during a cycle. NAASC staff also provide oversight of PI SB status and, if needed, coordinate with the JAO on scheduling issues. Throughout FY2020, NAASC staff will act as Contact Scientists (CS) and liaisons to the NA ALMA PI observing programs. Support for Telescope Operations in Chile: The NAASC coordinates with the JAO and other ARCs on scheduling of Astronomer on Duty (AoD) shifts in support of ALMA telescope operations in Chile. The NA ARC covers a minimum of 14 shifts per calendar year. Within NA, the team ensures a pool of trained AoDs is available. The NAASC will provide AoDs in support of telescope operations in Chile throughout FY2020.

Telescope Diagnostics: The NAASC continues to play a critical role in the JAO technical and diagnostics-related meetings and teleconferences, such as the Control System and Correlator Group weekly meetings and software readiness review meetings. In many cases, the team also provides significant diagnostic support to the JAO including identifying and coordinating critical fixes for issues. NAASC staff continue to maintain a close interaction between data processing and the telescope diagnostics teams at the JAO to ensure all problems are reported and tracked efficiently. Throughout FY2020, the NAASC will continue to coordinate with the JAO on troubleshooting issues and problems found with the telescope systems or in data collection and analysis.

NA ARC Data Analyst Group

The NA Data Analysts are integrated into NA ALMA Operations and are critical to user and telescope support. The Data Analyst group supports:

• CASAGuides, f2f visitors, data processing workshops; NRAO Live! events, Synthesis Imaging Workshop documentation and demonstrations, community outreach events, and Helpdesk;

• Data services, NA data processing, and weblog review (pipeline and manual), calibration survey data processing, QA3 execution and documentation;

• ALMA scientific software including involvement in ALMA pipeline and CASA software testing, CASA documentation, diagnostics investigations and Science Portal maintenance, and generating meeting webpages.

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2.2 Development

The ALMA Development program is designed to maintain ALMA as the world’s leading facility for millimeter/submillimeter astronomy over the course of its lifetime by supporting advances in radio instrumentation, computing, and supporting infrastructure. ALMA Development-funded upgrades typically progress through three phases that correspond to an increasing level of technology readiness:

• Conceptual study (including scientific justification, specification, and outline costing); • Prototype/pre-production; and • Production, implementation, and commissioning.

The NA ALMA partnership typically funds conceptual studies in the community (hereafter simply “studies”) on a yearly basis. Prototype/pre-production and production initiatives (hereafter simply “projects”) are typically funded every two years. Calls, proposal evaluations, and award of studies and projects are governed by different processes. The goals of approved studies and projects align with those set forth by the ALMA 2030 Development Roadmap priorities, which include:

• Upgrading receivers to deliver larger IF bandwidths; • Upgrading the digital system for higher effective bandwidth coverage; • Upgrading the correlator to process larger bandwidths and for higher spectral resolution; and • Archive development.

In addition, longer term opportunities were identified for exploratory studies that included:

• Extending ALMA baselines for higher angular resolution; • Implementing focal plane arrays for increased imaging speed; • Additional 12-m antennas for increased sensitivity; and • Exploring the addition of a large single dish to enable complementary science.

In FY2020, NRAO is funding two Cycle 5 projects, one Cycle 3 project for implementation at ALMA, and multiple Cycle 5 studies (pending the results of the Cycle 7 Call for Study Proposals).

Administrative Process for Development Studies

The ALMA Operations plan provides funding for targeted exploratory research and feasibility studies aimed at facilitating or assessing the viability of possible development projects, including assessments of opportunities for collaboration. The NA ALMA Development program manager typically issues a Call for Study Proposals on a yearly basis, subject to availability of funds, and in coordination with ALMA development priorities. An independent review panel evaluates and ranks the proposals. The results are reviewed and approved by the NAASC and the NRAO Director, with final consent by the NSF. The NA ALMA Project Scientist informs the ALMA Management Team (AMT) of the selections. The NA ALMA Executive has responsibility for executing the NA ALMA Development Studies plan.

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FY2020 Development Milestones

Ongoing Studies Wideband Low-Noise Balanced IF Amplifiers for Band 6 (Lead Institution: NRAO) Continued development of a 4–12 GHz IF balanced amplifier, which will have lower noise than current amplifiers and will not require an isolator. These amplifiers have future applications to Bands 3–10. Study completion is scheduled for Q4 FY2019; however, this may be extended into FY2020 pending a change request based on technical feedback from the Band 6 Upgrade Conceptual Design Review (CoDR). Quantum-Limited Very-Wideband RF and IF Amplifiers (Lead Institution: NRAO) Basic research into Traveling-wave Kinetic Inductance Parametric (TKIP) amplifiers that promises near quantum-limited performance over a wide bandwidth for all ALMA receiver bands. This study is in collaboration with a team at Caltech/JPL. Study completion is scheduled for Q4 FY2019; however, this may be extended into FY2020 pending a change request based on personnel transition. Ongoing Projects ALMA Phasing System Phase 2 (APP2) (Lead Institution: MIT Haystack Observatory) Several initiatives to improve VLBI capabilities and performance for ALMA. Major components include enabling spectral line VLBI, extending the frequency range of phasing to Bands 1–7, improving the calibration mechanism to allow observations on weaker sources, and the introduction of a single-antenna VLBI mode. Band 3 Cold Cartridge Assembly Magnet and Heater Installation (Lead Institution: JAO/NRC-Herzberg) Produce deflux heaters to be installed in the Band 3 cold cartridge to reduce the azimuth-dependent total power variations observed in the ALMA antennas. This project is expected to transition from production to implementation at ALMA during FY2020, at which point JAO will take over execution responsibility. Proposed ALMA Development Projects: There was no Call for Project Proposals for Cycle 7; the next Call for Project Proposals is anticipated for Cycle 8 (FY2021), but will be confirmed based on the availability of funding. Proposed ALMA Development Studies: The Cycle 7 Call for Study Proposals was released 3 December 2018 for a one-year period of performance in FY2020. The submission deadline was 1 May 2019 and notification of awards was made in Q4 FY2019. Proposals were sought to address the goals elucidated in the ALMA Development Roadmap, ALMA Memo 612. Eleven proposals were received from 56 prospective investigators at 11 institutions, oversubscribing expected funding by two-to-one. Following review from an independent scientific panel, a total of eight studies were awarded for a total funding amount of $1.4M. The period of performance will be FY2020. The funded proposals included studies to advance the Band 6 upgrade, improvements to the ALMA archive, improvements and long-term studies to the Central Local Oscillator (LO, needed for baseline expansion), studies of a quantum-limited ultra-wideband receiver, next-generation correlator upgrades, and CASA upgrades. Call for Studies (Development Cycle 8): NRAO intends to issue a Cycle 8 Call for Study Proposals in Q2 FY2020, for an anticipated funding start in FY2021. A total of $500k USD is anticipated for funding studies during NA ALMA Development Cycle 8.

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2.3 Maintenance, Renewal, and Warranty Claims

Hardware Maintenance and Renewal

This section covers offsite hardware maintenance and renewal and warranty claims against NA ALMA construction deliverables. Offsite software support is described in Data Management and Software (DMS) Section 6.2.1, apart from the software and firmware support for the Front End subsystem and also that for the associated test systems covered here.

NA ALMA Offsite Hardware Support

The effort of the NRAO support teams towards repair and upkeep of various Line Replaceable Units (LRU) will continue in FY2020. The maintenance and renewal of the hardware on the ALMA telescope is the responsibility of the Integrated Engineering Teams (IET) that are primarily defined by their geographic locations: North America, Europe, and East Asia. The NRAO ALMA Offsite Hardware Maintenance Division is a subset (in addition to other entities like NRC-Herzberg) of the North American ALMA IET and is comprised of the following technical groups in Charlottesville and Socorro. Antenna Group: NA antenna staff are focused on supporting antenna corrective maintenance issues and support of the JAO Antenna Maintenance Group (AMG) with the goal of ensuring a high level of operational capability and availability for the ALMA array. Primary technical support from the NA Antenna staff is in the form of troubleshooting reported fault-related maintenance issues (mostly Jira ticket driven) and providing recommendations for corrective actions. In Charlottesville, the group will continue to track and categorize each reported NA antenna maintenance item to identify recurring issues that may require special attention, and will work with the JAO on continued rationalization and optimization of periodic antenna service and overhaul tasks. In FY2020, the NA Antenna Group will continue technical support to the JAO AMG during antenna overhaul efforts, which began in mid-FY2019. These efforts will focus on improvements in and streamlining of preventive maintenance procedures through revisions of the preventive maintenance documentation. Front End (FE) and Band 6 Cartridge Group: This group at the CDL in Charlottesville is responsible for maintaining the Band 6 Cold Cartridges, a majority of FE components, as well as providing software support for the FEMC firmware. In addition to supporting and maintaining telescope FE hardware and FEMC software, this NA IET group maintains CDL test systems, including the Band 6 SIS mixer test set (MTS), the Band 6 Cold Cartridge Assembly (CCA) test set (CTS), and test systems for several other FE component and sub-assemblies. This work is needed to maintain the proper functioning of the necessary test systems to be able to carry out repair and requalification of components and modules. This NA IET group is also responsible for the hardware and software support of the two FE Test and Measurement Systems and the Band 6 CCA test set situated at the ALMA Operations Support Facility (OSF) as well as their respective associated test operation and measurement software suites. The FE group will also provide management support, product assurance, and other administrative activities in Charlottesville. Front End Local Oscillator (FE LO) Group: This group is located at the CDL and is responsible for repairing and maintaining the Warm Cartridge Assembly (WCA) for all receiver bands as well as FE LO cryogenic multipliers which are physically integrated into the CCAs. This group is also responsible for operation and maintenance of the bench test sets required to repair and requalify FE LO components and modules, as well as the First LO offset generator distribution modules. Back End (BE) Group: This group in Socorro, NM is responsible for offsite maintenance of its Antenna Articles (AAs), including Fiber Optic Wraps (FOW), Data Receiver Articles (DRXA), and support of some

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LRUs in the Central LO Article (CLOA). The group is also responsible for the maintenance and operation of test systems in Socorro and at the OSF for requalification and testing of repaired BE modules. Additionally, the BE group will provide management support, product assurance, and other administrative activities in Socorro. Back End Photonics Local Oscillator: This group at the CDL is responsible for maintaining and repair of the CLOA elements: fiber lasers and amplifiers, passive splitters, sub array switch (SAS) and line length corrector (LLC) LRUs, as well as LO Photonics Receivers (LPR) in the Front End assemblies. The group also maintains a fully functional reference generation and distribution system to serve as a test bed for returned / repaired LRUs. This system also serves as a source of last resort for backup spares if the OSF runs out of LRU spares while broken ones are being serviced. The Photonics group will also provide technical support to the ongoing Hardware in the Loop and Band 1 development projects, as these involve modifications and additions to the existing CLOA elements. Correlator Group: This group at the CDL is responsible for high-level debugging of control/correlator software used for ALMA data acquisition. Most routine maintenance of the correlator is handled by the OSF staff in Chile. However, if a particularly difficult problem arises, the correlator staff in NA IET are consulted. Additionally, some advanced features of the correlator were not within the scope of the construction project and have not been implemented by the Integrated Computing Team (ICT). During the implementation and test phases of these advanced features, as and when required, the NA correlator staff is called upon to assist in troubleshooting. This effort may require firmware modifications if bugs or performance issues are uncovered. During FY2020, this support of the ALMA correlator will continue. ALMA Hardware Maintenance Activities: Maintenance activities follow a three-tiered approach, defined in the ALMA Maintenance Plan.

• Tier-1 repair: The task of repairing the highest-level assemblies by simply replacing the LRU in question with a working spare. This is mostly executed by the Array Maintenance Group (AMG) staff in Chile.

• Tier-2 repair: The task of repairing the LRU in question by replacing a sub-assembly within it with a spare working sub-assembly. Depending on the nature and complexity of the LRU, this work is assigned in the ALMA Configuration Item Responsibility Matrix to either the AMG staff in Chile or the IET staff at the relevant Executive.

• Tier-3 repair: The task of repairing the broken sub-assemblies at the component level. This is mostly a responsibility of the owner IET.

Most NRAO personnel who are members of the NA IET and execute the tiered maintenance/support activities are also members of the ALMA development teams executing projects. The ALMA IETs are jointly responsible for maintaining technical oversight of ALMA hardware—existing and under development. In that role, the NA IET will execute these support functions in FY2020 by providing the NRAO personnel whose knowledge/expertise is relevant for a particular review. The NA IET will participate in working-groups such as the ALMA requirements working group tasked to develop technical goals in response to the ALMA 2030 Roadmap document.

Warranty Support

North American Antenna Warranty: The NA ALMA Construction Project delivered 25 antennas to the JAO. The primary reflecting surface of the antennas exhibit, in varying degree, deviation from the required root-mean-square surface accuracy of 25μm over the full range of operating temperatures. The NRAO negotiated a tolling agreement with the supplier, Vertex Antennentechnik GmbH, a business unit

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of General Dynamics Satcom Technologies, and thereby suspended the supplier warranty period while NRAO and Vertex collaborate on the verification of the root cause and develop corrective action(s). Vertex acknowledges and accepts responsibility for the associated costs. In FY2015–2018, NRAO worked closely with Vertex to identify the root cause of the primary surface accuracy deficiencies, followed by engineering and testing of a satisfactory corrective action. Ultimately, the root cause was determined to be an unexpected thermal difference around the walls of the antenna receiver cabins. The developed corrective action consisted of the application of thermal heating mats to the receiver cabin wall in the region of the elevation axis, controlled by a feedback-loop system aimed at maintaining the wall temperature difference near zero degrees for all ranges of ambient operational temperature conditions. A prototype was successfully tested on four NA antennas in FY2018. Installation, commissioning, and verification of the production wall heater system hardware and software was completed in FY2019. For FY2020, NA Antenna Staff will assist JAO AMG staff with troubleshooting corrective maintenance that may arise associated with the wall heater system upgrades. As necessary, NA Antenna Staff will coordinate with Vertex staff to provide warranty support for replacements of any wall heater system upgrade hardware. However, NA Antenna staff support during FY2020 will be primarily aimed at providing technical support during the resetting of antenna primary surfaces with the wall heaters turned on, which will be required to satisfy the antenna primary surface accuracy specification. These resetting efforts will likely extend into FY2021 as the resetting will be done in phases interspersed between science observing. Front End Handling Vehicles (FEHVs): The NA ALMA Construction Project delivered four FEHVs to the JAO. Each vehicle transports and manipulates an antenna FE, enabling the removal and replacement of any FE from any of the four ALMA antenna cabin configurations. Following the identification of numerous anomalies and non-conformances during performance testing and Preliminary Acceptance Inspections (PAI), upgrades and re-working of the four FEHVs was successfully completed in FY2019. NA Antenna Staff efforts in FY2020 will be aimed at providing technical support to JAO for any operational or corrective maintenance issues associated with the delivered FEHVs.

2.4 NRAO Chile Office

The Office of Chilean Affairs (OCA) supports the legal and business affairs of AUI/NRAO in Chile for ALMA Operations. This office provides the services that require a local presence and cannot be effectively discharged from North America. Since the JAO is not a legal entity, AUI is recognized as an international organization under the juridical regime that secures the rights of international observatories in the country, and the OCA is the formal point of contact with the Chilean government. The OCA oversees ALMA human resources, payroll, interactions with the local staff labor union, and expatriate support. The office is also responsible for fiscal, contracts and procurement, local property tracking, and import/export activities. The OCA monitors ALMA safety in Chile in coordination with the NRAO and ALMA safety managers, and the ALMA Environmental Working Group (EWG). Legal Representation: This function links AUI/NRAO with Chilean governmental and other institutions. Of particular importance are the interactions with the ministry of foreign affairs, the Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), and universities. Relations with the JAO, ESO, NAOJ, and the representatives of other international observatories such as the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) and Carnegie, as well as the U.S. Embassy, are also the responsibility of the AUI/NRAO representative in Chile.

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Representation: In FY2020, the OCA AD and project team will explore options for providing electrical power for the Parque Astronómico Atacama and ALMA with Chilean government. Business: The OCA business manager is the common link with AUI, NRAO, and the ALMA business functions and oversees the fiscal, contracts and procurement, information technology, and travel areas. In FY2020, the business office will present office lease alternatives for OCA in the vicinity of the Santiago Central Office, including an analysis of rental and outfitting costs; will involve IT in STEM education and diversity programs, e.g., by supporting Hour of Code activities; and will complete digitization of all historical fiscal documents. Infrastructure and Projects: This technical team manages NA-led construction and development projects in Chile; supports engineering deliverables covered by warranty; and oversees the state of buildings and infrastructure investments, providing recommendations to the JAO to improve their lifetime. It also liaises with the NRAO PMD office to standardize work. OCA projects and infrastructure initiatives in FY2020 will include coordinating, together with the JAO, a joint plan to improve the maintainability of AOS technical building; managing any post-delivery warranty issues related to the FEHVs; overseeing construction and acceptance of the indoor sports facility (Multicancha) built by NRAO, and monitoring its final delivery to the JAO; and organizing the inauguration ceremony for the Multicancha. The Multicancha Indoor Gymnasium is a major project of the OCA that will enhance the quality of life for ALMA staff in residence at the Operations Support Facility (OSF). This facility, which has a multi-purpose playing court for indoor soccer, basketball, volleyball, and tennis, as well as an exercise equipment room, is scheduled for completion in Q2 FY2020.

Human Resources: AUI/NRAO manages its responsibilities and legal obligations as sole employer of JAO and OCA local staff members and supports NRAO expatriate/international staff in Chile. Local Staff: The OCA HR manager monitors the application of Chilean legal rules and regulations, payroll activities, including periodic visits to the Operations Support Facility (OSF) and the Santiago Central Office (SCO), and local staff union matters. OCA also coordinates management of compensation, recruitment, and terminations with the JAO and NRAO Human Resources. International Staff: OCA, through its legal representative, accredits and monitors all responsibilities associated with NRAO international staff in Chile. The expatriate assistant looks after the well-being of the international staff members and their families. The OCA Human Resources team has several key tasks in FY2020 related to collective bargaining. These include agreeing format and scope of reports to be shared with the union; delivering payroll and benefits data for use by strategy committee and negotiating team; and applying provisions of new collective contract. Safety, Health and Environment: The OCA senior engineer oversees safety, health, environmental, and regulatory matters in coordination with the NRAO and JAO safety managers. He/she also monitors site protection (mining rights and radio frequency) and ongoing activities of the joint peer committees. STEM Education, Diversity, and Inclusion: The OCA STEM education and diversity officer is responsible for initiatives and activities to promote STEM career vocations in young students, with emphasis on diversity and inclusion, bringing science closer to the community.

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Objectives in STEM education and D&I in FY2020 include developing a strategic plan and several objectives relating to the Promovamos Vocaciones Científicas (ProVoca) campaign to encourage STEM careers for girls and young women through role models. These include presenting the ProVoca campaign at the Latin American Regional International Astronomical Union (IAU) meeting (LARIM) in Antofagasta and at the IAU symposia on equity, diversity, and inclusion in Tokyo, and carrying out ProVoca activities outside the Santiago metropolitan area. In addition, together with Catholic University, the OCA will explore ways in which astronomy can be used in STEM education, in closer alignment with the Chilean school curriculum (a potential replacement of Galileo Teacher Training Program).

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2.5 NA ALMA Operations Major Milestones

Table 2.5.1: NA ALMA Operations FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Operations

Investigate logistics and feasibility for interferometric workshops 1

Review conference applications 2 2 2 2 Special ALMA Session at AAS Winter 2020 meeting 3

Participate and Sponsor ISMS 4 Participate and Execute SISS 5 Coordinate planning and execution for Cycle 8 APR 6

Development FY2021 (Cycle 8) Call for Study Proposals 7 FY2021 (Cycle 8) Study Award Notifications 8

Chile Office

Power options for Parque Astronómico Atacama and ALMA 9 9 9 9

Office lease alternatives for OCA 10 IT involvement in STEM education and diversity programs 11

Digitization of fiscal documents 12 Plan to improve maintainability of AOS technical building 13 13

Management of warranty for FEHVs 14 14 Multicancha project –delivery and inauguration 15 15 15 Collective bargaining 16 16 16 16 STEM EPO and D&I 17 17

Milestones: 1. Talk with community and staff about logistics and

feasibility 2. Review applications 3. Special ALMA Session at AAS Winter 2020 meeting 4. Participate and Sponsor ISMS 5. Participate and Execute SISS 6. Coordinate planning and execution for Cycle 8 APR 7. FY2021 (Cycle 8) Call for Study Proposals 8. FY2021 (Cycle 8) Study Award Notifications 9. Power options for Parque Astronómico Atacama

and ALMA 10. Office lease alternatives for OCA 11. IT involvement in STEM education and diversity

programs 12. OCA Digitization of fiscal documents 13. Plan to improve maintainability of AOS technical

building 14. Management of FEHV warranty 15. Multicancha project – delivery and inauguration 16. Collective bargaining 17. STEM EPO and D&I

Deliverables: 1. Investigate the possibility of running

interferometric training workshops using a similar model to the ALMA Ambassadors

2. Review submitted applications for upcoming conferences

3. Organize and host a special session at the AAS meeting in Honolulu

4. Major corporate sponsor for the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy

5. Provide logistical and scientific support for the 17th NRAO Synthesis Imaging Workshop in Socorro

6. NAASC staff work with the JAO in organizing and running the Cycle 8 ALMA proposal review process

7. FY2021 (Cycle 8) Call for Proposals sent to community

8. FY2021 (Cycle 8) Award notifications 9. Explore power options for Parque Astronómico

Atacama and ALMA with Chilean government 10. Present office lease alternatives for OCA,

including analysis of rental and outfitting costs 11. Involve IT in STEM education and D&I, supporting

programs like the Hour of Code 12. Complete digitization of all historical fiscal

documents 13. Coordinate with JAO plan to improve

maintainability of AOS technical building

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14. Manage any post-delivery warranty issues related to the Front End handling vehicles

15. Oversee construction and acceptance of indoor sports facility by NRAO, and monitor final delivery to the JAO; Organize inauguration ceremony

16. Agree format and scope of reports to be shared with union Deliver payroll and benefits data to steering committee and negotiating team; Negotiate with local staff union in April-May 2020; Apply provisions of new collective contract

17. Develop a strategic plan; Together with Catholic University explore ways in which astronomy can be used in alignment with Chilean school curriculum; Organize diversity and inclusion workshop for high school or STEM students; Present ProVoca campaign at LARIM and IAU meetings; Carry out ProVoca activities outside Santiago metropolitan area

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2.6 NA ALMA Operations Financial Charts

Table 2.6.1: FY2020 by Location (All CSA-A expenditures in $, FTE)

Table 2.6.2: FY2020 Expenditures by Object

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3 NEW MEXICO OPERATIONS

3.1 Very Large Array (VLA)

The Karl G. Jansky VLA comprises twenty-eight 25-meter diameter antennas laid out in a Y-shaped configuration on the Plains of San Agustin in west-central New Mexico. The original VLA was dedicated in 1980 and became one of the most scientifically productive telescopes on Earth. The VLA underwent a major upgrade in 2002–2012 to increase the bandwidth of its receiving systems, provide continuous frequency coverage from 1–50 GHz in eight contiguous frequency bands, replace its waveguide data transmission system with a fiber optic-based system, provide a wide bandwidth correlator, and develop the software tools and processes for complete dynamic scheduling that maximizes the observing efficiency of the array. In FY2020, the VLA will maintain its leading role in scientific discovery through studies of the Solar System, star and planet formation, galaxy formation, and time domain astronomy. Indeed, the detection of transient sources is a focus of scientific development in the upcoming year, with observing for the second epoch of the VLA Sky Survey (VLASS) starting, and the Realfast transient detection system becoming operational. Work to combine the nearby Long Wavelength Array (LWA) with the VLA P-Band system will continue, and improvements to the VLA site infrastructure will ensure the VLA will continue to deliver excellent science for the foreseeable future.

VLA Science Operations

Observing Programs: The VLA will continue to offer three types of observing programs to users in FY2020: General Observing (GO); Shared Risk Observing (SRO); and Resident Shared Risk Observing (RSRO). New observing capabilities are first offered through the RSRO program, which enables the community to express their scientific interest in potential capabilities through peer-reviewed proposals, provides resources to help with testing and scientific verification, and readies new capabilities for end-to-end operation. Once a capability has been demonstrated and tested, and can be proposed for via the Proposal Submission Tool (PST) and General Observing Setup Tool (GOST), prepared with the standard Observation Preparation Tool (OPT), and dynamically scheduled, it is offered through the SRO program pending full testing and documentation. When a mode is robust and well tested, it is offered as GO. The GO program therefore comprises a suite of observational capabilities designed and tailored to address the highest priority scientific needs of the general community. The SRO program allows users access to capabilities that can be set up via the PST, GOST, and OPT and run through the dynamic scheduler (without intervention), but are not as well-tested as GO capabilities. The RSRO program will continue to provide access to more extended capabilities of the VLA in FY2020. RSRO capabilities are those that require additional testing and are provided to the community in exchange for a period of residence to help test and verify those capabilities. The capabilities available via the RSRO program include correlator dump times shorter than 50msec, data rates above 60 MB/s, use of the 4 Band system, and complex phased array observations (e.g., some pulsar and complex VLBI observing modes). Table 3.1.1.1 summarizes the nomenclature of VLA observing bands. All current GO capabilities on the VLA were once RSRO, which after being tested and commissioned, have been made available to the entire community through the GO program. Initially (in 2010), the number of observing hours available through the RSRO program were limited to less than 100 hours per month, and strict residency requirements for external observers were applied. Currently, the number of hours used for RSRO is very small (less than 100 hours per year), and proposals are only approved after undergoing internal review by technical staff, to make sure NRAO effort is scoped appropriately, and collaboration with staff can count towards the residency. The majority of scientific discoveries come from

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GO capabilities, but the use of RSRO capabilities can sometimes produce the most exciting results. A recent example is the localization of the Fast Radio Burst source FRB 121102 that resulted in the VLA making the front cover of Nature magazine.

Table 3.1.1.1: VLA Receiver Bands Band name Wavelength Frequency range (GHz)

4 4m 0.058–0.084

P 90cm 0.224–0.480 L 20cm 1.0–2.0 S 13cm 2.0–4.0 C 6cm 4.0–8.0 X 3cm 8.0–12.0 Ku 2cm 12.0–18.0 K 1.3cm 18.0–26.5 Ka 1cm 26.5–40.0 Q 0.7cm 40.0–50.0

Capabilities to be offered for each observing semester are defined about four months ahead of the associated proposal submission deadline, to allow them to be incorporated into the software tools associated with the Call for Proposals. Table 3.1.1.2 provides an overview of the GO capabilities being offered for FY2020. A subset of these GO capabilities has been offered for the Extra-Large proposal call that was released in Q4 FY2019, and for which observing may begin around the start of FY2021.

Table 3.1.1.2: VLA Capabilities for General Observing in FY2020 Capability Description 8-bit samplers • Standard default setups for:

o 2 GHz bandwidth continuum observations at S/C/X/Ku/K/Ka/Q-bands o 1 GHz bandwidth continuum observations at L-band o 256 MHz bandwidth continuum observations at P-band

• Flexible setups for spectroscopy, using two independently tunable 1 GHz basebands, each of which can be split into up to 16 flexibly tunable sub-bands

• Single, dual, and full polarization products 3-bit samplers • Standard default setups for:

o 8 GHz bandwidth continuum observations at K/Ka/Q-bands o 6 GHz bandwidth continuum observations at Ku-band o 4 GHz bandwidth continuum observations at C/X-bands

• Flexible setups for spectroscopy, using four independently tunable 2 GHz basebands, each of which can be split into up to 16 flexibly tunable sub-bands

• Single, dual, and full polarization products Mixed 3- and 8-bit samplers

• Allows more flexibility for simultaneous continuum and high-resolution spectral line observing

Subarrays • Up to three independent subarrays using standard 8-bit continuum setups Phased-array for VLBI

• All antennas phased to simulate a single antenna with larger collecting area (“Y27”)

Solar • All solar observing except the L-band reverse-coupled system (for active Sun) On-The-Fly Mosaicing

• P-, L-, S-, and C-bands only; no subarrays

Pulsar • Phase-binned pulsar observing; coherent de-dispersion observing (after Q3) Frequency Averaging

• Frequency averaging in the correlator by a factor of two or four (single subarray; no OTF)

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Various SRO capabilities will be offered in FY2020, including On-The-Fly Mosaicing for X-band and higher frequencies, P-band polarimetry, and access to recently commissioned pulsar observing modes. Scientific Support of Receiver, Antenna, and Array Performance: A large fraction of the scientific support goes toward maintaining receiver, antenna, and array performance and ensuring that the user community has access to quality instrumentation and the updated information required to effectively use the VLA. Operational tasks carried out by the scientific staff every semester in support of these functions are listed below. Support Calls for Proposals: Prepare user documentation for offered capabilities before the call goes out, provide scientific testing of user tools needed to prepare proposals (e.g., PST, GOST, Exposure Calculator), provide technical reviews for proposals, and evaluate proposals for RSRO contributions. In FY2020, this will include the evaluation of Extra-Large proposals. Hardware, Software, and Operational Documentation: Write technical documentation detailing hardware and software functionality for staff and users, develop and improve operational procedures and write documentation for the operations staff. This includes updating the VLA Observational Status Summary before each Call for Proposals and providing content for the Guide to Proposing with the VLA and the VLA Observing Guide on the NRAO science web site. Track and Measure VLA Performance: This involves tracking key parameters such as sensitivity, gain curves, holographic surface measurements, antenna positions, collimation, and pointing through the following activities.

• Characterize the sensitivity and gain response of each antenna at each band. This must be done periodically as receivers and equipment are replaced (e.g., due to failures in the field) or as software is upgraded that may change the system performance. This includes support for any new feed/receiver systems installed on antennas in FY2020.

• Check the surface accuracy with holography periodically to ensure optimal efficiency at the highest frequency bands.

• Determine antenna positions, collimation offsets, and pointing accuracy when the array is moved into a new configuration.

Scientific Testing of Antennas Completing Major Maintenance: Specific checks and measurements such as the following are required after major work on an antenna.

• Determine antenna positions, collimation offsets, and pointing accuracy each time an antenna comes out of the Antenna Assembly Building after a maintenance overhaul.

• Evaluation of new Antenna Control Units (ACUs). As new ACUs are installed, they will undergo testing and evaluation by scientific staff.

System Health and Maintenance Feedback: Run routine health checks to determine if there are any hardware failures that must be followed up with maintenance tickets. Troubleshoot problems found and confirm fixes are implemented. Run Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) tests to characterize and help mitigate RFI contamination in the bands. Data Quality Assurance Checks: Evaluate data quality based on the pipeline results and run test observations to identify and diagnose problems that are not caught by the standardized tests and engineering checks.

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Calibration Data: Detailed data collected with the array is required for a range of calibration purposes including the following.

• Flux density calibrator models, flux density run: Develop and maintain the infrastructure needed by users to establish an accurate absolute flux density calibration scale for the VLA at each observing frequency. Extensive, multi-configuration observations of calibrators are made to develop models that can be applied during the data calibration process.

• Polarization and bandpass stability and service calibration tests: Develop and maintain optimal polarization and bandpass calibration infrastructure and tools for users. Service observations are also made for VLBA polarization observations to enable better calibration of VLBA data.

Support for the Calls for Proposals and associated documentation updates and software testing have milestones that are matched to the proposal cycle. Understanding and characterizing, e.g., antenna positions, gain curves, collimation, and pointing, have a high impact during and just after each array re-configuration and then decrease to a lower level of effort needed to support antennas coming back to the array after major maintenance. System health and data QA evaluation along with polarization service observations and support of phased array observations require an ongoing level of effort that remains relatively constant from year to year. Staff from NM Operations will also be supporting the ongoing VLA Sky Survey during FY2020 (See SRDP Section 5.2 for associated milestones).

VLA Array Operations

Array Configurations: Over a 16-month period, the VLA cycles between four principal configurations—A, B, C, and D, to provide sensitivity to different spatial scales as needed to achieve various science goals—and one hybrid configuration. The only hybrid configuration that remains in use for the foreseeable future is the BnA configuration, which is used for observing low-declination regions of the VLA Sky Survey. Re-configurations between the principal array configurations occur approximately every four months, to ensure that a particular configuration cycles through all the seasons averaged over multiple configuration cycles. These antenna moves require most of the site staff (typically ten people for each of two transporters), and a complete reconfiguration can require anywhere from one to three weeks, depending on which configuration is being set. Array configuration changes along with transportation of antennas for overhauls results in ~60 antenna relocations annually. All moves require track crew, antenna mechanics, transporter operators, electricians, and receiver, cryogenic, fiber optic, and Local Oscillator/Intermediate Frequency (LO/IF) technicians. Personnel involved in the array reconfigurations perform maintenance activities: antenna overhauls, track maintenance, electrical infrastructure maintenance, receiver, fiber optic, and LO/IF maintenance–at other times, and are highly integrated with the rest of operations. Table 3.1.2.1 shows the antenna move schedule for FY2020. To prevent the VLA Sky Survey having too great an impact on a single VLA configuration, the lengths of individual configurations were modified from September 2017 onwards, while maintaining an overall 16-month D-C-B-A configuration cycle.

Table 3.1.2.1: VLA Array Reconfiguration Schedule for FY2020 Move to configuration: D C B BnA*

Start 10/28/2019 2/3/2020 5/11/2020 10/5/2020 Complete 11/14/2019 2/13/2020 5/27/2020 10/8/2020

*The move to the BnA hybrid will be at the start of FY2021, but is included for completeness.

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Operating Model: The VLA is operated 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and is supported by seven operators. For FY2020, the operators will oversee array operations from the VLA Control Room at the array site. This mode of operation may change when weather condition prohibits working at the VLA. The operators may occasionally staff evening and night shift operation of the array from a control room in the Domenici Science Operations Center (DSOC) in Socorro. Revival of instrument cross-training between VLA and VLBA operators will take place during FY2020 to afford flexibility with vacation and sick leave when one group becomes short-handed. In FY2019, major maintenance and overhaul scheduling for the VLA and VLBA was largely performed by the Array Operations Division Head, with support from the VLA Technical Manager (who is also the chief operator and the VLA operators’ supervisor), due to staff shortages. The staffing situation has been resolved, and this responsibility will be passed to the VLA Technical Manager in FY2020.

VLA Development

Realfast Commensal Fast Transient System: The rapidly developing field of Fast Radio Burst (FRB) detection continues to attract the highest levels of attention. New discoveries, including localizations from the VLA, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), and the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) have begun to narrow down the possible progenitors of these enigmatic events. The sparse number of accurate (to ~0.1 arcsec) localizations is still hampering the ability to identify possible progenitors. The goal of the Realfast development project is to design and implement a commensal fast transient system for the VLA, and to investigate options for searching for these events: assessing the number of antennas, bandwidth, processing needed, and algorithms to be used. A proposal to support development of such a system was submitted to the NSF Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation (ATI) program for funds in FY2017–2019, and this proposal was accepted. In FY2019, the Realfast system was made operational for limited modes (standard continuum, low frequency). Also in FY2019, a one-year, no-cost extension was requested by the project, and granted by the NSF. In FY2020, the program of observations will be expanded, and extension of the basic system will occur, including finishing the portal (for filtering candidate events), and the archiving of the data from candidate events. The project will be completed in FY2020, and ready for final scientific commissioning. It is a goal of the project to run Realfast routinely alongside observing for the second epoch of the VLA Sky Survey, which is scheduled to begin in Q3 FY2020. Expanded Long Wavelength Array (eLWA): Low-frequency radio astronomy at meter wavelengths has undergone a recent renaissance. In support of observations at these wavelengths, the LWA has an NSF-funded three-year (FY2019–2021) grant to provide further community access to LWA stations, and to enable the use of the LWA in combination with the VLA 4 Band system (50–80 MHz). NRAO has committed to support this project by contributing in-kind scientific staff and software effort. In FY2019, test observations and several VLA RSRO projects were completed in support of the eLWA, but using only a limited number of antennas. In FY2020, the system will be demonstrated to work for more antennas, and the data path—VLA to the University of New Mexico and back—will be defined and shown to work reliably.

VLA Electronics Maintenance and Renewal

New Mexico Operations supports more than 2,400 modules, power supplies, and receivers for the VLA and the ALMA Back End, as well as all mechanical parts in the antennas, such as motors, gears, and structural elements. Support work includes addressing 1,500+ maintenance forms generated yearly and requires engineers and technicians to investigate, diagnose, troubleshoot, and ultimately resolve underlying issues. A daily maintenance meeting attended by representatives from all Electronics and Engineering Services groups reviews new forms to ensure issues are assigned to the proper group. Older forms are

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reviewed to assess status and prioritize work. Technicians are also available for after-hours callouts to address problems that seriously impact array safety, such as power failures, electrical problems, and antennas stuck in unsafe positions. Callouts also occur if there are more than three antennas unusable for astronomy due to problems that may not be safety related, such as warmed receivers following a power outage. Specific maintenance activities are described below. The New Mexico Electronics Division is responsible for maintaining all VLA electronic components, including the Wideband Interferometric Digital Architecture (WIDAR) correlator. Routine work for FY2020 will consist of the following, listed by group or groups assigned the work. Digital

• Replacement of aging WIDAR power system components. • Perform checks on the WIDAR Correlator boards and replace or repair as needed.

Front End and Cryogenics

• Overhaul ~30 receiver cold heads per quarter to keep VLA receivers operating. • Recondition and replace receiver desiccant in each of 240 units twice per year. • Perform preventive maintenance on 25 VLA compressor lines twice per year. • Overhaul two VLA compressors due to normal wear-and-tear. • Perform preventive maintenance on four helium circuits to maintain cryogenic performance. • Repair and/or retrofit/upgrade approximately 30 Front End receivers per year.

Local Oscillator and Intermediate Frequency (LO/IF)

• Investigate issues with locking, fringing, output power, and general communication dropouts. • Perform routine power supply and battery maintenance.

Servo and Fiber

• Perform checks of the fiber optics system to ensure proper operations and reset as needed. • Perform maintenance on legacy Antenna Control Units (ACUs) and Focus Rotation Mount (FRM)

controllers. • Install new ACUs in three additional antennas.

Multiple Groups and Systems

• Retrofit upgrades or additions to enhance equipment safety. • Perform bench work on modules for repair or assembly. • Monitor modules responsible for array timing and transmission of data and adjust as needed. • Monitor for local RFI at the VLA site. • Calibrate the site weather station yearly for preventive maintenance.

WIDAR Power System Replacement: The system responsible for WIDAR power conditioning and protection is aging and suffering from poor performance after a series of utility brownouts in prior years. During a controlled shutdown of the correlator, power filters, power control units, and backup batteries that are reaching lifetime limits will be replaced. The system manufacturer will perform a full correlator power systems inspection to ensure that the system continues to function within specifications. The shutdown and inspection is anticipated to take one week, with power-up and recovery to begin after a successful inspection. The start of the shutdown will be scheduled to coincide with an array configuration change in order to minimize the impact to science. This effort will occur in Q2.

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VLA Site Maintenance and Renewal

Antennas: VLA antennas are routinely cycled through the Antenna Assembly Building (AAB) for checkout and overhaul throughout the year. The overhaul process includes: (1) structural inspections that may reveal existing and potential problems; (2) the installation of upgrades to mechanical parts, electrical systems, and electronic equipment; (3) addressing maintenance issues that require AAB resources, such as azimuth gear and bearing replacement; (4) inspecting and changing oil in gear boxes; (5) carrying out touch-up painting on the structure; and (6) repairing and replacing other parts as needed. Additional work is required for antennas receiving an Antenna Control Unit (ACU) upgrade. This additional work roughly doubles the time required for a regular overhaul, which impacts the number of overhauls that can be carried out per year. Five antenna overhauls, including three with ACU upgrades, will take place in FY2020. Additionally, one antenna azimuth bearing will be replaced in FY2020. Preventive maintenance is conducted in the field to inspect, clean, and lubricate each antenna’s Focus Rotation Mount (FRM) and azimuth and elevation bearings. During these maintenance operations, antenna mechanics routinely check grease for metal chips on all antennas in the field so as to be alerted for potential failure of moving parts. This is especially important for the sustainability of the azimuth gears. The antenna mechanics will continue to respond to mechanical/structural problems that occur regularly, such as inoperative motors, water leaks into the antenna recesses and equipment rooms, realigning misaligned FRMs, and addressing other antenna issues brought to their attention. Antenna mechanics also inspect the 73 concrete antenna pads. This is done to ensure their structural integrity and to measure for signs of shifting. If the tripod legs of a pad were to shift too far apart, the antenna would no longer be able to be bolted to the pad. The two transporters used to move the antennas during reconfigurations also undergo maintenance and repair between move periods. Maintenance on the almost 40-year-old transporters includes servicing the motors, checking the generators that keep critical power to the antenna during a move, lubricating the moving parts, checking the 24-wheel axles and wheels, and maintaining the electrical and hydraulic systems. Additional inspections and maintenance to be performed in FY2020 include assessing the structural integrity of the steel collars which allow for the turning of the transporters, and replacing these if necessary. Track: During FY2020, inspection of the VLA railroad tracks will continue. The track crew will be checking for problems that could compromise the safety of the transporters that carry the antennas during array reconfigurations and other antenna moves. These inspections also guard against problems that could jeopardize the safety of the maintenance rail vehicles used by technicians to service the track and antennas. Maintaining track integrity requires specialized railroad repair vehicles, equipment, and materials such as cross-ties, ballast, and rails. As recommended in the Holland Track Survey conducted in 2013, 5000 cross-ties are to be replaced each year to maintain the minimal health of the VLA Wye. FY2020 will mark the sixth year of this level of tie replacement. The rail crossing at U.S. 60 will be completed in September 2019. Seventy-two intersections, one for each antenna pad, are included in the VLA Wye proper, along with a few more service intersections. The ties which make up these intersections must be replaced on a regular basis. Due to the complexity of rebuilding an intersection, the decision was made to replace failing intersections with fabricated concrete ties rather than wooden ones. This method requires more time to accomplish than working with wooden ties, but the payoff is extended life, greater safety during moves,

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and less maintenance. To date, 52 of the wooden intersections have been replaced with the concrete tie design. Five intersections will be fabricated and replaced in FY2020. Site Infrastructure: The VLA site buildings, utility systems, and grounds will continue to undergo routine annual inspection and preventive maintenance in FY2020. Site transformers routinely undergo preventive maintenance procedures prior to array configuration moves. Other regular activities include: annual road grading; roof repairs; heating and cooling systems maintenance; pest and weed control along the railways and central site; fire brigade and emergency medical response team training; and the routine servicing of gas pumps, sewer and water supply systems, backup generator power, and other related systems. Beginning in FY2017, an upgrade process began for specific, aging VLA site infrastructure and equipment. In FY2020, upgrades will include the procurement of VLA Front End test instrumentation and electronic components for the ACU upgrade effort. A quantity of spare high voltage array arm switches will be purchased, along with a spare HVAC compressor for the site’s control building and WIDAR cooling system. Several VLA fleet vehicles will be replaced in FY2020. Funding has been appropriated for the purchase of track ties and ballast, and for the repair and upgrade of a portion of the roads and parking areas at the site. The successful AUI proposal for the management and operation of the NRAO described a three-year program of primarily infrastructure improvement followed by a seven-year development program more focused on the ngVLA. The infrastructure improvements across the Observatory were listed in Figure 2 of the proposal (Major Equipment and Large-scale Repair Items). Since the proposal was written, the staging of the improvements in New Mexico has been revised on a yearly basis to accommodate fluctuations in infrastructure costs, to support ngVLA earlier in the term of the new cooperative agreement, to facilitate urgent repairs, and to gain operational efficiencies. The proposed revisions to the original program, along with current status, are provided in Table 3.1.5.1. The scope of work and budget for the infrastructure and development program has been affected as a result of the ngVLA effort. $568K was re-allocated from the infrastructure funds to the ngVLA budget in FY2017 with the understanding that these funds may possibly be transferred back during a later year of the infrastructure upgrade effort. It has now been determined that these funds will not be refreshed. As a result, some of the less critical infrastructure upgrades have been descoped or otherwise reduced for FY2020 and the outlying years. These include reducing the number of antenna azimuth bearing purchases from eight to five, the elimination of automatic grease distributors for the VLA antennas, and the reduction of funding for antenna rust removal and paint. Improved insulation for the site buildings and a follow up track inspection have also been eliminated. The overall program will continue to be monitored and may be revised depending upon future operational priorities and unforeseen equipment failures.

Table 3.1.5.1: Revised Major Equipment and Large-scale Repair Items for NM Operations. Budget amounts are in $K.

VLA Equipment FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY19T FY20 FY21 Original FY17-26

Notes

Two track high rail vehicles 0 128 0 0 0 0 0 128 CNC lathe 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cooling tower tube exchanger 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 55 Front End SOIDA rack (2) 0 101 0 0 0 104 0 206 * Heavy vehicle replacement 0 189 0 132 0 202 0 1,034 * New switches - E, W, N arms 0 0 0 0 0 61 0 50 Repair VLA CB roof 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 101 Replace 2 CNC knee mills 0 99 0 99 0 0 0 197 *

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VLA Equipment FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY19T FY20 FY21 Original FY17-26

Notes

Replace generator switchgear & hatch gear

0 0 1,000 0 0 0 0 1,000

Replace rail crane 0 0 0 0 203 0 0 103 Replace azimuth bearings 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 610 *$ Replace VLA cafeteria roof 0 87 0 0 0 0 0 87 Replace standby generators 0 0 1,400 0 0 0 0 1,400 Replace National boom truck 0 270 0 0 0 0 0 270 Spare HVAC compressors 0 0 0 30 0 30 0 80 Tie inserter 0 85 0 0 0 0 0 85 Passenger bus repair facility 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 149 Road & parking lot maintenance & paving

0 0 0 0 0 55 0 442

Subtotal VLA Equipment 0 959 2,400 261 203 452 0 5,996 Large Scale Repair & Maintenance - - - - - - - Replace ACU & FRM motors 184 46 30 250 0 10 157 1,067 * Antenna automatic grease distributors

0 0 0 14 0 0 0 70 $

Replace ties & intersections 0 542 0 267 598 639 532 4,527 * Refurb AAB overhead crane 0 70 0 0 0 0 0 70 Antenna rust removal, paint and insulation

0 0 0 0 0 0 91 387 $

Well pump power controller 0 0 0 110 0 0 0 110 Improve site building insulation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 73 $ Replace exterior doors and windows 0 0 0 150 0 0 0 150 Ultrasonic track inspection 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 $ Subtotal Repair & Maintenance 184 658 30 791 598 649 780 6,505 Carryover 0 470 -470 0 0 0 0 0 ngVLA Development -184 752 0 0 0 0 0 0 Grand Total 0 2,838 1,960 1,052 801 1,100 780 12,501 Denotes completed item * Denotes multi-year item $ Denotes reduced or descoped item FY2019T Denotes funds for track materials and equipment from a separate NSF proposal

VLA Observing Capability Enhancements

The VLA continues to provide new capabilities to the user community to optimize and enhance the science that can be done with the array. This strategy has proven to be effective in keeping users engaged, and it is a critical factor in keeping the scientific productivity of the VLA high. To this end, the Observatory continues to provide incremental capability enhancements above and beyond NRAO’s operational efforts. The pace of development of new capabilities is matched to the available staff (expressed as Full-Time Equivalents or FTEs) who are not fully engaged with daily operations and other development projects. The rate at which a capability moves from RSRO to SRO to GO depends upon the complexity of the task, the level of contribution from RSRO participants, funding for hardware (where relevant), and the available FTEs within NRAO. Given some uncertainties in available FTEs and possible changes over time, NRAO expects scientific staff effort on the following observing capability enhancements in FY2020. P-band Polarization Observations: P-band Stokes I continuum and spectral line observations are currently GO, but polarization observations have not yet been promoted beyond RSRO because of difficulties with the antenna feeds. Most of these issues have been resolved, and P-band polarization observing will be promoted from RSRO to SRO status in FY2020. Pulsar Observations: Phase-binned imaging of pulsars using the WIDAR correlator was promoted to GO in FY2019. Phased-array coherent-dedispersion (Y Ultimate Pulsar Processing Instrument or YUPPI

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mode) observations of pulsars with the VLA was promoted to SRO in FY2019, and will be promoted to GO in FY2020. Further Smoothing Options in Correlator: The ability to do simple frequency averaging (by factors of two or four) in the correlator software is already available as a GO capability. In FY2020, the VLA will implement additional smoothing options, such as Hanning smoothing.

VLA Technical Upgrades and Enhancements

Several technical upgrades and enhancements are planned for FY2020. Technical upgrades are chosen based on considerations of safety, operational efficiency, ease of maintenance, impact on data quality and delivery of science, cost, obsolescence planning, and impact on overall NRAO strategic goals. VLA ACU Replacement: The electronics parts to repair the original VLA ACUs are no longer available. Without these replacement parts, antennas with failed ACUs would no longer be able to participate in observations, posing a serious operational risk. All legacy VLA ACUs are to be replaced with units using newer technology, including NRAO-developed all-digital Silicon Controlled Rectifiers (SCR), which enable a more supportable VLA, as well as eliminating some inherent problems with the legacy design and greatly improving the pointing and tracking capabilities of the antennas. The 13th new ACU was installed in FY2019. The Servo Group will install three additional units in FY2020. Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) Development: As part of the continued effort to reduce the power consumption and energy costs associated with operating an antenna, an NRAO-developed VFD electronics package will be integrated with a cryogenic refrigerator and compressor system in the Electronics lab. Characterization testing will begin on this integrated system in Q3. In anticipation of future field-testing, manifolds, tanks, and other associated compressor system plumbing will be installed on a VLA antenna by the end of Q4. Antenna Network Power Conditioner Assembly: To improve operational performance, a power conditioner assembly has been designed to stabilize battery-provided power delivered to the antenna network switches during power outages. The assembly will be built and tested throughout the fiscal year with all 28 antennas modified by the end of Q4.

3.2 Very Long Baseline Array

The VLBA is the world's pre-eminent facility for micro-arcsecond astrometric studies, and submilliarcsecond imaging. With ten 25-m antennas spread across the United States, the VLBA has baselines as long as 8600 km, giving it the highest angular resolution (0.1 milliarcsecond) of any instrument in astronomy. It operates a full suite of receivers with frequencies from 0.3 to 90 GHz, and achieves astrometric accuracy routinely at the 10 microarcsecond level. Unlike most VLBI arrays, the VLBA operates continuously, and can respond quickly to rare but fast-changing transient phenomena such as exploding stars, novae, and gravitational wave events. The VLBA can be used as a stand-alone instrument or as part of the global High Sensitivity Array (HSA), greatly increasing its sensitivity. In FY2020, the VLBA will continue with its unique capabilities of precision astrometry, parallax and proper motion measurements of individual objects in our Galaxy, and the imaging of the black hole/accretion disk/jet environments of Active Galactic Nuclei.

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In FY2017–2018, the VLBA was operated by the Long Baseline Observatory. Starting in FY2019, the VLBA is again operated as an NRAO facility. The successful reintegration and operations proposal described the overall direction for the VLBA through FY2026. This includes continued operation, infrastructure renewal, user support improvements, and a modest amount of new capability development. The U.S. Naval Observatory is a 50% operations funding partner and is allocated 50% of the VLBA observing time.

VLBA Science Operations

Observing Programs: The VLBA will offer the same three types of observing programs that the VLA offers for users in FY2020: RSRO, SRO, and GO. Two observing systems are available within the Reconfigurable Open Architecture Computing Hardware (ROACH) Digital Backend (RDBE) units: the relatively limited Polyphase Filterbank (PFB) and the more flexible Digital Down-Converter (DDC). Two RDBEs using the DDC observing system offer 8-channel modes that are equivalent to what was available with the legacy system. In addition, the VLBA can be combined with the phased VLA (phasing all VLA antennas together as Y27), Green Bank Telescope (GBT), Arecibo, and Effelsberg telescopes in High Sensitivity Array (HSA) observations. The observing system that can be used for GO depends upon what is available for each station. The Calls for Proposals identify explicitly what the available options will be for each semester. A subset of GO capabilities has been offered for the Extra Large Proposal call released in Q4 FY2019, and for which observing may begin around the start of FY2021. The SRO program allows users access to capabilities that can be set up via the standard VLBA software packages and run without intervention but are not as well tested as GO capabilities. The Shared Risk capabilities typically involve HSA observations, where different telescopes have different capabilities. We will promote baseband data copy and observing with a single VLA antenna (Y1) from RSRO to SRO in FY2020. The RSRO program provides users with early access to new capabilities in exchange for a period of residence to help test and verify those capabilities. For FY2020, NRAO is encouraging RSRO participation to expand HSA capabilities. Scientific Support of Receiver, Antenna, and Array Performance: Staff will perform the following operational tasks during FY2020 in support of maintaining receiver, antenna, and array performance and ensuring that the user community has access to quality instrumentation and updated information to effectively use the VLBA. Support Calls for Proposals: Prepare user documentation for offered capabilities before the call goes out, provide scientific testing of user tools needed to prepare proposals (e.g., PST, European VLBI Network or (EVN) Sensitivity Calculator), provide technical reviews for proposals, and evaluate proposals for RSRO contributions. In FY2020, this will include the evaluation of Extra Large Proposals. Hardware, Software, and Operational Documentation: Write technical documentation detailing hardware and software functionality for staff and users, develop and improve operational procedures, and write documentation for the operations staff. This includes updating the VLBA Observational Status Summary before each Call for Proposals. Additional Help for New VLBA Users: For Semester 2020A (starting Q2 FY2020), NRAO will be offering extra help to new or novice VLBA users with their observing set up, and will provide initial calibration and Quick Look images of their data. This program may expand to include more users, and further help, in the future.

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Python-based SCHED software: The Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC (JIVE) has produced a new Python-based version of the primary software used by observers for producing observing files for the VLBA, pySCHED. NRAO will evaluate this software by Q2, with a view to using it to replace the old, Fortran-based SCHED code in the future. Track and Measure VLBA Sensitivity, Pointing, Focus: Characterize the sensitivity, pointing, and focus of each antenna at each band. This must be done periodically as receivers and equipment are replaced or as software is upgraded. Clock Maintenance: Accurate timekeeping is central to VLBI and is provided by hydrogen masers and reference signals inserted into the astronomical data. Quality assurance checks are performed periodically by scientific staff and data analysts. RFI Characterization and Mitigation: The rapidly evolving use of the radio spectrum by satellites and portable electronics has been a challenge for all radio observatories. While the VLBA may be more tolerant of low levels of RFI due to the interferometer response, it is hurt by its geographic extent and thus exposure to a wide range of different sources; finding common interference-free observing bands across the array is becoming more difficult. During FY2020, NRAO will re-examine its RFI monitoring efforts for the VLBA and produce a plan for future monitoring and mitigation of interference from the new satellite constellations. System Health and Maintenance Feedback: Run routine health checks and critically analyze the data to determine if there are any hardware failures that must be followed up with maintenance tickets. Data Quality Assurance Checks: Evaluate data quality and run test observations to identify and diagnose problems that are not caught by engineering checks. Coordination for Global millimeter VLBI and the HSA: The VLBA occasionally observes in parallel with other observatories, as requested by users whose scientific goals require the inclusion of baselines to large-aperture and/or distant facilities. Scheduling and correlation of these observations requires coordination with local schedulers at each participating observatory, a significantly more complex process than normal VLBA-only observations require. As for the VLA, support for the Calls for Proposals and associated documentation updates and software testing have milestones on a timescale matched to the proposal cycle. Unlike the VLA, the VLBA does not reconfigure its antennas so the measurement and characterization of system health, gain curves, receiver collimations, etc., is a continuous effort tied to the regular maintenance activities.

VLBA Array Operations

Scheduling and Observing: The VLBA is almost entirely dynamically scheduled, meaning the observations that run on a given day are only selected a few days in advance from a queue of possible observations. This allows the highest priority observations or those requiring certain weather conditions to be observed when such conditions are met. Other factors that impact scheduling include availability of antennas and date or time constraints specified in a proposal. Fixed-time scheduling is possible and is typically used when coordination with other facilities is required. Projects are not eligible for scheduling until the user uploads a schedule file. The VLBA Operations technical manager arranges the daily array scheduling. Once scheduled, operators queue a project for observation, placing the files that define the observing sequence on control computers at each site. Operators ensure that the observations are executed

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properly and take corrective measures, as appropriate. A single operator is on duty at all times, except for 60 hours of non-observing time corresponding to major holidays each year. In parallel with observation duties, the VLBA operations staff correlate observations that were typically made one to three weeks earlier. This involves running computer programs that combine the data collected by the separate antennas that make up the array. Data analysts prepare the correlator jobs, which define the scientific data products, based on input from the users. Correlated data are inspected by an analyst before being placed into the science data archive and provided to users. The VLBA data analysts help observers with schedule files and data access. Operating Model: The VLBA is operated 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and is supported by five operators at the operations center in Socorro and two site technicians per station who live within driving distance of their respective sites (20 staff total). The array operators concurrently operate the DiFX correlator. Two data analysts prepare the proper scripts for the DiFX correlation and perform quality checks on the correlated data. The VLBA technical manager, who oversees the dynamic scheduling, manages the logging of maintenance and hardware problem reports for the VLA and the VLBA. The data analysts dynamically schedule the array from a list of approved projects. A media specialist ensures that data recording media are available at the sites, manages the program used to track the media, and coordinates exchange of media with other observatories as needed. Data are recorded at the VLBA sites on disk packs using the Mark 5C and new Mark 6 recorders and shipped to the correlator for processing. The media are returned to the sites, usually within four weeks, for reuse. The VLBA site technicians perform numerous maintenance and diagnostics tasks, as well as ensuring the recording media are loaded and then shipped to the appropriate correlator. The technicians are available for after-hours callouts to address failures that impact antenna performance as well as issues related to antenna safety (power outages, severe weather conditions, etc.). The dynamic scheduling duties were recently transferred from the VLBA technical manager to the data analysts to provide better coverage and to eliminate the dependence on one person providing this function. Implementation of this transition was completed in Q4 FY2019, but full proficiency may not be achieved until FY2020. When not coordinating media activity, the media specialist will provide support to the data analysts to lessen the workload on the analysts doing dynamic scheduling. Array Operations manages all aspects of the NM Operations work orders in the maintenance system database, including user and asset lists, workflow of work orders (create, modify, close), and all changes. The maintenance work order system underwent database changes in FY2019, with the MainSaver program being replaced by a JIRA-based tracking system. In FY2020, the administration of the JIRA system for maintenance tracking will be taken over by the VLA and VLBA technical managers.

VLBA Development

A technical development roadmap document was completed in FY2019 describing a series of upgrades that would dramatically increase VLBA capability. Many of these developments are related to increasing the bandwidth (and hence continuum sensitivity) of the array and its compatibility with other VLBI arrays. Other developments open up new portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, increase precision through improved calibration, or improve the operations model. This document was developed with input from the VLBA user community and will be refreshed over time to adapt to changing external conditions. It is used to prioritize the limited resources the VLBA has for development.

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New VLBA Digital Architecture Project (Oryx): This effort was started in FY2019 in response to growing concern about the ability to maintain the VLBA digital system, the ROACH Digital Back Ends. The VLBA reintegration proposal included $528K over three years to replace the hardware, but since replacement hardware is not available a new development project was determined to be needed, increasing the total cost and delaying the onset of the overall effort. The increased cost is pushing the VLBA to pursue external funds to complete the deployment. In Q2, phase one of this project will conclude with a complete design and prototype hardware, and the delivery of a proposal for acquisition and deployment of this hardware across the VLBA. In Q4, staff will demonstrate sampling, channelization, and formatting for at least one useful observing mode in a laboratory setting. E-Transfer: During FY2019, through a special NSF award, the VLBA connected high speed fiber-optic networks to all VLBA stations without that capability. During FY2020, some steps will be taken to make operational use of this capability. An initial development will be a network performance diagnostic tool that can be executed by VLBA Operations. A first operational version of electronic data transfer (e-transfer) of VLBI data from the VLBA sites to the correlator in Socorro will be developed. This will be used to expedite array testing. This capability will be of significant value for the demonstration of the new VLBA digital architecture equipment. It will also be used in future years as the basis for rapid delivery of some time-sensitive observations.

VLBA Maintenance and Renewal

The New Mexico Electronics Division is responsible for maintaining all VLBA electronic components, some mechanical assemblies, and the DiFX Correlator. Each VLBA antenna contains eight cooled receivers, two compressors, an antenna control unit, and numerous other electronics components. Although some of these components are supported in the Socorro labs, many are sent to the 20 VLBA site technicians for efficient repair and maintenance. Typical preventive and corrective maintenance performed by site technicians at each VLBA site are as follows.

• Inspection and lubrication of Focus Rotation Mounts (FRM), Azimuth/Elevation drive motors, encoder and pintle bearings, elevation gears, elevation hoist, and changing gearbox oil.

• Check/test encoder motor tachometers, servo limits, ACU, vacuum pumps, all heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, dry air system, weather station equipment.

• Perform maintenance on ACUs and FRM controllers. • Ensure safety equipment such as UPSs and generators, emergency power, fire alarm systems, fire

extinguishers, and security systems are operating normally. • Ensure all other preventive maintenance tasks such as checking motor brushes and commutators

are checked and replaced, check of Azimuth wheel position, check for metal in grease samples, cable wrap maintenance, and replace oil filters.

• Repair some VLBA specific modules and electronic systems to relieve some of this task from the technical staff at the DSOC and the VLA sites.

• Maintain the grounds and building infrastructure. • Other diagnostic and repair tasks as needed. • Support major maintenance visits to two VLBA sites.

For FY2020, Electronics Division staff based at the DSOC will perform the following routine maintenance work, listed by group or groups assigned the work.

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Front End and Cryogenics: • Overhaul ~60 receiver cold heads to keep VLBA FEs operating. • Perform preventive maintenance on four helium circuits to maintain cryogenic performance. • Repair and/or upgrade/retrofit eight VLBA FE receivers, on average.

Local Oscillator and Intermediate Frequency (LO/IF):

• Investigate issues with locking, fringing, output power, and general communication dropouts. • Monitor maser performance and timing, adjusting as needed.

Data Acquisition: • Repair of 12 VLBA recording and playback modules. • Repair of up to 50 recording disk packs.

Multiple Groups and Systems:

• Retrofit upgrades or additions to enhance equipment safety. • Perform bench work on modules for repair or assembly. • Monitor for local RFI at the VLBA sites. • Send calibrated site weather station hardware to each site as needed. • Support major maintenance visits to two VLBA sites.

The VLBA station in St. Croix suffered extensive damage due to the Maria and Irma hurricanes in 2017. An NSF-funded repair project was initiated in 2018, with multiple teams traveling to St. Croix to repair or oversee contracted repair work on the antenna. NRAO will complete any remaining repairs and project deliverables in FY2020. Following a period of cold temperatures that negatively affected observing at some sites, engineering staff have begun investigating methods to improve Focus Rotation Mount (FRM) performance during operation below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. A summary report outlining root causes and potential improvements will be provided by end of Q1.

VLBA Observing Capability Enhancements

The VLBA continues to provide new capabilities to the user community to optimize and enhance the science that can be done with the array, within the VLBA’s limited resources. As for the VLA, the rate at which a capability moves from RSRO to SRO to GO depends upon the task complexity, the level of contribution from RSRO participants, funding for hardware (in some cases), and the available FTEs. In FY2020, the following capability enhancements for the VLBA will occur. 4 Gbps Data Rate: The development and deployment of the Mark 6 recorder systems was completed in FY2019. During FY2020, this will become the sole data recording system on the VLBA and a new observing mode enabling twice the sustainable bandwidth—up to 4 Gbps data rate or 512 MHz bandwidth per polarization—will be made available as a GO capability. Y1 Observing with the VLBA: The ability to include just one VLA antenna (Y1 observing mode) with the VLBA provides a critical short baseline that enables the imaging of structures more extended than those accessible to the VLBA alone. This capability has been available as part of the RSRO program through FY2019, and will be made available as an SRO capability in FY2020.

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VLBA Technical Upgrades and Enhancements

Several technical upgrades and enhancements are planned for FY2020. Technical upgrades are chosen based on considerations of safety, operational efficiency, ease of maintenance, impact on data quality and delivery of science, cost, and impact on overall NRAO strategic goals. VLBA Site Weather Station Upgrade: The replacement candidate VLBA weather station developed in FY2019 will be fully packaged, verified, delivered, and installed at a VLBA site in Q4 FY2020. Complete Installation of Antenna E-racks: To continue the expansion of equipment and capabilities on each antenna, a shielded equipment rack will be installed in the upper antenna cabin of all VLBA antennas. As part of a strategic technical roadmap, these racks will eventually house many of the new electronics needed to advance the capabilities of the antennas. The racks will be installed by site technicians, with the tenth and final installation scheduled for completion in Q4. E-Rack Production Power Supply Design: The initial phase of the e-rack production power supply project will result in a fully specified power supply designed to meet current and expected power requirements for e-rack electronics systems. A design package will be created and reviewed by the close of Q2.

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3.3 New Mexico Operations Major Milestones

Table 3.3.1: New Mexico Operations FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Very Large Array

Operations

Define capabilities to be offered for GO and SRO 1 2 Scientific support for Call for Proposals 3 4 Support array reconfigurations 5 6 7 Reconfigure from A to D configuration 8 Reconfigure from D to C configuration 9 Reconfigure from C to B configuration 10 Operator cross-training 11 Scheduling of major maintenance and overhauls 12

Development Realfast operational with VLASS epoch 2 13 Realfast project complete 14 eLWA operation expanded 15

Maintenance and Renewal

WIDAR power system replacement 16 Overhaul VLA antennas 17 Replace one VLA Azimuth Bearing 18 Preventive Maintenance on VLA transporters 19 20 21 22 Replace 5000 railroad ties 23 Replace Five VLA intersections 24 PM on VLA site transformers 25 26 27 28 Purchase FE test instrumentation (SOIDA) 29 Replace several site heavy vehicles 30 Purchase electrical arm switches 31 Purchase Control Building HVAC compressor 32 Improve site road/parking 33 Purchase ACU upgrade components 34 Purchase track maintenance materials 35

Technical Upgrades and Enhancements

P-band polarization observations to SRO 36 YUPPI pulsar observations to GO 37 More smoothing options in correlator 38 Install replacement ACUs #14, 15, 16 39 Integrate VFD cryogenics system for lab testing 40 Install VFD compressor and refrigerator lines and tanks on antenna 41

Install network switch power conditioning system on all antennas 42

Very Long Baseline Array

Operations

Define capabilities to be offered for GO and SRO 43 44 Scientific support for Call for Proposals 45 46 Implement user help program 47 Evaluate pySCHED 48 Plan for RFI monitoring 49 JIRA-based maintenance tracking 50

Development

Deliver Oryx production proposal 51 Lab demonstration of Oryx capabilities 52 Initial development of network performance diagnostic tool 53

E-transfer of VLBI data from VLBA sites to DSOC correlator 54

Maintenance and Renewal

Major Maintenance Visit to two VLBA sites 55 56 Cold temperature operating report 57

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FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Technical Upgrades and Enhancements

4 Gbps observing promoted from SRO to GO 58 Y1 promoted from RSRO to SRO 59 Install upgraded VLBA Weather Station at one site 60 Complete installation of E-rack at all sites 61 Finalize design of production E-rack power supply 62

Milestones: VLA 1. Define VLA GO and SRO capabilities to be offered

for Semester 2020B 2. Define VLA GO and SRO capabilities to be offered

for Semester 2021A 3. Update VLA documentation to support 2020B Call

for Proposals, perform proposal technical reviews 4. Update VLA documentation to support 2021A Call

for Proposals, perform proposal technical reviews 5. Determine baselines and pointing for antennas

moving into their D configuration locations 6. Determine baselines and pointing for antennas

moving into their C configuration locations 7. Determine baselines and pointing for antennas

moving into their B configuration locations 8. Reconfigure from A to D configuration 9. Reconfigure from D to C configuration 10. Reconfigure from C to B configuration 11. Cross-training operators on VLA and VLBA

instruments completed 12. VLA technical manager assumes scheduler duties for

major maintenance and overhauls for the VLA and the VLBA

13. Realfast operational with VLASS epoch 2 observing 14. Realfast project complete 15. eLWA operation expanded to more antennas 16. WIDAR power system replacement 17. Perform five antenna overhauls during the year 18. Replace one antenna azimuth bearing during the

year 19. Perform preventive maintenance on each of two

transporters prior to array reconfiguration to D 20. Perform preventive maintenance on each of two

transporters prior to array reconfiguration to C 21. Perform preventive maintenance on each of two

transporters prior to array reconfiguration to B 22. Perform preventive maintenance on each of two

transporters prior to array reconfiguration to BnA 23. Identify and replace 5000 aging or damaged cross-

ties during the course of the year 24. Identify and replace five antenna intersections during

the course of the year 25. Perform preventive maintenance on the next

configuration VLA antenna transformers prior to array reconfiguration to D

26. Perform preventive maintenance on the next configuration VLA antenna transformers prior to array reconfiguration to C

27. Perform preventive maintenance on the next configuration VLA antenna transformers prior to array reconfiguration to B

Deliverables: VLA 1-2. Capability definitions, software requirements for

proposal tool 3-4. Documentation and proposal technical reviews 5-7. Antenna baselines and pointing 8-10. Move antennas to designated pads in proper

configuration 11. Training completed 12. Transfer of duties completed 13. Realfast observing alongside VLASS 14. Realfast project closeout 15. eLWA expansion 16. Shutdown WIDAR for power system inspection

and replace correlator, power filters, power control units, and backup batteries

17. Preventive maintenance and overhaul of 5 antennas, each operational and returned to array

18. One antenna azimuth bearing replaced, antenna operational and returned to array

19-22. Routine transporter maintenance prior to array reconfigurations

23. Upgrade/repair track per priority assignment 24. Upgrade Wye intersections per priority

assignment 25-28. Preventive maintenance to all Wye power

transformers 29. Purchase FE test instrumentation for VLA receiver

repair and maintenance 30. Purchase new vehicles for site fleet, as budget

allows 31. Purchase electrical power switches for Wye 32. Purchase compressor for Control Building/

WIDAR HVAC system 33. Repair/improve site roads/parking areas as budget

allows 34. Purchase electrical components to allow for ACU

upgrades 35. Purchase new cross-ties and ballast needed to

maintain the Wye 36-38. Capabilities made available for the community

as advertised in associated Calls for Proposals 39. ACUs installed and operational on three antennas 40. Integrate VFD electronics packaged with a

cryogenic refrigerator and compressor system in the Electronics lab

41. For future VFD field testing, install lines, manifolds, tanks, and associated plumbing hardware on a VLA antenna

42. Complete the installation of power conditioning system for network switches on all VLA antennas

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FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 28. Perform preventive maintenance on the next

configuration VLA antenna transformers prior to array reconfiguration to BnA

29. Purchase FE test instrumentation (SOIDA) 30. Replace several site heavy vehicles 31. Purchase electrical arm switches 32. Purchase Control Building HVAC compressor 33. Improve site road/parking 34. Purchase ACU upgrade components 35. Purchase track maintenance materials 36. P-band polarization observations to SRO 37. YUPPI pulsar observations to GO 38. More smoothing options in correlator 39. Complete installation of 3 more ACUs 40. Integrate VFD cryogenics system for lab testing 41. Install VFD compressor and refrigerator lines and

tanks on antenna 42. Install network switch power conditioning system

on all antennas

VLBA 43. Define VLBA GO and SRO capabilities to be offered

for semester 2020B 44. Define VLBA GO and SRO capabilities to be offered

for semester 2021A 45. Update VLBA documentation to support 2020B Call

for Proposals, perform proposal technical reviews 46. Update VLBA documentation to support 2021A Call

for Proposals, perform proposal technical reviews 47. Implement VLBA user help program 48. Evaluate pySCHED 49. Plan for future RFI monitoring 50. VLA/VLBA technical managers assume full

administration of the JIRA-based maintenance tracking system

51. Deliver production proposal for Oryx rollout to all VLBA sites

52. Demonstrate Oryx capabilities in lab 53. Initial development of network performance

diagnostic tool 54. E-transfer of VLBI data from VLBA sites to DSOC

correlator 55. Major Maintenance Visit #1 56. Major Maintenance Visit #2 57. Cold temperature operating report 58. 4 Gbps observing promoted from SRO to GO 59. Y1 promoted from RSRO to SRO 60. Install upgraded VLBA weather station at one site 61. Complete installation of E-racks at all VLBA sites 62. Finalize design of production E-rack power supply

VLBA 43-44. Capability definitions, software requirements

for proposal tool 45-46. Documentation and proposal technical reviews 47. Help for VLBA users 48. Decision on whether to replace SCHED with

pySCHED 49. Documentation 50. Training and assumption of duties completed 51. Deliver a costed proposal for production-ready

deployment of Oryx systems to all VLBA antennas 52. Use Oryx lab unit to demonstrate sampling,

channelization, and formatting in at least one mode relevant to VLBI observations

53. Deliver prototype of network diagnostic tool 54. Demonstrate electronic transfer of VLBI data from

VLBA antennas to the DSOC correlator 55-56. Major maintenance and overhaul

activities completed at VLBA site 57. Delivery of report outlining issues and

recommendations for cold-weather operation of VLBA FRM

58-59. Capabilities made available for the community as advertised in associated Calls for Proposals

60. Install upgraded VLBA weather station system at one VLBA site

61. Complete the mechanical installation of E-racks at all VLBA sites

62. Finalize and review a design package for production E-rack power supply system

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3.4 New Mexico Operations Financial Charts

Table 3.4.1: FY2020 by Fund Source in $, FTE

Table 3.4.2: FY2020 Expenditures by Object

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4 CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY

The CDL’s mission is to support the evolution of NRAO facilities by developing the technologies and expertise critical for the next-generation of radio astronomy instrumentation. CDL-developed technology is integral to all NRAO-operated telescopes and to other radio telescopes around the world, so another important mission of the laboratory is providing maintenance and upgrades to these instruments. CDL maintains a staff of approximately 50 personnel organized into teams of engineers and technicians working across crucial radio telescope technologies, including digital signal processing and design, low noise amplifiers, millimeter and submillimeter detectors, optics and electromagnetic components, and new receiver architectures. The lab is the world leader in the application of many of these technologies to radio astronomy.

In service to this mission, CDL also supports the greater NRAO mission of developing the next generation of instrumentation engineers and scientists by:

• Hosting Jansky post-doctoral instrumentation engineers and scientists, • Advising, mentoring, and employing undergraduate and graduate engineering and astronomy

students, and • Participating in undergraduate and graduate co-operative engineering programs.

The demographic-driven changes which started at the CDL in 2018 continued in 2019. Two research engineers left CDL this year, while another signaled plans to retire. Hiring actions for these positions are in process. CDL gained a second Jansky Fellow, hired a new digital engineer as part of the effort to grow the digital team, hired a technician on the millimeter/submillimeter wave team, and hired a new computer programmer to help address obsolescence in legacy software programs. CDL expects more changes in FY2020, including ngVLA-related hiring, establishing a university co-op program, and further retirements of senior research engineers. NRAO will continue to operate two of the world’s most powerful and unique radio interferometers, the VLA, the VLBA, and (in cooperation with its international partners) ALMA. The NRAO, in collaboration with the U.S. radio astronomy community at-large, continues to plan and develop an engineering design for the ngVLA in preparation for Astro2020. By actively participating as members of several Integrated Product Teams, CDL will support this process throughout FY2020. CDL will continue to carry out its core mission to:

• Sustain ongoing operations of existing facilities; • Enhance the performance of existing facilities; and • Develop the technologies and expertise needed for next-generation radio astronomy instruments.

In FY2020, CDL will continue to engage in cross-observatory repair, maintenance, support, and in several programmatic and Work For Others (WFO) construction projects, while carrying out design and development of technologies for future instrumentation—especially for ngVLA. In addition, CDL will continue investigating new and emerging technologies that have the potential to advance the state-of-the-art in instrumentation. The cornerstone in this part of CDL’s work is the development of superconducting Traveling Wave Kinetic Inductance Parametric Amplifiers (TKIPs), which will continue in 2020, but CDL will also be forming partnerships with research institutions working on 3-D printing/additive manufacturing techniques that could lead to devices applicable to radio astronomy instrumentation.

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4.1 Repair, Maintenance, Production, and Support

Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs): In FY2020, the production of ALMA Band 1 amplifiers for NAOJ/ASIAA will continue until the scheduled project completion in April 2020. This activity is outside the scope of the Observatory’s NSF award and is being carried out as WFO. The CDL amplifier group will provide continued support for all VLA, GBT, and VLBA receivers in the field, which incorporate a population of about 1000 amplifiers. Support for the refurbishment of ALMA Band 6 IF preamplifiers is also planned—this will include usage of commercial Diramics devices as a substitute for the Cryo 3 devices when rebuilding MIC-based IF preamplifiers for use with ALMA Band 6 mixers. As CDL personnel resources permit, the laboratory’s LNA group will also continue to support the cryogenic amplifier needs of the general radio astronomical community as WFO outside the Observatory’s NSF award. Millimeter and Submillimeter Receivers (MSMRx): During FY2020, the MSMRx group at the CDL will continue to support the offsite maintenance of the ALMA Band 6 receivers originally built by NRAO, with the focus on maintaining a sufficient quantity of spare mixers and preamplifiers. During the same period, CDL’s MSMRx team will continue to support broader community projects, such as the Large Millimeter Telescope (UMass), Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO) on Mt. Graham, the South Pole Telescope, the Taiwanese Greenland Telescope (based on the Vertex ALMA prototype antenna), and outfitting of other mm/submm telescopes for VLBI. With the exception of ALMA support, these activities are WFO and will be undertaken only when it does not interfere with work under the NSF award. Significant effort was devoted towards producing and qualifying Band 6 mixer-preamplifiers using the MMIC low noise amplifiers provided by Low Noise Factory (LNF) in Sweden. These MMICs replaced the original preamplifier design that was progressively rendered obsolete. Work on this new design was thought to be complete: mixer-preamplifiers based on it were integrated into Band 6 receiver cartridges and fully characterized, and a configuration change was accepted by the ALMA project as a result of a successful engineering change request process. However, stability problems have begun to appear when mating LNF amplifiers with ALMA Band 6 mixer-preamplifiers. During FY2020, effort will be devoted to understand the root cause of this problem and to modify the IF circuit between the mixer and the amplifier to alleviate this issue. This approach is not guaranteed to be successful, hence the need for the parallel investigation using Heterojunction Field-Effect Transistor (HFET) MIC type amplifiers. During FY2020, efforts will be devoted to building up an adequate supply of spare mixer-preamplifiers to help with future Band 6 cartridge repair work. Integrated Receiver Development (IRD): The IRD group will continue to support and nurture the VLA and VLBA by providing construction and repair services on the in-house custom multi-chip modules used in those facilities, as well as instrument upgrades as funding allows. The IRD group is uniquely qualified to carry out the specialized design and micro-fabrication tasks for such instruments, and takes seriously its responsibility to keep that institutional knowledge current via cross-training within the group, as well as with collaborators in the GBO when requested. ALMA Offsite Hardware Support: The repair, maintenance, production, and support activities of this CDL based group are reported in Section 2.3.2 and not repeated here. This group is also involved in WFO construction projects. During FY2020, the ALMA Front End LO team will continue to produce and deliver ALMA Band 1 Local Oscillator articles to NAOJ/ASIAA and the related milestones are covered under this chapter. This activity is outside the scope of the Observatory’s NSF award and is being carried out as WFO and is scheduled to complete in November 2020.

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4.2 CDL Development Plans

Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors: In FY2020, the CDL MSMRx group will work in conjunction with University of Virginia Microfabrication Laboratory (UVML) to continue to develop the technology for the next generation of ALMA receivers, including a new generation of SIS mixers and RF and IF superconducting quadrature hybrids. CDL has undertaken a multi-year SIS receiver development plan designed to enable a new version of the ALMA Band 6 receiver to be proposed in two to three years. This effort will also provide a technology base that will enable CDL to build receivers at higher ALMA bands. The development plan consists of six individual efforts.

1. The development of SIS mixers with high quality Aluminum Nitride (AlN) tunnel barriers, which have high critical current density and are sufficiently reproducible to permit receiver production on the scale necessary for a new ALMA band. This will potentially allow Band 6 to Band 10 receivers to be produced with flatter noise temperature and gain versus frequency than is now possible.

2. The development of a balanced 4–16 GHz IF amplifier with low power dissipation for ALMA SIS receivers. This will allow current and future SIS receivers to operate with essentially flat noise and gain across a full 4–16 GHz IF band.

3. Evaluation of a new 4–16 GHz cryogenic field-displacement isolator, developed by Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, for use in future ALMA receivers. This could be paired with an (un-balanced) IF amplifier as an alternative to the balanced IF amplifiers in item 2 above.

4. Work towards an upgraded Band 6v2 receiver cartridge as a replacement for the current cartridge design. The goal is to achieve essentially flat receiver noise temperature and gain across an ALMA Band 6 expanded from the current 211–275 GHz coverage to 211–280 GHz, and across a full 4–16 GHz IF band. This will be implemented primarily by using Nb/AlN/Nb SIS junctions to increase the RF bandwidth of the Front End, and a new generation of IF amplifiers as described in items 2 and 3 above.

5. Development of an improved OMT to cover the expanded RF band (211–280 GHz). 6. Modification of the optics to eliminate the current sidelobe and improve the cross-polarization

over the expanded RF band. The ongoing joint effort with the University of Virginia (UVA) to qualify TKIP amplifiers for operation at 4K, and for radio astronomy RF and IF applications, will continue in FY2020, but progress will be delayed by the departure of the principal investigator. Early evaluations of the TKIP IF amplifiers have been completed and this work is expected to continue with the help of UVA graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Optics and Electromagnetic Components: The design, fabrication, and testing of a 310 MHz Short-Backfire antenna for the synchrotron radiation measurement on the GBT is to be completed in FY2020. Work on the ALMA Band 6v2 electromagnetic components (OMT and feed horn) will continue into FY2020. Progress in the additive manufacturing technology (3D printing) will be monitored to determine if advantages develop for manufacturing EM components. During FY2020, the CDL will partner with selected vendors to produce 3D printed parts which will be evaluated and tested. Testing will emphasize characterizing devices and materials at frequencies up to ~115 GHz and at cryogenic temperatures (15K). Digital Design Team: The CDL digital design team is developing an in-house architecture for the ngVLA Central Signal Processor (CSP). This Scalable, Reconfigurable, and Modular (SCREAM) architecture has the potential to decrease the construction and operation costs compared to alternate schemes (like

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NRC’s Trident implementation of the CSP). This multi-year effort will continue in FY2020 and a scaled version prototype of the SCREAM architecture will be developed and tested. The development of the pulsar timing engine, which is an integral part of the ngVLA CSP, has progressed slower than planned. With the new Jansky Fellow now taking charge of this effort, good progress is expected with a return to the nominal schedule by the end of FY2020. LO Reference and Timing: During FY2020, the following design activities shall be pursued by this CDL based group.

• Research and development of new techniques for accurate frequency generation, distribution, and synchronization for new and next generation telescopes like ngVLA.

• Coordination and collaboration with industrial and scientific collaborators engaged in time and frequency research activities in radio astronomy and other fields.

Specific funded activities and/or milestones related to ALMA and ngVLA are detailed in those sections and not repeated here. LO Group: With the growing push to increase the IF bandwidths of various ALMA receivers beyond the current 4–12 GHz, the ALMA FE LO architecture for several bands needs to be revamped to avoid having the fundamental oscillator (YIG tuned oscillator) frequency falling within the IF range. During FY2020, alternate multiplication schemes will be devised and appropriate alternate RF components identified. InP HBT and GaN device based RF power amplifier technology has made significant advances since the FE LO was first designed more than a decade ago. Commercial devices are available up to 100 GHz and these will be evaluated in FY2020 in an effort to move away from custom power amplifier MMICs to alleviate the problem of unrepeatable wafers/processes. The LO group also plans to investigate ways to improve the sideband amplitude noise of the existing ALMA Band 6 Local Oscillator during FY2020, and a development study proposal has been submitted. Integrated Receiver Development (IRD): The IRD program aims to develop compact, mass-producible, and field-replaceable Front End hardware for the next generation of radio telescope facilities. Specific goals include: early digitization as near to the telescope focal point as possible; and relatively seamless integration of analog, digital, and photonic technologies into lightweight, low-overhead, Front End modules. The architecture is optimized to exploit the complementarity of integrated construction techniques and Digital Signal Processing, achieving a level of precision and stability that is unmatched by state-of-the-art radio astronomy receivers. Testing of a dual-polarization, W-Band Front End with faster sample rates, broader bandwidth, and greater flexibility than previous prototypes has demonstrated a complete end-to-end receiver system utilizing a wide variety of novel IRD concepts, with 32 Gbps of data being transmitted over 10 km of fiber while performing calibrated sideband-separation in real time. In FY2020, full polarization processing capability will be added to this platform, at much higher data rates than previously demonstrated. The current suite of integrated receiver prototypes has made use of commercial off-the-shelf Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) and serialization hardware. Leveraging funding from the ngVLA development program, CDL engineers have now implemented this functionality in a tiny ASIC which delivers the same capability but uses an order of magnitude less power and footprint. In FY2020, a replacement drop-in circuit board will be designed for the W-band Front End utilizing this new chip so that a fair comparison

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can be made to highlight the tremendous size, weight, and power (SWaP) advantages of this novel technology (for which AUI holds patents, domestically and abroad). Finally, CDL will continue to support and improve the commercially licensed reflectionless filter technology developed by IRD and used in its Front Ends. Industry demand for this technology is growing, with applications in the space, test and measurement, and defense sectors. CDL is currently working with the licensee (MiniCircuits, Inc.) on a plan to implement (FY2020+) higher-frequency, transmission-line versions of these filters using their unique Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramic fabrication technology. IRD ngVLA: The first ASIC implementations of the Serial Analog-to-Digital-Converter (SADC) based on a concept developed by the CDL IRD program have been received. Prototype circuit board implementations using the best available off-the-shelf parts have already demonstrated proof-of-concept for this approach, but this new chip is expected to realize tremendous benefits in size, pin count, and more importantly, power dissipation—crucial metrics to the ngVLA conceptual design. Characterization of that ASIC has been delayed due to personnel departures and resulting work reallocations, but is set to continue into FY2020. Development of the ngVLA conceptual design prototype modules will also be started in FY2020, with the ngVLA Band 3 module expected to be the first using the new SADC chip. Custom analog MMIC designs for the higher frequency bands will also be completed, if suitable commercial MMICs cannot be identified. Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA): This is an ongoing development project at the CDL involving a graduate student and a postdoctoral investigator. The remaining goals of the multi-year work package (scheduled to conclude in May 2021) which will be addressed in FY2020 include the following.

• Developing and deploying a portable antenna beam mapping system based on receiving downlink signals from the Orbcomm satellite constellation. This work will consist of miniaturizing the receiving units of the current version and converting the data acquisition to a software defined radio platform. Initial tests will be conducted at the Green Bank field station followed by a deployment at the HERA site in South Africa.

• Developing and deploying a novel precision Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based antenna beam mapping system. This system will be evaluated at the UVA test flight facility. Strategies for phase measurements, RFI suppression, and multipath signal mitigation will be investigated. Operational tests will be conducted at the HERA site in South Africa.

Network for Exploration and Space Science (NESS): This research project involves a graduate student and undergraduate summer student. In FY2020, work will continue towards the development of a second-generation Cosmic Twilight Polarimeter (CTP), a ground-based instrument that will refine the polarimetry technique for hydrogen cosmology studies. Upgrades will include a correlation receiver, a high-speed digital Back End platform with improved Digital Signal Processing, noise and pilot tone-based calibration, and improved temperature stability of the Front End electronics. This instrument will be deployed in Green Bank for detailed evaluation and sky measurements, and the data will also serve to aid the development of multi-signal pattern recognition algorithms. Dark Ages Polarimeter Pathfinder (DAPPER) SmallSat Mission Concept: The concept study report for DAPPER was completed and the spacecraft is being proposed as a Discovery-class mission within NASA. If this mission is selected, the CDL will likely engage in FY2020 to develop the radio frequency portion of the science instrument. Planning for prototype development is underway and laboratory infrastructure requirements for the fabrication and evaluation of flight hardware will be examined.

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4.3 Central Development Laboratory Major Milestones

Table 4.3.1: CDL FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Operations Build and test Band 1 cryogenic amplifiers 1 1 1 Build and test ALMA Band 1 local oscillators 2 2

Development

Design Band 6v2 Nb/AlN/Nb SIS mixer 3 Evaluate upgraded balanced IF amplifiers 4 310 MHz short-backfire antenna development and testing 5

Develop prototype for ALMA Band 6 OMT 6 Implement polarization processing with W-band Front End 7

Design SADC drop-in for W-band Front End 8 Initiate transmission-line reflectionless filter development with collaborator 9

Deliver 2nd generation CTP 10 Maintenance, Renewal, and Warranty Claims

VLA/VLBA multichip module support 11 11 11 11

Milestones: 1. Build and test Band 1 cryogenic amplifiers 2. Build and test ALMA Band 1 local oscillators 3. Design Band 6v2 Nb/AlN/Nb SIS mixer 4. Evaluate upgraded balanced IF amplifiers 5. Design, fabrication, and testing of 310 MHz short-

backfire antenna 6. Design OMT with band gap structure 7. Implement polarization processing with W-band

Front End 8. Design SADC drop-in for W-band Front End 9. Initiate transmission-line reflectionless filter

development with collaborator 10. Deliver 2nd generation CTP 11. VLA/VLBA multichip module support

Deliverables: 1. Qty. 10, 12, 2 ALMA Band 1 amplifiers in Q1Q2,

and Q3 respectively 2. Qty. 15 units in each Q1, and Q3 3. Mask-set for the new mixer design 4. Test data taken on prototype amplifiers 5. Tested 310 MHz feed, and test data 6. Prototype OMT and its test data 7. Relevant test data from measurements 8. Complete layout for the ASIC chip 9. Draft and submit proposal 10. Upgraded CTP deployed in Green Bank 11. Build and/or repair modules as necessary

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4.4 Central Development Laboratory Financial Charts

Table 4.4.1: FY2020 by Fund Source in $, FTE

Table 4.4.2: FY2020 Expenditures by Object

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5 SCIENCE SUPPORT AND RESEARCH

The Science Support and Research (SSR) department coordinates and manages the efforts to support scientific users of NRAO facilities, seeks to broaden the Observatory’s impact through education and visitor programs for scientists, and supports and oversees the research and scientific productivity of the scientific staff. SSR is responsible for three major activities serving the community of science users of the NRAO:

• Telescope Time Allocation (TTA) manages the process and tools by which users prepare and submit proposals for use of the VLA, the VLBA, and the GBT. TTA also manages the proposal evaluation and time allocation process.

• Science Ready Data Products (SRDP) is an initiative that is building on the implementation of an automated calibration and imaging pipeline for ALMA, extending the approach to the VLA Sky Survey (VLASS) and ultimately to the bulk of standard VLA observing modes, and thereby facilitating the use of NRAO telescopes by a growing scientific community that extends beyond the radio astronomy domain experts.

• Scientific User Support (SUS) is responsible for providing the scientific community with the support necessary to execute successful scientific programs with the VLA and the VLBA.

In addition, SSR provides three Observatory-wide reference services:

• The NRAO Library provides access to journals and reference materials, tracks a range of metrics related to the publication and citation of scientific results based on NRAO telescopes and by NRAO staff, manages financial support to meet page charges associated with such publications, and publishes and maintains access to NRAO memos, reports, and conference papers.

• The Historical Archives group curates materials relevant to NRAO activities and other radio astronomy research and development when appropriate.

• Statistics and Metrics aggregates data related to the scientific delivery and use of the Observatory for internal use and to report various metrics to the NSF, to AUI, and to external review committees.

SSR also supports and oversees the research activities of the NRAO scientific staff, related performance reviews, professional development activities, the Jansky Fellowship postdoctoral program, undergraduate and graduate student programs, and various other scientific activities such as the Jansky Lectureship, scientific meetings, colloquia, and seminars.

5.1 Telescope Time Allocation

The TTA group is responsible for overseeing the process and providing the tools by which proposals for the use of the VLA and the VLBA are prepared, submitted, and peer reviewed; and by which telescope time is allocated. The TTA group also provides these services for the GBT under a Service Level Agreement with the GBO. Proposals for all are handled through a single, unified process. ALMA proposals are managed separately by the JAO, consistent with international agreements. The NRAO proposal process is semester-based with nominal proposal deadlines of February 1 and August 1, or the nearest Monday to these dates if the first of the month is on a weekend. The TTA group prepares each Call for Proposals and all the associated documentation regarding schedules and the observing capabilities to be offered and supports astronomers with any issues they may encounter during the submission process. All proposals are evaluated on the basis of scientific merit by nine Science Review Panels (SRPs), each covering a different category of scientific inquiry. SRP members are recruited from the

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scientific community for a typical term of four semesters, or two years. Proposals are also reviewed for technical feasibility by members of the NRAO scientific staff. Scientific and technical reviews are forwarded to the Time Allocation Committee (TAC) comprised of the chairs of the SRPs. The TAC considers the entire set of proposals and recommends time allocations for the VLA and the VLBA to the NRAO Director, and for the GBT to the GBO Director. After consideration of TAC recommendations by the Directors, disposition letters are sent to proposers and the approved science programs are posted online. The TTA group is responsible for ensuring that the necessary documentation in support of all TTA activities and tools is available and up to date, and for gathering the requirements for the software tool suite used in support of this process, conveying those requirements to DMS staff for implementation, and testing and validating new releases of these tools. The tools include the Proposal Submission Tool (PST), used for proposal preparation and submission, and for management of the science and technical review process; and the Proposal Handling Tool (PHT) and the Green Bank Session Editor (GBSE), used in support of the TAC meeting, as well as other tools including sensitivity calculators, General Observing Setup Tool (GOST), and the Proposal Finder Tool (PFT). In FY2019, the TTA group defined the formal requirements for a new suite of software tools to support the proposal submission and handling process. The current TTA software is over a decade old, was designed before the panel-based review process was implemented, and is difficult to maintain. A new suite of software tools is necessary to maintain a robust telescope time review process. Responsibility for the development of the new TTA tool suite was moved to the SRDP project in FY2019 (Section 6.2). In June 2019, NRAO (and GBO) issued an announcement of opportunity for a new class of Extra Large Proposals requesting 1000 hours or more of telescope time and spanning four or more semesters. The deadline for submissions of these proposals will be the same as for Semester 2020A observing proposals and the scientific, technical, and operational review of these proposals will take place during FY2020.

5.2 Science Ready Data Products

The Science Ready Data Products (SRDP) project is charged to maximize the scientific impact of the telescopes operated on behalf of NSF by the NRAO. The project will achieve this objective by reducing the barriers to radio interferometry, decreasing the data processing effort required to deliver scientific results, and curating a rich archive of images. During FY2019, the SRDP project worked closely with the DMS department to implement and validate the first wave of capabilities. The operational portion of the SRDP project began in FY2019 with the appointment of the Operations Manager. An initial operations plan was developed and reviewed, and implemented in the form of Pilot Operations beginning June 18. The Pilot will be used to verify the assumptions made in the Operations Plan and provide testing and validation prior to the beginning of SRDP Wave-1 Operations in the first quarter of FY2020. SRDP operations will continue throughout the remainder of FY2020 led by the SRDP project but supported by North American ALMA Operations and New Mexico Operations at NRAO. While the first wave of capabilities is in operations, the project will be working with the DMS department to prepare for the second wave in FY2021. The scope of the second delivery is under discussion and will be finalized in Q1 FY2020. In addition to improving the VLA calibration pipeline based on feedback from the operations team, the project is considering features such as adjustable spatial resolution in PI-specified ALMA imaging, development of an initial VLA imaging pipeline, and support for ingest of products from large projects. Archive support for advanced catalogs will be added as part of Wave 2 development. Implementation will be completed by the DMS teams in Q4, preparing for validation and deployment in the Q1 FY2021.

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During FY2019, the SRDP project assumed responsibility for two additional NRAO initiatives, the reimplementation of a new Telescope Time Allocation (TTA) tool suite, and the delivery of the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS)—together with New Mexico Operations. VLASS is a pilot for full SRDP operations for the VLA. It is appropriate to align the operational aspects of these two projects now that SRDP has begun operations. Based on a strong recommendation by the NRAO Users Committee, a concept for a new TTA tool suite was developed and internally reviewed during FY2019. This suite is intended to replace the software supporting NRAO and the GBO, which is difficult to maintain and use. Replacing this obsolete software is a SRDP project priority which requires better capture of scientific intent at the proposal stage to deliver optimal SRDP to the community. The project is developing a more detailed description of the scope, the schedule, and a conceptual architecture (in conjunction with DMS). The project will transition from the initiation phase to the implementation phase in the first quarter of FY2020 with the successful completion of a conceptual design review (CoDR). The VLA Sky Survey (VLASS) is a synoptic all-sky survey. The survey completed the first epoch of observations in Q4 FY2019. In addition to the raw data, the project has completed the delivery of about 34,000 deg2 of calibrated Quick Look images. Production of higher quality Single Epoch images began in the Q4 FY2019. In addition to these basic data products, the Canadian Initiative for Radio Astronomy Data Analysis (CIRADA) has received funding to create, archive, and serve a set of enhanced VLASS data products. NRAO contributes in-kind effort to the CIRADA project. For FY2020, the primary contribution is the development of the capability to archive and search advanced catalogs. This capability will be delivered as part of the SRDP Wave 2 development. In August 2019, the VLASS project became a joint deliverable of SRDP and NM Operations, with NM focused on the observing roles, and SRDP responsible for data processing and overall project delivery. The production of Single Epoch images is much more compute-intensive than anticipated, and algorithmic questions about the production of the polarization images have not yet been resolved. Through the first half of FY2020, the project will engage with the Survey Science Group (SSG), DMS, and other stakeholders to assess how best to achieve the scientific objectives of the survey within available resources. The outcome of this process in Q2 FY2020 will be an updated schedule of product deliverables informed by the Epoch 1 experience. The second Epoch of VLASS observation is scheduled to begin at the end of May 2020 and will continue through the fiscal year. Data calibration and Quick Look images will be produced in accordance with the updated product schedule developed through the process above. The commensal transient system developed by the Realfast project will be enabled by NM Operations during VLASS observing for the first time during Epoch 2.

5.3 Scientific User Support

The Scientific User Support (SUS) group provides the scientific community with the support to execute successful scientific programs with the VLA and the VLBA. While the SUS group supports VLA users, the SRDP initiative has a goal to increase that scientific user base beyond traditional radio astronomers. In the longer term, SUS will use the products of the SRDP project to provide the scientific support for users to access, reduce, calibrate, and analyze their data as well as to help the community generate new and innovative ideas for science by fostering cross-disciplinary and cross-field ideas and techniques. In FY2020, the SUS group will continue to play a key role in the delivery of the VLASS which will run until 2024, using ~10% of the VLA observing time. In many ways, the delivery of VLASS results serves as an

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early stage of the implementation of SRDP, building on the experience of the automated ALMA data processing pipeline and the VLA calibration pipeline. During FY2020, VLASS processing and data delivery will be the responsibility of the SRDP project office. The SUS group provides education and outreach services to astronomers who use NRAO facilities, including face-to-face visitor support/data reduction visits, Helpdesk support, Knowledgebase articles, science forums, NRAO Community Day events, science meetings and conferences, science web content and the NRAO User Portal interface, user documentation, workshops and tutorials, online training, and educational material. SUS coordinates with the NAASC, which handles such activities for North American ALMA users, to ensure that NRAO users as a whole benefit from these services. In FY2020, NRAO will host the 35th Annual New Mexico Symposium. SUS will also organize several Community Day events in North America to inform the community as to the use of NRAO’s facilities, from proposing to observing to data reduction and analysis. The 7th VLA Data Reduction Workshop will take place in Q1 FY2020, with the aim of assisting observers with the challenges posed by the vastly increased instrument flexibility and complexity. During the workshop, observers will be able to reduce their own data using hardware provided by the Observatory and with NRAO staff experts present for consultation. The next Synthesis Imaging Workshop will be held in Socorro in Q3 FY2020. SSR will continue to coordinate and oversee the scientific testing and validation of each CASA release, and SUS will be in charge of updating the CASAGuides as required based on the scientific functionalities offered in each CASA release. In FY2020, CASA versions 5.7, 6.1 and 6.2 will be released. The CASAGuides will only be updated for CASA 5.7 and 6.2, because CASA 6.1 will have the same functionality and science as CASA 5.7. The only difference between them is the Python version: CASA 5.6 uses Python 2.7, while CASA 6.1 uses Python 3.6). SUS also supports certain user data and scientific software services, including assistance with manual data reduction, pipeline testing, and requirements definition for a number of projects; e.g., the Antenna Archive Tool/ALMA Science Archive (AAT/ASA) user interface, the integrated science portal, and the integrated helpdesk. SUS staff are responsible for, or contribute to a range of other data services for the VLA: notably, scheduling block validation, pipeline data processing, pipeline heuristics development, and the associated quality assurance.

5.4 Reference Services

NRAO Library: The NRAO Library has been proactive in migrating to online, distributed access to research and reference materials for NRAO staff and the community. This has resulted in a significant increase in usage. The NRAO Library is responsible for the publication, posting, and maintenance of the 68 different NRAO Memo and Report series, refereed and non-refereed. This ensures the availability and retention of these documents that are used by NRAO and the scientific community. The Library staff support NRAO internal and external reporting functions by collecting a variety of data and metrics in coordination with Statistics and Metrics services (see below). This effort includes ongoing development of ALMA and VLA user and publications metrics in addition to the standard metrics requested monthly, quarterly, or annually. Historical Archives: The NRAO/AUI Historical Archives seeks out, collects, organizes, preserves, and provides access to NRAO’s institutional records as well as personal papers of staff, former staff, and others

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with connections to NRAO, preserves media materials relating to NRAO history and conducts oral history interviews. As resources permit, Archives makes these materials publicly available through an extensively documented web site and one-on-one contact with internal staff and external individuals and organizations. As the national facility radio astronomy facility, the NRAO/AUI Historical Archives also includes materials on the history and development of radio astronomy, and its growing reputation has made the NRAO Archives the de facto repository for the history of U.S. radio astronomy. During FY2020, the Archives will continue to respond to internal and external requests for information; support visiting researchers and NRAO staff; process and document new acquisitions; support the International Astronomical Union Working Group on Historical Radio Astronomy web site; continue transcribing the Woody Sullivan interviews and preparing transcriptions for the web; subject to positive results from an evaluation already underway, transition to established open-source software to provide public access to digitized images and the online catalog; and complete work on the book-length history of NRAO, Open Skies: NRAO and Its Impact on U.S. Radio Astronomy, which draws heavily on unique materials in the Archives and is expected to be published in FY2020. Statistics and Metrics: The NRAO observing metrics database, available to internal staff via a simple web interface, contains data used for contractual reporting to the NSF with consistent information pertaining to the operation of NRAO telescopes: ALMA, VLA, VLBA, and GBT. The database is also used to provide monthly reports to NRAO management. Statistics and Metrics also support the production of NRAO’s monthly, quarterly, and annual reports. Statistics and Metrics will continue to support the Performance Evaluation and Management Reports (PEMR) for NRAO, comprising the ongoing collection and monitoring of a broad suite of metrics across the entire range of Observatory activities to provide an informative snapshot of NRAO performance that is of value to NRAO senior management, the NSF, and other stakeholders. In FY2020, Statistics and Metrics will begin contributing to the GBO equivalent of the PEMR and will continue to support the general metrics needs of the GBO.

5.5 Scientific Staff and Jansky Fellows

A productive and scientifically active staff is a prerequisite for the successful operation of a cutting-edge national observatory. The scientific staff is key to telescope testing, operations, user support, and long- range development and planning, as well as promoting productive scientific exploitation of the Observatory’s capabilities. The NRAO has a world-class staff of ~80 astronomers, computer scientists, and research engineers, recognized internationally for their excellence in telescope design and support, as well as their technical and scientific knowledge and leadership. The scientific staff is fully integrated into Observatory operations. All staff members have clear functional duties relating to the Observatory’s mission and facilities. Staff members also lead efforts in education of the professional astronomy community, as well as public outreach—fostering a scientifically literate society. A vibrant scientific staff, engaged with the community, is a required element in the full realization of the scientific potential of the NRAO facilities by the astronomical community. SSR has primary responsibility for the research environment at the NRAO, and for oversight of the scientific productivity of staff with a research component to their role. SSR oversees the research aspects of all astronomers, computer scientists, and research engineers and is involved in recruitment and other Human Resources issues involving scientific staff. Specific SSR responsibilities include implementation and evolution of scientific staff policy, oversight of funding to support research related travel and computing needs for scientific staff, annual scientific performance appraisals, scientific staff hiring and academic

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promotions. SSR also provides funds to support a scientific visitors program, scientific meetings, the colloquium series at each site, and the Jansky Lectureship which recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of radio astronomy. SSR oversees the Jansky Fellows postdoctoral program—NRAO’s long-standing prize research fellowships. This highly competitive program attracts some of the best young scientists to postdoctoral appointments at an NRAO site, or at external institutions in the U.S. (non-resident Fellows). The NRAO also hosts postdoctoral fellows funded by other institutions, such as Hubble, Einstein, and NSF Fellows. The Jansky Fellows program was recently broadened to include engineering as a strategic priority and after actively targeting promising young engineers with interests that aligned with NRAO and CDL priorities, two of the four new Jansky Fellows appointed in FY2018 were research engineers. These are the first engineering fellows appointed to the program, and in FY2020, NRAO will again actively seek to recruit research engineers into the program. SSR will continue to work closely with existing and incoming Jansky Fellows to identify and implement opportunities for professional development while maintaining the focus on excellence in astronomical and related engineering research. Each Jansky Fellow is provided with a substantial research budget for scientific travel, page charges, and computing resources. SSR will facilitate engagement of the Jansky Fellows in the unique opportunities afforded by being involved in a postdoctoral program at a national observatory. In parallel to research mentoring, the NRAO will provide focused training and resources to foster development of non-academic career skills of the Jansky Fellows, including leadership, administrative and project management, communications, and organization. Producing a next generation of scientists practiced in these soft skills is an important new goal for NRAO in the next decade.

5.6 Student Programs

The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) and NRAO summer student programs, co-op students, undergraduate and graduate student interns, and Reber pre-doctoral fellows, and funds for Student Observing Support, are coordinated by SSR. Undergraduate Students: The long-running (since 1959) NRAO summer student program continues to be very successful. This 12-week program allows ~25 students to work under the supervision of NRAO staff members at sites in New Mexico and Virginia (and West Virginia, through the GBO), to carry out original research in astronomy, computing and engineering. Most of these students are funded through the NSF REU program. Outstanding students that are otherwise ineligible for support by the REU program (graduating seniors, foreign students, and early career graduate students) are supported by NRAO operating funds or by external grants to NRAO staff members. A proposal for further NSF funding for the REU program submitted in FY2018 was successful, and fully funds the program for FY2019–2021. The NRAO also supports a co-op program that enables undergraduate engineering students to gain practical, career-based experience as part of their formal academic education. Students from participating institutions work at NRAO sites for up to two semesters. Under the supervision of NRAO technical staff, co-op students are engaged in R&D on the technological frontier. Modest funding is available for undergraduate internships, where promising undergraduate students participated in scientific or engineering activities, supervised by NRAO staff, over a period of weeks to a semester, and new funding has been allocated to support internships at CDL. SSR coordinates closely with student programs run by the NRAO Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), including the National Astronomy Consortium (NAC), Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

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(LSAMP), Physics Inspiring the Next Generation (PING), and Socorro Electronics Division’s Laboratory Experience for Undergraduates (SEDLE). Participation in SSR and ODI student programs is closely intertwined, and SSR supports the selection of NAC students through the web-based forms and database used for all summer student applications. Graduate Students: The NRAO is committed to training the next generation of scientists in radio astronomical science, techniques, and technology. Several NRAO programs exist for this purpose. Graduating seniors and first- and second-year graduate students are able to participate in the NRAO summer student program described above. This gives students experience in radio astronomy research early in their graduate careers, allowing them to incorporate these skills into their thesis research. The NRAO also awards Reber Pre-doctoral Fellowships to students who have completed institutional requirements for doctoral candidacy so that only their thesis research remains for them to complete their Ph.D. Such fellows take up residence at one of the NRAO sites, typically for two years, while they complete their research and thesis under the supervision of an NRAO staff member. The NRAO currently supports seven Reber Pre-doctoral Fellows, a level of support that will continue through FY2020. The NRAO also supports many of the 100+ Ph.D. students making use of NRAO telescopes each year. Travel reimbursement, low-cost accommodations, and computing facilities are provided onsite to assist these students. Support is provided for stays lasting several weeks to several months by students to collaborate with NRAO staff scientists as part of their Ph.D. research. These student internships help forge valuable long-term links between the NRAO and the university community. Student Observing Support: Financial support is available on a competitive basis for students at U.S. universities observing with ALMA, VLA, or VLBA through the Student Observing Support (SOS) program. SOS funding provides a stipend and covers miscellaneous expenses such as computers and travel to conferences to a maximum of $35,000 USD per award. This program is highly valued by the user community and the Users Committee continues to advocate for its continuation, or expansion, if possible.

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5.7 Science Support and Research Major Milestones

Table 5.7.1: SSR FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

TAC

Call for Proposals, science & technical review 1,2 3,4 TAC meeting 5 6 Software requirements & testing 7 8 9 10 Documentation 11 12 Extra-large proposal outcomes 13

Science Ready Data Products

Wave-1 operations 14 Wave-2 capabilities and requirements 15 TTA Tools CDR 16 VLASS product delivery schedule 17 VLASS Epoch 2.1 observations begin 18

Scientific User Support

Education, training, and outreach 19,20 Science meetings and conferences 21 CASA release validation, guides 22,23 24,25

Reference Services NRAO history book published 26

Scientific Staff and Jansky Fellows

Performance, promotions, and five-year reviews 27 28,29

Jansky Lectureship awarded 30 Jansky Fellows selection and appointments 31 32

Student Programs Summer student program 33 SOS program 34 35 36 Reber pre-doctoral program 37 38

Milestones: 1. CfP for Semester 2020B 2. SRP and Tech Review, Semester 2020B 3. CfP for Semester 2021A 4. SRP and Tech Review, Semester 2021A 5. TAC Meeting, Semester 2020A 6. TAC Meeting, Semester 2020B 7. Update SW requirements for TAC 2020A 8. Update SW tools requirements for PST 2020B 9. Update SW requirements for TAC 2020B 10. Update SW tools requirements for PST 2021A 11. Update documentation for CfP 2020B 12. Update documentation for CfP 2021A 13. Extra-large proposal outcomes 14. Wave-1 SRDP operations 15. SRDP Wave-2 capabilities and requirements 16. TTA Tools Conceptual Design Review 17. VLASS product delivery schedule 18. VLASS Epoch 2.1 Observations begin 19. Community Day Event program finalized 20. Synthesis Imaging Workshop 21. NM Symposium 22. CASA validation 23. CASAGuides 24. CASA validation 25. CASAGuides 26. NRAO history book published - Development of

U.S. radio astronomy 27. SciStaff performance reviews 28. SciStaff promotion reviews 29. Five-year reviews 30. Jansky Lectureship awarded

Deliverables: 1. eNews announcement 2. Science & technical reviews complete 3. eNews announcement 4. Science & technical reviews complete 5. TAC meeting 6. TAC meeting 7. Requirements for PHT decided 8. Requirements for PST decided 9. Requirements for PHT decided 10. Requirements for PST decided 11. User documentation 12. User documentation 13. Announcement of successful proposals 14. Launch of Wave-1 capabilities 15. Capabilities & requirements decided 16. CoDR completed 17. Updated schedule finalized 18. Start of observing 19. Calendar of events finalized 20. Synthesis Imaging Workshop completed 21. Science meeting completed 22. Validation for CASA 5.7 and 6.1 releases 23. User documentation (v 5.7) 24. Validation for CASA 6.2 release 25. User documentation (v 6.2) 26. Book published 27. Recommendations to NRAO Director 28. Recommendations to NRAO Director 29. Recommendations to NRAO Director 30. eNews announcement 31. Recommendations to NRAO Director

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31. Jansky Fellows selection completed 32. Jansky Fellows appointments completed 33. Summer student selection and offers 34. Student Observing Support selection (VLA) 35. Student Observing Support selection (VLA) 36. Student Observing Support selection (ALMA) 37. Reber predoc selection 38. Reber predoc selection

32. 2020 Fellows appointed 33. Applications ranked and offers completed 34. VLA SOS offers issued 35. VLA SOS offers issued 36. ALMA SOS offers issued 37. Reber offers issued 38. Reber offers issued

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5.8 Scientific Support and Research Financial Charts

Table 5.8.1: FY2020 by Fund Source and Location in $, FTE

Table 5.8.2: FY2020 Expenditures by Object

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6 DATA MANAGEMENT AND SOFTWARE

The Data Management and Software (DMS) Department delivers scientific computing infrastructure, software, and algorithms to support current Observatory functions and to develop new capabilities for future needs. The department consists of Scientific Information Systems (SIS), Software Development, the Algorithm Research and Development Group (ARDG), and ngVLA Computing. The DMS department will continue to make key contributions to the NRAO throughout FY2020, with deliveries vital for the production software services provided in support of SRDP. DMS will continue to deliver essential parts of the VLASS workflow to operations and will start the design of the new TTA tool suite, both in the context of SRDP. New observing capabilities will be implemented and supported for ALMA, VLA, and VLBA. Additionally, software development will be required as the underlying hardware and software infrastructure goes through some necessary upgrades, such as updates to Python, Java, and the underlying Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) operating system. Work will continue in Common Astronomy Software Applications (CASA) to help prepare it for the future, including the CASA Next Generation Infrastructure (CNGI) and Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy (CARTA) projects. DMS will contribute to the ngVLA project, including key portions relevant to the Decadal Survey. A stable computing platform for internal and external users will be maintained and expanded as needed.

6.1 Scientific Information Services

The Scientific Information Services (SIS) division is matrixed into the Information Technology (IT)-centric Computing and Information Services (CIS) division (see Section 10). This enables transparent sharing of highly skilled staff for telescope supporting science responsibilities (SIS) as well as general IT support duties (CIS). There are three major functional groups in SIS, described below. Computing Operations (NAASC, NM): These site-centric groups directly support the day-to-day telescope operations for reliable delivery of data to the archive and the community. They ensure that telescope capability development projects are appropriately staffed, with resources assigned based on commitments and timelines defined within approved Observatory projects and in coordination with local operations support priorities. Projects and milestones for these resources are tracked under the appropriate telescope support sections. Attention is given to the support of the DMS department for infrastructure needed by CASA pipeline development for use by the JAO and Regional Centers as well as VLA and general observer support. Of particular focus in FY2020 is the delivery of an RHEL 7 OS image on the data processing clusters, following the successful workstation deployment in FY2019. To address the storage challenge of the temporary/scratch space associated with the data processing cluster, several petabytes of persistent storage will be provisioned to support users and large projects requiring non-archive data to be preserved for extended periods of time without impacting pipeline operations due to storage resource constraints. For the ALMA Archive, the Next Generation Archive System (NGAS) platform code base is 17 years old and the possibility of a reunification with the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) NGAS version would mitigate legacy application issues, add performance enhancements, provide new features, and expand the support network globally. In conjunction with the JAO and ESO, the NAASC will help evaluate the options for adoption of ICRAR NGAS throughout ALMA. Scientific Computing Group (SCG): This highly skilled group provides technology-driven scientific computing support, and is tasked with delivering the next generation of data processing solutions, working in close cooperation with the DMS software division, telescope operations, and external cyber infrastructure partners. This group is also responsible for hardware and software performance profiling and evaluations, as well as assisting with critical escalations from Operations in the event of systematic

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performance issues with the production infrastructure. To support remote VLASS image processing, and to improve processing efficiency for VLA and SRDP pipeline operations, the SCG will investigate the use of the HTCondor software stack to manage pipeline executions (in collaboration with the Center for High Throughput Computing (CHTC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison). The SCG will work with other DMS groups to modify existing pipeline workflows for execution on Open Science Grid (OSG) resources if they are deemed suitable. Wide-Area Networking: This science data capacity-driven group is responsible for provisioning the long-haul, high-bandwidth, connectivity needed to uplink the telescopes and then deliver reliable throughput in support of PI access and general data delivery. Operational support for commodity circuits will be handed off to communication services in CIS once a network service has been accepted into production. The project to complete the fiber connectivity of multiple VLBA antenna locations will be completed in early FY2020, with all 10 sites being connected with at least 200 Mbps of bandwidth, and with network hardware able to run at 10 Gbps. DMS will investigate the viability of a Science DMZ Processing model, to support high-speed access to archive data stored within NRAO, but processed on external shared computing resource.

6.2 System Software

ALMA System Software

ALMA priorities are set at the JAO in cooperation with the other partners and may change. Also, many areas of work depend on coordination with JAO resources. NRAO works closely with the JAO and partners to address the highest priorities as efficiently as possible. ALMA Control Subsystem – Bug fixing: Over the last year, the Control subsystem group has spent ~50% of its time fixing bugs. This is expected to continue in FY2020. All important bugs are fixed at high priority and often patched into the software used for ALMA operations. Lower priority bugs are scheduled to be fixed at a later time and fixes will become available to ALMA operations in a planned software update. Some effort is made to keep track of the issues affecting operations so that bugs can be identified, prioritized, and fixed efficiently. ALMA Control Subsystem – Graphical User Interfaces: The Control Subsystem group maintains a variety of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) used by AoDs, engineers, and array operators. These tools are becoming outdated in their functionality and technology. The second half of FY2019 saw small improvements in the existing GUIs. Throughout FY2020, improvements will be made to the GUIs to take advantage of new features within the Control system and to update interface to use more modern interface tools and languages. ALMA Control Subsystem – Infrastructure Upgrades: Significant parts of the ALMA software are facing obsolescence and the ALMA Control Subsystem group is leading the effort in three of these areas. Java 8 is obsolete and no longer receiving Oracle support or updates. The ALMA Control Subsystem group led the effort to port much of the ALMA online software to Java 11 and has assisted other ALMA software groups in this effort. Support for Java 11 will be delivered in Q1 FY2020; Q2 and Q3 will be spent supporting the verification and validation of the software in Java 11. Python 2 is also facing end-of-life in 2020 and all ALMA software needs to be upgraded to Python 3. This includes not just software delivered by the Integrated Computing Team, but software used by operators, engineers, scientists, data reducers, and other groups. The ALMA Control and Correlator Subsystem

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group have participated in general planning of the transition to Python 3 and will begin porting efforts in the second half of FY2020. The ALMA Control System (ACS) system is also facing obsolescence. While still usable, many new technologies have been introduced into the system as it can no longer meet the growing software needs. In collaboration with the JAO, the ALMA Control System (ACS) group led the effort to update the Make system to make continuous testing and integration possible and to consolidate the proliferation of new technologies into a coherent package. Work started on this effort in the second half of FY2019 and will continue during the first half of FY2020. ALMA Baseline Correlator Subsystem – Correlator Upgrade Project: Funding for the Correlator Upgrade Project (CUP) was approved in FY2018 and the project successfully passed a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in Q3 FY2018. Despite the termination of the CUP project, it is hoped that support for the fifth quadrant hardware will be still implemented at the CDL in FY2020. If so, it will allow for testing of the correlator hardware boards and for the verification of the firmware/software interaction. Similarly, the Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulator (HiLS) project at the OSF is expected to continue and the ALMA Baseline Correlator Subsystem will contribute to this effort. Initial tests in Q2 FY2020 will be conducted to test the current system with higher data rates to find potential bottlenecks in the software. In Q3 FY2020, the Correlator Data Processor (CDP) computer network cards and cable will be updated to 10 GB to allow for the higher data rates. The data rate tests will be conducted with the new hardware in Q4 FY2020 or Q1 FY2021. ALMA Baseline Correlator Subsystem – 4x4 Correlator Modes: The implementation of the 4x4-bit correlator modes was delivered in FY2019 and will increase quantization efficiency for a subset of the correlator modes. The increase from 88% to 98.8% will be observed after the 3-bit digitizer quantization for those specific correlator modes. The 4x4-bit correlator modes have not yet been validated or commissioned by ALMA Science; Q1 and Q2 FY2020 will see significant effort in collaborating with engineering and science to complete the validation of these modes prior to their being offered for PI observing. ALMA Baseline Correlator Subsystem – Improving Efficiency: In May 2016, a workshop was held in Charlottesville, VA on improvements to the baseline correlator. The outcome was a set of six areas in which to improve the correlator sub-array efficiency. Sub-array efficiency is critical to avoid delaying observations. Shorter delays enable more observing per unit time. Minimizing time spent configuring correlator hardware is a key element to address in software. Parallelization efforts will continue, with specific focus on delay command dispatching. This is necessary for improving long baseline reliability. Work will continue in FY2020 to improve observing efficiency and start buffering previously computed results in hardware to reduce correlator set-up times. Some of the issues regarding the moving of processes to other components with lighter workloads will require firmware changes and will be implemented based on engineering staff availability. Investigation into improving subarray reliability, observing with longer sub-scan sequences, and observing with larger sub-arrays will be ongoing throughout FY2020 in anticipation of PI science on multiple sub-arrays in future cycles. ALMA Baseline Correlator Subsystem – Improving Simulations: Test time on the ALMA telescope is becoming increasingly limited, so the Correlator subsystem group is putting significant effort into improving simulation capabilities. For FY2020, this will proceed along two fronts: reliable support for subarray functionality, and more realistic lag representation. In the first half of FY2020, DMS will focus on

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improving simulation support for subarrays, which is crucial for furthering development of the Correlator's subarray scheduling efficiency improvements. In the second half of FY2020, DMS will focus on improving the simulated lags presented to the correlator such that integrations are not flagged or blanked by the CDP, and plots viewed on the CorrGUI appear plausible. This effort is not expected to conclude in FY2020. Initial development and testing will be conducted in North America; eventual collaboration with the Telescope Calibration software group in Europe in future years will be used to hone the effectiveness and accuracy of the simulations. ALMA Scheduling Subsystem – Improving Observing Efficiency: The scheduling software for FY2020 will continue to improve the optimization of the Dynamic Scheduling Algorithm (DSACore). Improvements in the first half of FY2020 will include optimizations in queue building, proper antenna configuration selection, improved beam selection and angular resolution, and reducing QA2 failures. ALMA Scheduling Subsystem – Technology Improvements: The infrastructure in the scheduling subsystem has improved significantly over the past few years, solving various performance issues. Changes in FY2019 included updating the outdated technology and replacing it with alternative solutions or modern versions. Much of FY2020 will be dedicated to bring the DSACore, which has traditionally been maintained by data science at the JAO, into the Integrated Computing Team. Software support and maintenance of the DSACore will include updating it to Python 3, standardizing the interfaces, refactoring for usability and scalability. Standard Data Model – Performance Updates and Improvements: The Standard Data Model (SDM)—the metadata that describes a given observation—is shared between three major stakeholders: ALMA, the VLA, and CASA. The data model is maintained by the NRAO software group. The SDM will receive some performance improvements related to memory usage needed by various software subsystems. In addition, stakeholders have requested improvements to the data model itself which will be implemented in Q4 FY2020. Other ALMA Software Efforts: The ALMA Control and Scheduling subsystems will contribute software development to support the ACA Total Power Spectrometer (TPS), likely in Q2 FY2020 (depending on the TPS timeline). The Control subsystem will also deliver improved focus models in the second half of FY2020. The North America ALMA software groups will begin the process of cataloging software and technologies that are in danger of obsolescence in preparation of upgrade and risk mitigation plans. All subsystems will also continue to address software maintenance issues such as tracking new versions of the ALMA Control System (ACS) and third-party libraries and overall code refactoring to make further changes simpler. The online ALMA software will also address the highest priority items from the Cycle 8+ ObsMode meeting, which may impact the goals outlined above.

VLA System Software

The responsibilities of this group involve the system software—primarily monitor and control, but including other operational functions, notably dynamic scheduling. Much of the work involves maintenance, e.g., troubleshooting and bug fixes. The group has spent significant time working with NM Operations to improve system performance this year, and anticipates a similar commitment in FY2020. Some new capabilities will be provided (see Sections 3.1.6 and 3.1.7). Deployments for use during PI observing for Semesters 2019B and 2020A will occur in Q2 and Q4, respectively. In addition, software is incrementally made available for commissioning new 2020A and 2020B capabilities, also in Q2 and Q4 respectively.

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New or augmented VLA capabilities in FY2020 will include:

• Support upgrade of production hardware including the CBE: The computing hardware which supports telescope operations is coming to the end of its service life and is due to be refreshed. This work is underway and will be completed in Q2.

• Support upgrade of production systems to RHEL 7: Similar to the situation with hardware, the underlying operating system needs to be updated to the most recent release as RHEL 6 will be reaching end of support. This is also ongoing and will complete in Q2.

• Continued investigation of RFI excision in WIDAR: Strategies to reduce the effects of RFI on observations are being investigated, let by and in coordination with the scientific staff. The group will produce prototype software and support testing during FY2020.

• Support for ACU replacement: Software support for the ACU Replacement Project will be provided to assist in the integration of the new ACUs into the system.

Support will be provided as required for major VLA projects including Realfast (fast transient detection), VLASS, and ngVLA.

VLBA

Support for VLBA commissioning and observing will follow the same deployment cycles as the VLA. Section 3.2.5 and 3.2.6 describe VLBA observing capability enhancements and development items. Support will be provided for the Mark 6 deployment for Shared Risk Observing (SRO). The VLBA Versa Module Eurocard (VME) hardware will be replaced during FY2018–2019 at all sites with a general computer based NoVME solution. Support for NoVME in normal operations at all sites will continue into FY2020. The ability to record at higher data rates was implemented in FY2019. Additional VLBA sites received network bandwidth upgrades to facilitate higher speed data transfers. A network performance monitoring tool will be developed and made available for deployment to all sites during FY2020 to help monitor and manage network performance Software support for new VLBA weather stations will be provided during FY2020.

6.3 Software Development

CASA

Development of the Common Astronomy Software Applications (CASA) package, the NRAO post-processing software, continues to emphasize support for the VLA and ALMA, unlocking the scientific potential of these world-leading telescopes. During FY2020, NRAO will continue to add capabilities and support the evolving understanding of the requirements of these forefront telescopes. CASA development will continue in FY2020 with parallel releases of CASA to support the migration to Python 3. In Q3, the 5.7/6.1 dual release will be delivered, incorporating several optimizations for imaging parallelization and memory consumption, improvements to the VLBI fringefit task, and support for both the Python 2.7 5.x and the Python 3.6 6.x series of CASA. This will also serve as the basis for ALMA Cycle 8 Pipeline processing. During FY2020, CASA will continue to work with the SCG to address performance and throughput goals in both the short and long term.

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As the new CASA 6.x series is adopted by the user community and pipeline team, the older 5.x series will be retired after the 5.7 release in Q3. This gives the community one year from the initial release of CASA 6 to make the migration and is consistent with the timing of Python 2.7 retirement. After Q3 of FY2020, CASA will continue to develop the 6.x Python 3.6 compatible release series only. The Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE) continues to add tasks to enable the use of CASA for VLBI data. CASA’s relatively limited abilities in VLBI and solar process have been identified as an area to be addressed. A gap analysis and prioritization will be done in FY2020 to identify capabilities which need to be included in CASA to better support these communities. Work on the Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy (CARTA) visualization software will continue through the collaboration with ASIAA CASA Development Center (ACDC) and the South African Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA) with the intention of improving the user interface and expanding capabilities. CARTA will continue to provide frequent releases in FY2020 as the team works to complete full functionality. In Q1, release 1.3 will provide image overlay in World Coordinate System (WCS) groups. 1.4 is scheduled for Q2 to include multi-panel view and image fitting capability as well as development of a scripting interface. This scripting interface will serve as the backbone for interactive clean integration with CASA scheduled for 1.5 in Q3. Additional collaborations are extending the use and capabilities of CASA. The Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) support the use of CASA for reduction of their data products. This includes making a staff member available through the NRAO helpdesk to answer questions specific to these telescopes. The international CASA development team, led by NRAO, continues to increase support for single dish data reduction and HPC capabilities working on the integration of those capabilities with the standard reduction pipelines. The team will continue to support and develop new imaging and calibration algorithms through a close connection to the NRAO Algorithm Research and Development Group (ARDG). The CASA Next Generation Infrastructure study is currently underway to evaluate modern processing frameworks for suitability as a casacore replacement. In Q1 and Q2 the CASA team will be prototyping a selected framework by developing casacore functionality, new MS and Image file formats, and scalable parallel processing. This prototype will be presented and reviewed in Q3 as part of a Critical Design Review of the Next Generation Infrastructure project. The results of the CDR will determine the future adoption and implementation plan of production CASA.

CASA Testing

To improve the reliability of CASA software development, the CASA team is implementing a development approach that includes a more formal requirements specification process and additional resources for verification and validation testing. Resources will be shifted within the team to support this, and the test team will be incorporated into CASA, dedicated to CASA verification. In Q1, the CASA test framework will evolve to handle numeric characterization by returning Python dictionaries of requirement/measurement pairs rather than simple binary pass/fail, enabling more sophisticated verification of the software. By Q3, the CASA test execution plan will be organized into limited and full verification suites scheduled to execute on-demand and at prescribed steps in the Jira ticket workflow.

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CASA Pipeline

The CASA pipeline will continue to evolve to support ALMA, VLA operations, and SRDP/VLASS. A major release will be scheduled Q1 to coincide with ALMA Cycle 7 and SRDP Wave-1, supporting ALMA and VLA Operations. This release will include improvements to calibration heuristics for faint calibrators and strong atmospheric absorption, and improvements to definition of robust parameters in imaging. A subsequent pipeline update is scheduled in Q4 to provide Cycle 8 capabilities and to serve as a test release for Cycle 8. The pipeline will continue to improve VLASS single epoch calibration and imaging capabilities. The Cycle 8 version of the pipeline will be based on the CASA 6 version that includes the upgrade to Python 3. The pipeline will be upgraded to Python 3 at the same time. A workshop will be held to plan this work in Q1 along with priority setting for the cycle. During FY2020, an update to the pipeline product Quality Assurance (QA) scoring methodology for ALMA Cycle 8 is planned, with a potential later application to VLA. Pipeline will work with the QA scientist to update the scoring in the pipeline weblog. The goal is to make the scores better reflect the judgement of the data analysts, leading to clearer, more rapid, and more accurate decisions on the quality of the data products.

Science Support and Archive (SSA)

New Archive: Progress was made on retiring the old archive in FY2019 and will continue into FY2020. The new archive is targeted to become the default in FY2020 with inclusion of VLBA, legacy VLA, and existing GBT data by Q3. Future development requirements will be primarily driven by the SRDP project. Observing Support: The OPT, PST, and PHT will be updated to support VLA observing, with the PST updated in Q1 and Q3 for the Semester 2020B and Semester 2021A Calls for Proposals, the OPT updated in Q1 and Q3 for Semester 2020A and Semester 2020B observing, and the PHT updated in Q2 and Q4 for the Semester 2020B and Semester 2021A TAC process. See VLA Section 3 for future capabilities. Science Ready Data Products (SRDP): In Q1, SSA will provide the final software for SRDP Wave-1 rollout and support the startup of production operations. The scope of the second delivery is under discussion and will be finalized in Q1 FY2020. In addition to improving the VLA calibration pipeline based on feedback from the operations team, the project is considering features such as adjustable spatial resolution in PI-specified ALMA imaging, development of an initial VLA imaging pipeline, and support for ingest of products from large projects. Implementation will be completed by the SSA and Pipeline teams in Q4, preparing for validation and deployment in Q1 FY2021. The project to re-engineer the TTA tool suite will be managed by SRDP. The project will transition from the initiation phase to the implementation phase in Q1 FY2020 with completion of a Conceptual Design Review (CoDR). DMS will create the architecture and implementation plan for review at the CoDR. The VLASS has been incorporated into the SRDP scope. DMS will work with the SRDP project and NM Operations to support VLASS development and operations through algorithm development, data processing development in CASA and the Pipeline, workflow management and archiving by SSA, and by providing processing capabilities.

6.4 Algorithm Research and Development

Test and Deploy Infrastructure for Fully Heterogeneous Array Imaging: This R&D task will build on the work done to support antenna pointing offset correction. With some further

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work, infrastructure code to support correction for antenna-to-antenna variations in primary beams for full polarization imaging will be implemented by Q2 and tested by Q4. Commission Full-Polarization Primary Beam Modeling Algorithm: This R&D task will test and deploy the algorithm to build full-polarization model for the antenna primary beams using holographic measurements. This is in advanced stages of testing and is a pre-requisite for full-Mueller imaging with correction for the effects of antenna primary beams in full polarization. This work is being done in collaboration with the MeerKAT group and is progressing well. Implementation will be complete by Q2, publication by Q3, and integration with AW-Projection code for full-Mueller imaging by Q4. Commission the Wide-Field Full-Mueller Imaging Algorithm: This R&D task will continue commissioning of the full-Mueller imaging algorithm to enable wide-field, wide-band full-Stokes imaging. Work for this was lowered in priority in the previous cycle. This effort will involve integration of the fully heterogeneous array infrastructure code for antenna pointing corrections and the full-polarization beam modeling code, scientific testing with simulated and real data, and publishing the results of the scientific characterization. Implementation, integration and scientific verification by Q2. Testing with real data and publication will occur by Q4.

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6.5 Data Management and Software Major Milestones

Table 6.5.1: DMS F2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

SIS

Cluster OS and Lustre upgrades 1 Persistent Storage deployed 2 Evaluation of ICRAR NGAS 3 HT Condor evaluation 4 5 6 7 VLBA Fiber upgrade 8 Science DMZ processing evaluation 9

ALMA Systems Software

ALMA Cycle 8 Release 10 ALMA Cycle 9 Pre-Release 11 ALMA Correlator Data Rate Testing 12 ALMA Scheduling Update 13 SDM Update 14

New Mexico Systems Software

VLA/VLBA Observing Support 15 16 VLA/VLBA Commissioning Support 17 18 Support HW/CBE Upgrade 19 Support RHEL Upgrade 20 RFI Excision in WIDAR 21 ACU Software Support 22 VLBA Network Performance Monitoring Tool 23 VLBA Weather Station Support 24

CASA

CASA 5.7/6.1 Release 25 CASA VLBI/Solar Gap Analysis 26 CARTA Release 27 CASA NGI CDR 28

CASA Testing CASA Testing Redesign 29

CASA Pipeline Pipeline C7 Release 30 Pipeline C8 Test Release 31 Pipeline Python 3 Planning 32

Science Support and Archive

Archive Retirement 33 PST Release 34 35 OPT Release 36 37 PHT Release 38 39 SRDP Documentation and Software 40 41 TTA Tools CoDR 42

Algorithm Research and Development

Fully Heterogeneous Array Imaging 43 Commission Full-Polarization Primary Beam Modeling Algorithm 44

Commission Wide-Field Full-Mueller Imaging Algorithm 45

Milestones: 1. Lustre and Cluster OS upgrades in NM 2. Persistent Storage for NAASC and NM 3. Evaluation of ICRAR NGAS 4. Investigate HTCondor for local VLASS operations 5. Investigate HTCondor for SRDP/VLA pipeline ops 6. Investigate remote VLASS processing on OSG 7. Migrate NM VLASS/SRDP ops to HTCondor 8. Completion of VLBA fiber project 9. Develop Science DMZ Processing model 10. ALMA Cycle 8 Release 11. ALMA Cycle 9 Pre-Release 12. ALMA Correlator Data Rate Testing 13. ALMA Scheduling Update

Deliverables: 1. Lustre 2.10 and RHEL 7.6 OS Upgrade 2. Multi-petabytes of user storage deployed 3. Evaluate new Archive S/W for ALMA 4. Viability of HTCondor for VLASS pipeline 5. Viability of HTCondor for SRDP/VLA 6. Run jobs on non-NRAO Grid resources 7. Conditional upon viability, adopt HTCondor 8. All 10 VLBA sites with at least 200 Mbps 9. Performance and viability report 10. Software and documentation 11. Software and documentation for testing 12. Test report 13. Software and documentation

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14. Science Data Model Update 15. VLA/VLBA Observing Support for Semester 2019B 16. VLA/VLBA Observing Support for Semester 2020A 17. VLA/VLBA Commissioning Support for Semester

2020A 18. VLA/VLBA Commissioning Support for Semester

2020B 19. Support hardware/CBE Upgrade 20. Support RHEL Upgrade 21. RFI Excision in WIDAR 22. ACU Software Support 23. VLBA Network Performance Monitoring Tool 24. VLBA Weather Station Support 25. CASA 5.7/6.1 Release 26. CASA VLBI/Solar Gap Analysis 27. CARTA Release 28. CASA NGI CDR 29. CASA Testing Redesign 30. Pipeline C7/SRDP Release 31. Pipeline C8 Test Release 32. Pipeline Python 3 Planning 33. Archive Retirement 34. PST Updated for Semester 2020B 35. PST Updated for Semester 2021A 36. OPT Updated for Semester 2020A 37. OPT Updated for Semester 2020B 38. PHT Updated for Semester 2020B TAC 39. PHT Updated for Semester 2021A TAC 40. SRDP-Wave-1 41. SRDP-Wave-2 42. TTA Tools CoDR Support 43. Fully Heterogeneous Array Imaging 44. Commission Full-Polarization Primary Beam

Modeling Algorithm 45. Commission Wide-Field Full-Mueller Imaging

Algorithm

14. Software and documentation 15. Software deployment 16. Software deployment 17. Software available for commissioning 18. Software available for commissioning 19. Software updates and testing 20. Software updates and testing 21. Software prototype 22. Software support for ACU migration 23. Software and documentation 24. Software updates and support 25. Software and documentation 26. Report of gaps and priorities for development 27. Software and documentation 28. Review and respond to findings 29. Organization and process updated 30. Software and documentation 31. Software test release 32. Plan and priority list 33. New archive set as the default 34. Software updated 35. Software updated 36. Software updated 37. Software updated 38. Software updated 39. Software updated 40. Software and documentation 41. Software and documentation 42. Architecture document and implementation plan 43. Test report 44. Integrated with AW-Projection code 45. Test report, publication submitted

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6.6 Data Management and Software Financial Charts

Table 6.6.1: FY2020 by Fund Source and Location in $, FTE

Table 6.6.2: FY2020 Expenditures by Object

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7 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

The Program Management Department (PMD) supports each of the NRAO departments in the implementation and continuous improvement of Program Management operations, Proposal Development, Project Management (PM), and Systems Engineering (SE) practices, which includes the process, tools, and techniques described in the PMD Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). PMD staff are responsible for PM/SE implementation and often function as project manager and/or systems engineer in internal and external WFO projects. Furthermore, PMD supports required reporting, Observatory-wide risk management, interface between budget and CAP departments, and other related activities as requested.

7.1 Program Management Office Operations

PMD will continue to enhance its decision support capabilities. Analytics derived from PMD systems ensure that prior to commencement, new work is aligned with NRAO strategic goals and objectives, and any impacts to existing work are well understood. PMD uses these tools to complete the required executive-level reports and will continue to drive these systems to improve performance and obtain better quality results. PMD staff use SOPs and templates for projects with PMD engagement. A growing library of completed projects with their SOPs has helped to establish best practices for guidance with future efforts. PMD will continue providing Observatory-wide training on PM and SE methods. This training may include high-quality video and web-learning opportunities, on-site consultant-delivered courses, informal learning sessions, and other training opportunities. SOPs are living documents and they will mature through continuous improvement processes. PMD will continue to revise the SOPs and templates to incorporate new processes and feedback from other departments on best practices arising from training and workshops held throughout the year.

7.2 Proposal Development

PMD will support all departments and sites with proposal development work, including construction/production projects, research and development projects, and others in which PMD involvement is requested. PMD support will include leadership, coordination, and assistance in achieving SOP compliance. Deliverables from the proposal phase include a statement of work, budget, risk register, and export control documents. This effort is designed to gain internal alignment and project approval prior to project initiation.

7.3 Program Management Activities

PMD Headquarters

The Headquarters PMD office will provide learning opportunities and project support to Headquarters staff in PM and SE practices, emphasizing the benefit realized in improved project outcomes. Many of these practices can also benefit normal operations with regard to process development and continuous improvement; PMD will advise functional managers as such opportunities arise. PMD will offer quarterly workshops from Charlottesville with the content selected for a general audience or selected topics as suggested by stakeholders.

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New Mexico Operations

The New Mexico based PMD staff members will continue to provide support to NM Operations to include planning, executing, monitoring and controlling of projects, change management, and risk management activities. PMD support will include leadership, coordination, and assistance in achieving appropriate reporting of Quarterly Status Updates (QSU), End of the Year Report, and the Observatory-wide Risk Register. NM Operations PMD support efforts focus on VLBA, VLA, and other NM-based projects or programs. Staff will use every opportunity to advance the implementation of PM/SE practices through normal interaction with stakeholders. The NM Operations PMD office will also continue to provide learning opportunities to New Mexico Operations in PM and SE practices. PMD will offer four learning sessions throughout the fiscal year with the content selected and tailored for NM Operations staff.

Central Development Laboratory

PMD has one staff member assigned to support the CDL who coordinates, tracks, and reports on POP milestones and risk management activities and will continue to provide support for proposal development work including ALMA Development submissions, research and development projects, and WFO. The primary PMD role will be to manage CDL development projects, including projects funded through the NA ALMA Development Program. PMD will work closely with the CDL director to adopt value-added PM/SE practices and will coordinate with HQ staff to offer quarterly learning sessions tailored to the R&D environment.

ALMA Development

The solicitation, review, and approval of NA ALMA Development Projects progresses through a well-defined process that PMD facilitates. This process includes the development of the calls for project and study proposal materials on the cycle established by NA ALMA, the collection of proposals, communications to the stakeholders, and any PM/SE activities associated with management of the project and studies once awarded. These projects and studies include those awarded to NRAO and to external organizations. These activities require close collaboration with the NRAO ALMA Director and the NRAO Contracts and Procurement office. The ALMA Development Program Manager will additionally serve as the principal PM/SE to any NRAO internal development project or study.

7.4 Project Management/Systems Engineering Activities

Program Management Software Implementation

In alignment with PMD’s commitment to providing excellent support to cross-functional teams from multiple departments, the department is making substantial progress towards implementing a comprehensive program management software solution. Central management of project tracking, scheduling, budgeting, resource and risk management, and other PM/SE best practices for the Observatory will improve the efficiency and reliability of department processes. PMD will explore full implementation of the software in FY2020 and adjust department SOPs and processes accordingly. In addition, PMD will continue to assess the feasibility of integration with other tools and management systems, including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and cost estimating software.

ALMA OSF Sports Facility

PMD supports the Office of Chilean Affairs to manage the construction of the Multicancha sports facility (gymnasium) at the ALMA OSF and has two dedicated personnel located in Santiago, Chile. The project is in the construction stage with a planned completion in Q1 FY2020. The construction phase consists of

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earthworks, concrete works, assembly and installation of sanitary and electric devices, roofing installation, and interior work. Following construction, PMD will manage commissioning to assure the performance of each subsystem prior to the final handover to the JAO in Q2 FY2020. The project managers will submit quarterly status reports to the Project Director to assess adherence to the budget and schedule.

Science Ready Data Products

SRDP scope has expanded to include programmatic oversight for two additional initiatives: revisions to the Telescope Time Allocation (TTA) tools and production of VLASS data products. PMD will provide a Project Manager in FY2020 at 0.7 FTE to plan, document, and monitor PM and SE processes for each of these three initiatives. Although each has a different lifecycle, the management strategy is similar and reviews are conducted with the same methodology. SRDP will deliver capabilities annually through multiple cycles of requirements decomposition, development, validation, and operations managed under a rolling wave planning strategy, and is currently in the Pilot Operations Phase. TTA Tool development is working from a concept document and is in the early stages of conceptual design, to be reviewed in Q1 FY2020. The VLASS Project has completed observations for the first of three epochs and has been reorganized under a Transition Plan. The plan provides a revised structure to complete two remaining observing epochs and provide VLASS data products. The Project Manager will work closely with the SRDP Project Director, Project Scientists, and Operations Managers to align resources matrixed from other departments to realize the goals for all three initiatives. The SRDP team successfully completed internal project reviews for Test and Operations Readiness in FY2019, validating capabilities for the June FY2019 launch of Pilot Operations. PM and SE processes for SRDP are now established and have been executed from development through operations under the Pilot. These processes will continue to be improved for each successive wave and eventually transition away from the SRDP project office to NRAO Operations.

VLBA Fiber

NM Operations PMD will continue to manage the effort to increase the capacity of the VLBA data network to a minimum of 200 Mbps, enabling advanced array-wide diagnostics and initial time-critical observing capability. This represents the first of three phases in a program to integrate fully the VLBA into a real-time network of radio telescopes spanning the globe while simultaneously reducing operating complexity and improving sustainability of operations. St. Croix (SC), Brewster (BR), Fort Davis (FD), and North Liberty (NL) will achieve fiber connectivity in 2019. Hancock (HN), Los Alamos (LA) will achieve connectivity in Q1 FY2020. Equipment upgrades, service monitoring, and analysis begins in 2019 and will continue through Q1 FY2020. A final report will be due by the end of Q2.

VLBA St. Croix Hurricane Repairs

NM Operations PMD staff will continue to support the VLBA St. Croix Hurricane Repairs efforts into 2020. PMD, in collaboration with VLBA Engineering and CAP, will ensure contracts for the steel repairs, antenna painting, and generator installation are completed and that all requirements were satisfied. The project is scheduled to close out in Q3.

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ALMA Band I LNA’s and LO’s

The CDL Project Manager will continue to oversee the production and shipping of Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) and Local Oscillators (LOs) to ASIAA for integration into ALMA Band 1. PMD is responsible for overseeing the project schedule and budget, adherence to ALMA product assurance guidelines, generation of test reports, and the submission of status reports to ASIAA/NAOJ and NSF. The LNA project is expected to complete in Q2 FY2020 and the LO project will continue production through FY2020.

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7.5 Program Management Department Major Milestones

Table 7.5.1: PMD FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

PMD Operations HQ PM/SE Project Leadership 1 1 1 1 NM PM/SE Project Leadership 2 2 2 2 CDL PM/SE Project Leadership 3 3 3 3

Proposal Development HQ Proposal Development 4 4 4 4 NM Proposal Development 5 5 5 5 CDL Proposal Development 6 6 6 6

PM Activities HQ Continuing Education 7 7 NM Continuing Education 8 8 CDL Continuing Education 9 9

PM/SE Activities

Program Management Software Implementation 10 11

Multicancha Sport Facility at ALMA OSF 12 13 SRDP TTA Tool CDR 14 VLBA Fiber 15 16 VLBA St. Croix Repairs 17 18 ALMA Band 1 LNA Production 19

Milestones: 1. HQ PM/SE Project Leadership 2. NM PM/SE Project Leadership 3. CDL PM/SE Project Leadership 4. HQ Proposal Development 5. NM Proposal Development 6. CDL Proposal Development 7. HQ Continuing Education 8. NM Continuing Education 9. CDL Continuing Education 10. Program Management Software Decision 11. Program Management Software Implementation 12. Multicancha Construction Complete 13. Multicancha JAO Acceptance Complete 14. SRDP TTA Tool Concept Design Review 15. VLBA Fiber Installation Complete 16. VLBA Fiber Final Report 17. VLBA St. Croix Repairs Complete 18. VLBA St. Croix Repairs Final Report 19. Band 1 LNA Production Complete

Deliverables: 1. HQ PM/SE project deliverables 2. NM PM/SE project deliverables 3. CDL PM/SE project deliverables 4. HQ completed proposals 5. NM completed proposals 6. CDL completed proposals 7. HQ learning sessions, available to all CV employees 8. NM learning sessions, available to all NM

employees 9. CDL learning sessions, available to all CDL

employees 10. PM Software Decision Made 11. Program Management Software Implementation

Plan 12. Multicancha Construction Complete 13. Multicancha JAO Acceptance Complete 14. SRDP TTA Tool Concept Design Review 15. VLBA Fiber Installation Complete 16. VLBA Fiber Final Report 17. VLBA St. Croix Repairs Complete 18. VLBA St. Croix Repairs Final Report 19. Band 1 LNA Production Complete

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7.6 Program Management Department Financial Charts

Table 7.6.1: FY2020 by Fund Source in $, FTE

Table 7.6.2: FY2020 by Expenditures by Object

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8 EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH

The Education and Public Outreach (EPO) Department serves the strategic Observatory goal of broadening public appreciation of and participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). EPO highlights the discoveries, technologies, and careers pioneered and exemplified by the NRAO via its four divisions: STEAM Education and Outreach; News; VLA Visitor Center; and Multimedia. Most EPO efforts require cross-division coordination, however news, careers, and major Observatory initiatives will be the starting point for most projects. As the EPO staff grows and deals with natural turnover, additional efforts will be made this year to sharpen the skills and build stronger teams through professional development and the establishment of formal guidelines for cross-division coordination. This year, careful coordination will begin with the new Director of Advancement in the Director’s Office, adjusting visitor center operations and communications strategies with visitors to the VLA to begin fundraising efforts for a new visitor center.

8.1 News and Public Information

Press and Image Releases: The practice of uncovering, evaluating, and selecting NRAO-related research for publicity is well established and sufficient to capture the majority of high-impact research and results that have a high probability of exciting the science-interested public. Other legacy and innovative news vehicles (e.g. News Rooms and Tip Sheets) are available, depending on demand, throughout the year. The evaluation of research may lead, alternatively, to recommendations for feature stories or blogs. See Section 8.2 Multimedia Engagement, for changes in support of these press products. Feature Stories and Images of the Week: In FY2019, the team committed to one feature story per quarter. For FY2020, NRAO will maintain that pace, but content could also include Images of the Week (NRAO instrument images that are evocative yet not necessarily suited to a full image release). Since it is impossible to predict image availability, they could take the place of a feature story in any given quarter. Media Outreach: Efforts to build linkages with high-value media through background and one-on-one interactions.

• American Astronomical Society (AAS) Meeting Media Reception: Based on the success of the 2019 Winter Meeting press reception, NRAO will reach out to AAS to sponsor an additional meet and greet at the event with food and beverages. This will enable NRAO to manage messages on ALMA / VLA / ngVLA / VLASS and more through personal interactions.

• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Press Reception co-sponsor: The number one gathering of science journalists in the U.S. is the AAAS meeting. The FY2020 meeting will be in Seattle. NRAO has already reached out to the Northwest Science Writers Association to explore the potential of co-sponsoring the event. Signage and credit will be given and NRAO representatives will be on-hand with similar button identifiers to mingle with the media.

• Promotional materials: The NRAO Users Committee has noted that many users do not realize the available media relations support. NRAO has included notices in eNews about these services, and will create a handout and short video for the AAS meetings to further raise awareness.

• Deskside Briefings: EPO will find opportunities based on the NRAO Director’s travel schedule to arrange meetings with high-impact reporters/journalists.

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Communications Training: Public Information Officers (PIO) offer periodic public speaking and media communications training courses for summer students, scientific staff, and Observatory leaders as an internal professional development offering. Liaison with ALMA Partners: As part of the NRAO’s overarching collaboration with the ALMA partners, NRAO’s public information office coordinates its ALMA media relations efforts with each of the partners and the JAO through monthly telecons. This ensures the broadest possible exposure for ALMA news while maintaining the autonomy and individual outreach goals for each partner.

8.2 Multimedia Engagement

A dedicated, creative team of animators, artists, illustrators, designers, writers, social media specialists, and a web developer, design and develop unique multimedia materials in support of the news and information page, social media, and STEAM efforts. The team also creates products to be distributed through the public-facing website, school programs, and the VLA Visitor Center. The NRAO EPO Multimedia Team strives to maintain best practices and state-of-the-art production and creation techniques and technologies in the delivery of high-quality content. The need for a final copy editor to maintain quality of all printed materials has been identified, so the team will explore ways to get fresh eyes on each product before it is sent out. Support of Press Products: A core activity of the artists in the multimedia group is to create engaging, vibrant, and informative visuals to support the press and image releases. A key deliverable in FY2020 is to develop guidelines with estimated time frames for delivery of a menu of multimedia products (i.e., science images, infographic, artists impression, gif, animation, 3D model, …) These guidelines are for the PIOs to use as they craft their press products. It is a priority to include short (one minute) videos with each release since certain science news outlets will often run video content over written content, but this menu is intended to help PIOs prioritize their multimedia requests for each release. Revised/Improved Image Gallery: CATDV tagging of image resources has successfully cataloged the backlog of images, but access to them by reporters and science writers remains a challenge. For media relations, NRAO needs a more intuitive image gallery interface. The webmaster, in consultation with representatives from archives, social media, and PIOs will deliver a new image gallery interface. Investigate Podcasts Development: Podcasts could enhance special focus events on social media (Pulsar Week, Pi Day, etc.), and could also support news releases. There are even opportunities to upload podcasts on file-sharing sites so radio stations could use them as filler material. Production could be done in house, in cooperation with local public radio, or through an external sound engineering company. These options will be fully explored to set priorities. Hosted Videos: Having identified the need for more engaging and easily shareable delivery mechanism for NRAO content, the multimedia group will implement the production pipeline developed in FY2019 for quarterly delivery of high quality informative hosted videos. This large effort will involve all of the multimedia team, as well as the cooperation, expertise, and coordination of other EPO and NRAO staff. NRAO Brand and Style Guide: As the variety of media created for NRAO grows, there is a lack of a coherent look and feel that jumps out as a signature NRAO Brand. The multimedia group has identified the products that need a consistent style guide and will lead in the development of an all-encompassing style to aid the standardization of the NRAO brand across multiple platforms of public facing content.

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Augmented Reality: After initial research in FY2019 into the implementation of Augmented Reality (AR) technologies as instructional/outreach materials, in FY2020, the multimedia team will lead the development of an NRAO AR experience highlighting telescope technology or unique radio astronomy science experience. Experiences will be developed for a standalone app and for embedding in the NRAO website. Opportunities to learn from others who are already doing this with astronomical data and instruments will be explored; NRAO shares many science cases with Chandra and Spitzer and their teams have expressed an interest in joint workshops. Social Media Programs: Social media platforms are used for unique content and to amplify the distribution of new content on the NRAO public website and press products. Three platforms are maintained: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, each with a different format and audience. This year, a different theme will be explored each month and key outreach days—such as Pi Day, Black Hole Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), and Pulsar Week—will be supported. Blog: EPO has designed a dedicated blog to interpret the science cases that drive significant NRAO initiatives through stories, images, and data visualizations. Blog posts will be released regularly, and cover topics of interest such as: VLA Sky Survey, ngVLA, image processing systems, telescopes, press releases, STEM and STEAM efforts, and interviews with scientists. Website Maintenance: EPO will maintain the public website through consistent software updates in order to enhance front end and back end efficiency and security. Industry standards will be deployed on for search engine optimization to ensure web outreach efforts are effective and as broad as possible. Website Expansion: Public web pages will be updated and expanded throughout the year. Priorities may change with the news cycle, but there is a need to support the development office with a presence on the public site, and to update pages on the NRAO’s facilities as well as the background pages supporting science cases in the basics of radio astronomy.

8.3 STEAM Education and Outreach

The NRAO STEAM Education team designs teaching and learning experiences for K-grey learners, with the exception of the authentic Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, managed by colleagues in SSR. Efforts in FY2020 will build on existing programs and assets and include professional development regarding interpretive techniques to be implemented at the VLA Visitor Center. These efforts will then be shared with NRAO staff through mini-training workshops to assist them with their public engagement efforts. Lesson Plan Development: The NRAO public website is rich with new and sometimes interactive content (e.g., colorizing app and interferometry app). The STEAM team will package the lesson plans from prior Radio Astronomy Path to University Physics (RAP-NM) summer camps and work through ODI with the African American Teaching Fellows (AATF) STEAM Education Think Tank in VA, as well as including existing web content to create teacher and student pages that can be accessed through the web. These lesson plans will be scientifically accurate and align with VA and NM state standards. In addition to web content, the staff will deepen their experience working with the Spider 300 telescope at NM Tech to characterize the capabilities of the telescope and develop activities that can then be implemented with future lesson plans within STEAM Education programs. Sister Cities and Observatories: This NRAO-funded program partners two high school students and a teacher near the VLA in New Mexico with two high school students and a teacher near the ALMA site in northern Chile in a joint cultural/learning exchange, using a scientific experiment as a connecting thread of inquiry. This 10-day exchange seeks to reinforce the school curriculum through STEAM education

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activities. The emphasis this year will be to expand the shared experiences of the two cohorts leveraging the packaged STEAM Education lesson plans. A commitment and involvement will be required by students and school teachers from New Mexico and the Likan Antai C-30 School in Toconao, Chile. The students and teachers will be responsible for participating in shared research experiences and for being ambassadors in local schools. EPO staff will work with teachers and students to refine their proposed curriculum projects. The program goals are to:

• Explore mechanisms to foster astronomy studies within the curriculum of participating schools; • Foster communication between Chilean and U.S. teachers and students through shared research

experiences. Outreach Events: The STEAM team is creating a list of outreach events for annual participation, such as Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) Career days in Charlottesville, the NM Science Fiesta, and the USA Science Engineering Festival. These events are opportunities to both raise the visibility of the Observatory in local communities, and to inspire the next generation of STEM learners. The STEAM Education team will also continue to identify community influencers in VA and NM to plug into existing local informal STEAM events (e.g., afterschool program and summer camps) and frameworks (e.g., STEM Outreach and Mentoring: Fueling Opportunity through Relationships, Community, and Education (STORM Force) at NMT). EPO will develop fresh content for display booths to feature careers and future innovations. The team will integrate current multimedia assets with the touch screen for interactive experiences at large-scale events. VLA Visitor Experiences: As a team, the STEAM Ed group will complete certified interpretive guide training. This is a shift in mindset from specific content-learning goals to creating interpretive experiences at the VLA that are audience centered and mission driven focused. The NM team will apply their certified interpretive guide training to the development of new tours for a variety of audiences by grade level and special interests. Activities and demonstrations will be developed and deployed through the new portable “Amazing Cart of Science,” which has been installed in the Visitor Center. FY2020 is also a planning year for the 40th anniversary of the completion of the VLA in October of 1980. While the actual anniversary falls in FY2021, the coming year will be spent planning special content for this auspicious anniversary. A training manual for new part-time tour guides will be developed, and will be used for training new REU students each summer as well as staff volunteers. New signage for Open House events will also be developed.

8.4 Visitor Center Operations

NRAO operates a small Visitor Center (VC) on the Jansky VLA site, west of Magdalena, New Mexico. The site has indoor and outdoor public exhibits, a small auditorium, popular gift shop, and monthly tour program. The VLA serves 22,000+ visitors annually, plus 2000+ local and international students receive special tours annually. As the Director of Development comes on board, a major fundraising campaign will be needed to implement the planned VC upgrades. Until funds can be secured, EPO will continue to make incremental upgrades to improve the existing experience, including the development of more interpretive tours that highlight different aspects of NM operations. As a fundraising campaign is developed, EPO foresees adjusting VLA VC operations to establish ongoing relationships with visitors for future cultivation for support of the new VC. Content development for the visitor experience will be developed by the STEAM team while operations and the retail are overseen by the site director. Retail operations will expand beyond the brick and mortar operations at the VC to include web sales for NRAO and small sales counter in the Edgemont Road offices.

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Marketing: FY2019 saw a drop in VC attendance, so a full marketing plan will be developed. Advertising through a variety of venues including local and statewide publications, online ads, billboards, and paid promoted posts on social media will all be evaluated. Exhibits: Content in the video exhibit will be updated to reflect new discoveries and updated status of Observatory initiatives. New poster displays will be created to represent future initiatives, including the ngVLA and new Visitor Center. Retail operations: A basic business plan has been developed that shows it is feasible to expand retail operations beyond the brick and mortar of the Visitor Center gift shop to include online sales with fulfillment by Amazon and a small outlet in the Charlottesville headquarters. Milestones for implementation of this expansion are relative to the hiring of a retail manager to set up the additional stores. Support for these efforts will also come from the multimedia group to establish a web presence and support marketing efforts.

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8.5 Education and Public Outreach Major Milestones

Table 8.5.1: EPO FY2020 Major Milestones FY 2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

News and Public Information

News features 1 1 1 1 AAS Press Reception 2 AAAS Press Reception 3 PIO Services Promotional materials 4 Deskside Briefings 5 6 6 6

Multimedia Team

Press product support 7

Image gallery 8 9 Hosted Video 10, 11 10, 11 10, 11 10, 11 Style Guide 12 13 Augmented Reality 14

STEAM Ed

Sister Cities and Observatories 15 16 USA Sci & Engineering Festival 17 Interpretive guide training 18 40th anniversary planning 19

VLA VC Operations Marketing plan 20 Milestones: 1. Identify potential image or story to feature 2. Reserve room with AAS 3. Coordinate with AAAS 4. Define promotional materials for Astronomers 5. Establish calendar and contacts for deskside

briefings 6. Contact reporter for briefing 7. Define menu of press product image options 8. Determine specifications for Gallery 9. Wireframe of new image gallery interface 10. Identify topic for hosted video 11. Complete assignments for hosted video 12. Define format and develop procedure for

populating style guide 13. Present and Review populated style guide to

EPO team 14. Create AR beta application and web plugin 15. San Pedro Cohort orientation 16. NM Cohort orientation 17. Identify new content for outreach booth 18. Identify National Association for Interpreters

workshops for certified trainers 19. VLA 40th Anniversary planning 20. Survey advertising options

Deliverables: 1. Publish quarterly feature 2. Host press reception at winter AAS meeting 3. Co-Host AAAS press reception 4. Deliver print and video materials for AAS meeting 5. Deskside briefings calendar 6. Media visits 7. Menu of products with timeframes for delivery 8. Image gallery requirements 9. New image gallery on public.nrao.edu 10. Deliver storyboard for hosted video 11. Deliver hosted video for distribution 12. Style Guide working document 13. Style Guide final document 14. AR App Prototype Web plugin and App 15. San Pedro Cohort travels to NM 16. NM Cohort travels to Chile 17. Participate in USASEF 18. Complete NAI training 19. Publish event calendar for 40th Anniversary events 20. Book ads for the year

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8.6 Education and Public Outreach Financial Charts

Table 8.6.1: FY2020 by Fund Source and Location in $, FTE

Table 8.6.2: FY2020 by Fund Source

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9 COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SERVICES

Computing and Information Services (CIS) support staff is matrixed into the DMS department. This ensures transparent sharing of highly skilled Information Services resources for telescope supporting science responsibilities (See Section 7), as well as general staff IT support duties (CIS with Facilities and Administration Department). CIS is responsible for:

• Staff Helpdesk (tracking Service and Change Requests as well as promptly resolving outages) • Full IT Service Catalog (https://info.nrao.edu/computing) • Cyber security in alignment with NSF Major Facilities guidelines • Staff training (onboarding, documentation, and annual security training) • Support for desktop platforms (Windows, Mac, and Unix) • Desktop software: e-mail, browser, 3rd party productivity/engineering applications • Standard core services such as email/printing/file sharing/backups • Commodity data networks (Intranet/WiFi, Internet, secure VPN) • NRAO hosted phone/voicemail systems • Voice and video-conference systems (meeting room and desktop) • Meetings and NRAO science event support (registration/audio/visual) • Mobile, satellite, and smartphone management services • Licensing, maintenance, and support for commercial software • Maintenance contracts for computer and communication hardware • Web platform provisioning to support content and software development • Collaboration solutions (wiki, Instant Messaging, Zoom, WebEx) • Document/Content Management Systems (SharePoint/Plone/Adept) • Monitoring and alerting of key services and data center environments • Coordinating Add/Move/Change requests for staff and visitors • Building access security with support for proximity swipe cards and video surveillance • Directory services for Staff/Observer login access and account management • IT Audit compliance (in conjunction with MIS for key control systems)

CIS is focused on supporting Observatory operations by leveraging the structure of the Common Computing Environment (CCE) to ensure that all standard NRAO computers have a common system image and that the expertise available for supporting servers is also applied to desktops/laptops for a consistent end-point security model and user experience. This consistency of oversight extends from hardware to software and on to supported applications and associated training. This oversight includes planning, policy, standards (for software, hardware, and system administration), cyber security, allocation of the CIS budget, system administrator training, inter-site computing-related travel, procurements, and ongoing maintenance contracts. CIS also manages the Observatory telecommunications infrastructure (voice, video, data and mobile) and covers the cost of upgrading Computing Infrastructure for desktops, servers, printers, and business data storage systems. The following sections outline the activities and milestones, coordinated by CIS, to ensure an optimum computing, storage, and communications environment for staff and users of NRAO telescopes as well as providing agile service support for an active research and development program.

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9.1 Observatory-Wide Support

Common Computing Environments (CCE): The CCE group coordinates and prioritizes NRAO-wide computing projects and initiatives between the sites, facilitated by the annual system administrators’ workshop and IT skills improvement via conferences, seminars, and training events. Major CCE objectives for FY2020 are initiatives based on the adoption a new Cyber Security framework, informed by the updated NSF Major Facilities Guide, and with input from TrustedCI. Additionally, the Mac platform will be migrated from 10.13 to 10.14 (Mojave) and the Linux platform will begin early evaluation of RHEL 8. Communications and Network: Work will be performed to systematize the NRAO network perimeter security model and to propose improvements to protect key assets from threats identified by the Cyber Security program analysis. The need for the Observatory to rent office space in Albuquerque will require the integration of a new site on the internal NRAO wide area network and security model. Computing Security: With the hiring of a full-time Cyber Security position in FY2019, the Observatory will initiate a complete overhaul of the existing computer security policies, in addition to an in-depth risk assessment to inform future priorities. Based on the advice from TrustedCI, the Observatory intends to adopt a standard Security Controls framework and Log Management system to ensure good visibility into the disposition of several thousand network attached devices. CIS will deliver Securing the Human online cyber security awareness and multi-tier staff training for all employees as well as the coordinated release of a new Information Privacy Policy to address the concerns raised by General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the handling of users Personally Identifiable Information. Finally, CIS will mitigate an identified security risk from the compromise of login accounts granted to non-employees through undertaking an account audit and mandatory password reset. Web and Application Support: Key web services, including the Plone content management system used on the science and information sites and multiple collaboration tools, will be upgraded to address performance, bugs, and security concerns as well as to remain current. Application whitelisting will be enforced on key systems to minimize the risk of malicious code execution. With the renewal of the Microsoft Campus License Agreement, it is anticipated that the Observatory will evaluate the Office 356 product suite with the associated concern over data security and cross-platform file access.

9.2 Site Specific Facilities Infrastructure

CIS will work closely with DMS and NM Ops to replace aging hardware that supports the VLA correlator. This includes WIDAR Correlator Back End (CBE) cluster computers, and the high-speed network switch that connects the associated real-time systems. CIS will begin the migration from end-of-life Quadruple Data Rate (QDR) InfiniBand to the higher speed EDR solution in addition to the upgrade of the core data center network switch that supports NAASC.

9.3 Maintenance and Renewal

Notice of end-of-support has been received from the vendor of many of NRAO’s standard H-323 based video conference systems used to connect ~30 meeting rooms throughout the Observatory. CIS will expedite the replacement of these systems in FY2020 along with the video/audio conference hub, but will leverage cloud conferencing services, as needed, to support large events with external participants.

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9.4 Computing and Information Services Major Milestones

Table 9.4.1: CIS FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Observatory-Wide Support

Upgrade of Mac platform to Mojave OS 1 Albuquerque office connectivity 2 Cyber Security risk assessment 3 Security Controls and Log Management 4 Cyber Security training 5 Information Privacy Policy release 6 Non-employee account audit 7 Application Whitelisting 8 Evaluation of MS Office 365 applications 9

Site Specific Facilities Infrastructure

VLA CBE and Network upgrade 10

Local area network upgrades at the NAASC 11 Maintenance and Renewal Video System end-of-life mitigation 12

Milestones: 1. Upgrade of Mac platform to Mojave 2. Albuquerque office connectivity 3. Cyber Security risk assessment 4. Security Controls and Log Management 5. Cyber Security training 6. Information Privacy Policy release 7. Non-employee account audit 8. Application Whitelisting 9. Evaluation of MS Office 365 applications 10. VLA CBE and network upgrade 11. Local area network upgrades at the NAASC 12. Video System end-of-life mitigation

Deliverables: 1. Deployment of Mac OS 10.14 2. Go-live of ABQ office space for staff access 3. Cyber Sec update to Observatory risk register 4. Adoption of framework and supporting tools 5. On-line training and in-person briefings 6. Communication and compliance assessment 7. Enforce password reset of login accounts 8. Protection of key systems from malware 9. Feasibility study on adoption 10. Replace WIDAR CBE cluster and network 11. System and core network upgrades 12. Replacement of legacy video hardware

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9.5 Computing and Information Services Financial Charts

Table 9.5.1: FY2020 by Fund Source and Location in $, FTE

Table 9.5.2: FY2020 by Expenditures by Object

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10 OFFICE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

An important component of NRAO’s mission is the development and training of the next generation of scientists, engineers, and other professional and technical experts in the full spectrum of careers that support the field of astronomy and astronomical observatories. Many Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) programs are focused on building the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) pipeline at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctorate levels, supporting the inclusion of minority and under-represented groups in education, training, and employment opportunities. Within the mandate and mission statement of NRAO, under-represented groups include, but are not limited to, people of color, women, economically disadvantaged, community college, and first-generation college students. Programs described here are based upon NRAO’s cooperative agreement to operate a world-class observatory, while building a strong and effective STEM pipeline in partnership with national and international universities, organizations, and other observatories. Programs described here are also based upon NRAO’s Diversity Strategic plan. In FY2020, Diversity and Inclusion efforts across the Observatory will focus on the following key areas: broader impacts, new and ongoing pipeline initiatives, the Radio Astronomy Data Imaging and Analysis Laboratories (RADIAL) program, workforce hiring, retention, D&I training, and workplace culture. These efforts are coordinated with NRAO’s HR, EPO, SSR, and OCA departments. In FY2020, ODI will continue to:

• Develop opportunities to leverage and coordinate existing resources, talents, and projects across Observatory departments (e.g., HR, EPO, SSR, and the OCA);

• Expand outreach programs focused on African-American, Native American, Hispanic American, community colleges and other underrepresented populations;

• Develop and offer diversity and cultural-competence training and education for all staff; • Support HR diversity recruitment efforts; • Assess and enhance NRAO workplace culture; • Manage and improve ongoing ODI programs (listed below); and • Work with non-NRAO partners, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), to improve opportunities for women and under-represented minority (URM) students to participate in astronomy-related research.

Diversity Council: The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is staffed by the Director of Diversity and Inclusion and RADIAL Project Director, and is advised by the NRAO Diversity Council, comprised of the ADs of HR, SSR, EPO, PMD, NM Ops, CDL, and the OCA. The Council meets quarterly, provides advice as needed and requested by the ODI Director, assists the ODI by supporting and coordinating Observatory-wide efforts to improve and enhance diversity in all aspects of Observatory operations, and facilitates communications between all NRAO departments. Diversity and Inclusion Advocates and Employee Diversity Group: In acknowledgement that NRAO employees have an important role in advocating for, and supporting, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and efforts, two roles for selected employees have been identified, D&I Advocates and Employee Diversity Group (EDG). Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Advocates promote the advancement of diversity and inclusion within their NRAO site, and across the Observatory. The D&I Advocates work directly with the ODI Director to support specific D&I initiatives throughout the Observatory, in addition to providing recommendations

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that address site specific D&I issues. The D&I Advocates act as their site lead spokesperson for diversity and inclusion efforts, and serve as chair of their site’s Employee Diversity Group (EDG). EDG members complete an extensive, intensive series of D&I training modules, and meet monthly to identify, discuss, and share D&I-related issues with the ODI Director. Achieving Parity in the NRAO Staff: A key objective for the NRAO workplace is to achieve parity with the nation’s demographics for people of color and women. HR and ODI will continue to carefully vet all NRAO position advertisements to make them as broadly appealing as possible, and continue to work with senior management to craft and support unbiased search committees. In FY2020, ODI and HR will work together to continue to refine, and maintain, a training program that: (a) emphasizes the relevance and importance of a diverse workplace; and (b) offer learning opportunities to help staff involved in selection processes to better understand and overcome unconscious biases that affect hiring decisions. Diversity, Cultural, and Community Awareness: Finding common ground in an environment rich with varying opinions and perspectives can be an organizational challenge. Education and awareness initiatives that teach employees how to succeed and perform optimally across a multi-cultural workforce can directly support diversity efforts in the workplace. Diversity education encourages thoughtfulness and consideration between co-workers of different nationalities and backgrounds. Cultural awareness is achieved when all employees in a company can appreciate the benefits of cultural diversity. The numerous benefits of cultural diversity stem from the fact that people from different cultures bring different perspectives to the table, introducing new ideas, perspectives, and personalities into strategic planning processes and workplace activities in general. A culturally diverse and aware workforce can create an environment of mutual respect and dignity, garnering a reputation as a fair employer in the job market. In FY2020, diversity awareness opportunities will be offered across the Observatory utilizing a mixture of outside speakers, online training, discussions focused on diversity issues (“lunch and learn”), and the WeSpeak series, which offers NRAO staff the opportunity to share their interests with others in the Observatory. Diversity awareness will also be incorporated in supervisor and management trainings, and NRAO’s on-boarding program. Importantly, diversity speakers will be scheduled as a part of the summer internship experiences for undergraduates. ODI will continue to support, in conjunction with HR, online training modules, through Everfi/Lawroom, and will continue to make these courses available to NRAO staff as appropriate and possible. Examples of courses and workshops that have been, and continue to be, offered include:

Coaching and Mentoring Bullying in the Workplace Conflict Resolution Code of Conduct Managing Bias Inclusion in the Modern Workplace Unlawful Harassment Prevention Treating People with Respect

A new initiative, designed to deepen employee understanding of diversity and inclusion issues, will include offering at least one session of the intensive four-part training series, piloted by the EDG members in FY2019, to a volunteer group of NRAO staff. Partnership with EPO: ODI will continue to support EPO K-grey education outreach efforts through its partnership with the African American Teaching Fellows (AATF), and other opportunities for collaboration as they arise.

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10.1 Local and National Programs

ODI operates a number of programs that serve national and international constituents. Many of these programs, described below, have similar goals; specifically, to increase the numbers of underrepresented populations in STEM fields that support radio astronomy.

Radio Astronomy Data Imaging & Analysis Labs (RADIAL)

The NRAO actively incorporates the principle of co-operative design into the design of its core scientific activities to ensure that it consults, serves and benefits all its stakeholders and researches, considers and incorporates the potential broader impacts of its work for society. Project RADIAL was initiated by the NRAO to address current and future astronomy big data challenges and to cultivate a diverse and globally competitive STEM workforce while doing so. The project is a partnership between NRAO, Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) in the USA and abroad, and the private sector. Together, the partner institutions aim to develop or enhance the hardware/IT infrastructure and human capacity required for partner MSIs to act as processing centers, data centers or big data centers of excellence; while developing innovative and accessible curriculum material to support astronomy and other data-intensive research fields. This focus on infrastructure and human capacity development will facilitate the creation and analysis of VLASS data products required by the international astronomy community as well as addressing future big data challenges related to the ngVLA, while enabling MSIs to improve their product offering in astronomy, computer science, IT, and data science. The partner institutions will also collaborate to create undergraduate, graduate, and professional research, experiential learning and professional preparation opportunities for cohorts from the partner MSIs, and high school to college informal education programs for teachers and students from communities adjacent to these MSIs. The design of Project RADIAL will promote multi-institutional and international collaboration to ensure end-users benefit from the unique assets, strengths and best practices of various partner institutions and to advance knowledge transfer between and by partner institutions both in the USA and abroad. FY2020 will see the completion of the project design for Project RADIAL and the completion of a generic proposal to be used to raised funding and support from the private sector.

National Astronomy Consortium

The National Astronomy Consortium (NAC) is a program led by NRAO in collaboration with the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) and several minority- and majority-serving universities and observatories. The NAC program goal is to build a pipeline of students from under-represented and under-served groups to STEM fields that support full-spectrum astronomy (e.g., science, data management and analysis, and engineering). The NAC uses a cohort model, multiple mentors, professional development, and lifelong career mentoring to increase participation of under-represented groups in astronomy-related careers. The NAC program is coordinated by the ODI Director, in conjunction with the NAC Advisory Board. NRAO hosts a yearly cohort of four to six students at its sites; NAC students interact with other REU students to take advantage of shared resources, and to increase peer networking opportunities. The NAC program provides financial support to students from NAC partner sites to attend both the NAC and AAS

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Annual Meetings, as well as to NSBP, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and other appropriate professional meetings, by application. The NAC program includes an intensive, two-hour weekly lunch meeting where students, mentors, invited speakers, and other invited guests explore topics relevant to the NAC students. NAC Alums: In addition to the NAC summer research experience, the NAC program maintains close communication with its undergraduate alums, and offers financial support for applications to Graduate Schools (negotiating fee waivers where possible), GRE Physics exams, and travel support to present research results at professional meetings. NAC Grad Fellows: The NAC Fellow program is designed to engage NAC Grad alums in the development and maintenance of the NAC program by providing opportunities to further develop NAC, ODI, and RADIAL programmatic activities. The Fellows, competitively selected, receive stipends for completion of projects or activities. NAC Cohort Representatives: An alum (undergraduate or graduate) from each cohort will be selected to serve as representatives of their year’s cohort. The representatives receive stipends to organize regular meetings and/or maintain connection with their cohort peers, and to share information on activities of cohort members via social media, and with the ODI Director. Annual NAC Meeting: The NAC will host its eighth annual conference (NAC VIII) in September 2020. The NAC meeting is designed to maintain and increase participation from MSIs and Majority Serving Institutions and Universities, and to build and sustain an enduring pipeline of under-represented future STEM leaders.

National and International Non-Traditional Exchange (NINE)

The NINE Program objectives are to increase diversity and improve the environment for diversity for the purpose of human capacity development. To that end, the NINE Program uses training sessions to provide the necessary skills and experience so that the participant, upon returning to their home location, is prepared to take on the role of a NINE trainer in using radio astronomy-related software. The program aims to deliver the following two complementary elements:

• Provide training through short programs (up to three month’s duration, depending upon session) designed to teach the use of radio astronomy-related software that can ultimately be applied in the home location;

• Provide project management (PM) training and mentoring so that the participant leaves the

training program with a fully developed NINE Hub Plan for the participant's home institution. The NINE Training program consists of the following steps: Step 1: Hands-On Experience: In Summer 2020, the hands-on focus will be on using radio astronomy-related software. Specifically, the participants will learn to use VLASS data and Raspberry Pi units to combine and analyze astronomical images. Step 2: Mentoring/Teaching Techniques: The NINE Program is structured in such a way that the participant, upon returning to their home location, will take on the role of mentor/trainer in their field of experience. The participant will learn the basics of how to instruct and mentor other participants.

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Step 3: NINE Hub Program Development: NINE Training participants will be responsible for developing an exchange program hub with the tools and processes provided by the NINE Program. This task is a critically important part of the NINE hub training experience, and will be accomplished through intense mentoring and training in Project Management (PM) techniques. Each participant, upon returning to their home organization, will be responsible for establishing the program at their site, for providing the pipeline of interested students and faculty/professionals, coordinating the local logistics, and communicating up-to-date information about the program to the NRAO NINE Program Manager. In FY2020, the NINE Program will continue to develop relationships with national and international partners, including the development of additional hub(s). Existing hub support (South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, the University of the Virgin Islands, the University of West Indies, the National University of Honduras, and Texas Tech University) will also be provided in the form of exchanges between hubs. In cooperation with regional Hubs, NRAO will support a NINE Hub Conference in conjunction with an appropriate Caribbean regional astronomy meeting.

VA-NC Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

The VA-NC Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program is designed to improve access to STEM research experiences for under-represented minority undergraduate students. Students are identified through the University of Virginia’s recruitment from Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). In FY2020, NRAO will continue to serve as a VA-NC Alliance Partner. Under this award, NRAO will host one to two students for a summer internship conducting astronomy-related research, focusing on CDL opportunities. Ideally, NRAO-Alliance fellow(s) will have opportunities to conduct hands-on research, observe at the VLA, and use advanced software applications and/or participate in classroom activities. NRAO will continue to facilitate and sponsor a GBO trip for the FY2020 VA-NC Alliance summer students. In FY2020, ODI and the VA-NC Alliance will continue to explore the possibility of sending Alliance student(s) to Chile to participate in research experiences with ALMA scientists.

NSBP and SACNAS

NSBP and the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) are the premier professional societies dedicated to promoting the success of under-represented minorities in STEM fields. ODI programs support this mission, and ODI will participate in NSBP and SACNAS annual conferences to build and maintain strong partnerships with these societies. ODI will also explore the possibility of co-hosting an NSBP conference at the UVA/NRAO in FY2020–2021.

URM Student Network Partnerships

In FY2020, ODI will continue to partner with other non-NRAO programs focused on providing research, mentoring, and professional development opportunities to Under-represented Minority (URM) students. This effort will include support for, and participation in the organization of, a splinter session at the 235th AAS Winter meeting, tentatively titled “Supporting Marginalized Students in Astronomy: A Discussion among Program Leaders on Best Practices and Ongoing Challenges.”

ODI-Office of Chilean Affairs (OCA) Collaboration

In FY2020, ODI will continue to partner with the OCA in support of the Office’s ProVoca campaign, STEM education in Chilean schools, D&I workshop(s), and other efforts that build understanding of D&I

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in STEM fields that support astronomy. ODI will work with the OCA to develop the OCA’s STEM D&I strategic plan.

ODI Chile REU Program

The NRAO REU-Chile Program, modeled on the NAC program and funded through the NSF REU program, is designed to broaden participation of under-served and under-represented populations in the field of astronomy, with a particular focus on students with limited access to research experience in astronomy. The program will provide opportunities for two to three under-represented students to undertake research, with NRAO and ALMA scientists, in the area of radio astronomy, and will provide travel grants for students to attend appropriate professional meetings to present the results of their research. The ideal is for the development of long-term mentor/mentee relationships leading to eventual advanced academic degrees and or/professional opportunities for the interns.

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10.2 Office of Diversity and Inclusion Major Milestones

Table 10.2.1: ODI FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Local and National Programs

Diversity Council 1 1 1 1 NAC, LSAMP 2 2 Summer programs initiated 3 NAC Annual Meeting 4 RADIAL Project Plan and Proposal 5 Diversity & Cultural Awareness training 6 6 6 6

International Partnerships

Chile REU Program 7 8 NINE recruitment and delivery 9

Milestones: 1. Diversity Council quarterly meetings 2. NAC and LSAMP Recruitment 3. Summer programs initiated and completed 4. NAC Annual Meeting completed 5. RADIAL Project Plan and Proposal completed 6. Diversity and Cultural Awareness training offered 7. Chile REU program recruitment completed 8. Chile REU program completed 9. NINE recruitment and completion

Deliverables: 1. Quarterly DC meeting held 2. Summer students recruited 3. Summer student programs completed 4. NAC Annual Meeting completed 5. RADIAL Project Plan completed 6. DCA training offered 7. Chile REU program recruitment completed 8. Chile REU summer completed 9. NINE recruitment and training completed

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10.3 Office of Diversity and Inclusion Financial Charts

Table 10.3.1: FY2020 by Fund Source in $, FTE

Table 10.3.2: FY2020 by Expenditures by Object

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11 HUMAN RESOURCES

Human Resources (HR) serves as a strategic partner across the Observatory and is committed to providing the highest caliber of advice, guidance, and collaboration in the delivery of human resources services. HR will continue its leadership role in providing services in support of the Observatory’s vision by promoting the concept that employees are the most valuable resource and will be treated as such. The HR Department continues to act as a catalyst to enable all staff to contribute at optimum levels toward the success of the Observatory.

The HR mission is to provide a sense of approachability, professionalism, and transparency through internal consulting, problem resolution, and the provision of efficient, customer-responsive human resource services. HR strives to:

• Recruit and retain dedicated and highly qualified employees; • Develop and recognize individual and group performance; • Maintain competitive compensation and benefit programs; and • Provide employee relations support that balances the needs of staff and management.

The Observatory has benefited from highly skilled staff with decades of experience. Moving forward, a focus on knowledge capture, developing and documenting efficient processes and cross-training is necessary to position the Observatory to deliver on its new initiatives. The Human Resources department provides professional service and administrative expertise in response to the changing needs of the organization to optimize the contribution of employees to the Observatory’s mission and to support their well-being. Human Resources activities and staff are headquartered in Charlottesville in support of the Observatories and ALMA with additional HR staff support and offices in Green Bank (GBO) and Socorro.

The Human Resources Department areas of responsibility include workforce management, policy development and administration, training and development, compensation, performance management, benefits administration, employment (including recruitment and hiring, diversity), and human resources (including employee relations, JD Edwards Human Resource Information System (JDE-HRIS), regulatory compliance, HR oversight of NRAO International Staff in Chile, and support of HR staff in the JAO and OCA). HR works closely with AUI Benefits staff to ensure that employee benefits offerings are strategically aligned to the organizational mission.

11.1 Workforce Management

Human Resources updated the Observatory Workforce Management Plan (WMP) in 2018. It defined the Observatory’s workforce environment, articulated the workforce environment of the future, and outlined planned transition activities necessary to move from the present to the envisioned future. ngVLA Hiring: The NRAO has engaged the broad science and technical community in the ngVLA design. Stakeholders across the Observatory have created the ngVLA Project Resource Management Plan that outlines the process to identify, acquire, and manage the staffing requirements by an ngVLA IPT along with a fulfillment prioritization/on-boarding date for new and existing staff. This resource plan includes the total number of ngVLA employees broken down by IPT, and the schedule of new employees needed by IPT. In preparation for the initial phase of hiring for ngVLA, two priority positions have been approved for hire prior to FY2020: the Recruitment Manager and the Assistant Business Manager. With the immediate addition of the two roles, HR expects to streamline the hiring process and ensure that facilities are well prepared to meet the demand of increased staffing. Much of the necessary hiring is expected to occur

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during Q1, though some re-prioritization by hiring managers will occur as skill sets are populated. With a total of 26 new positions to be filled in FY2020, HR will develop new strategies to include cluster hiring and will update and enhance the Observatory Recruitment Guide. NRAO is predicting that, over the next five years, 20% of the current staff will become eligible for retirement. The Observatory continues to focus on succession planning and staff transition opportunities to address the unique skills that are difficult to find. GBO Five Year Proposal Workforce Management Plan FY2020–2024: NRAO will provide all Human Resources functions for the Green Bank Observatory, including an onsite full-time human resources manager, and training equivalent to that given to other AUI observatories. NRAO support will include administrative oversight of compensation, benefits, performance management, recruiting and retention, training and development, and employee relations. This administrative oversight includes access to the developed systems and yet to be developed systems that support all of the HR functions such as: Halogen, JobVite (online applicant portal), Compensation Management Tool, and central HR website information. Maintaining current programs and systems would keep the GBO workforce at 104 FTEs (plus up to 32 seasonal summer workers). An expansion of programming through external funding or grants could result in a need to grow the workforce, however the projected upcoming retirements could total up to 20 staff over the next five years. Unless a major funding opportunity is introduced, it is likely the staffing numbers will stay roughly constant. With the forecast retirement of 20% of the workforce, knowledge transfer and recruiting efforts will be necessary for key roles particularly in the area of Electronics Engineering, Software Engineering, and Telescope Operations. An aggressive hiring strategy to fill critical roles will involve leaning on a multitude of strategies including: Telecommuting agreements, Remote workers, Apprenticeships, Short-term assignments that are assigned to project work, Co Ops, and the recruitment of early-career candidates with a focus on training. GBO will work with various state agencies, technical trade schools and universities to identify candidates and strategies for these efforts. Much of FY2020—the first year of the five-year proposal—will be spent focusing on the hiring strategies put forth. The HR representative at GBO will serve as the key stakeholder in this initiative and will lead the effort in implementing the workforce plan.

11.2 Training and Development

Developing the next generation of leaders within the Observatory is paramount to its future success. The generational switch in the next 5–10 years could leave the organization with a leadership void as today’s leaders exit the workplace, and so the next generation of leaders is needed to step into these roles. Observatory Leadership Cohort Training: The Observatory Leadership Cohort Pilot began in November 2018 and will conclude September 2019. This Cohort Pilot is a result of a year-long planning process by HR staff in FY2018. The Cohort concept is the next step for the Observatory succession planning efforts. Throughout FY2019, the Cohort Pilot participants took part in in three face-to-face workshops facilitated by an outside trainer, created individual development plans, and charted a course for a possible career as a leader within the NRAO. Throughout the year, Cohort members will be provided feedback about the program in the form of interviews and structured surveys. This information will be used to facilitate and structure future Cohorts within the Observatory that reflect the NRAO’s culture and leadership philosophy. With the pilot

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concluding in Q4 FY2019, the HR team will work during Q1 FY2020 to assess the program and plan for the next cohort that could start as early as Q4 FY2020. Timing and course structure will be based on feedback from participants in the Cohort Pilot and discussion with Observatory management. The participants for the Cohort Pilot were selected through the Observatory’s succession planning process. It is the intent that future cohorts will be offered as an open call for applications, allowing individuals interested in leadership roles to self-identify. This program is intended to also serve as a recruiting and retention tool. How to Travel as an Observatory Employee Training Module: Observatory staff travel extensively for business and research opportunities. The generational shift of the staff make-up has introduced new staff to the sometimes complex travel policies and reimbursement procedures. In partnership with AUI’s Fiscal Division, Human Resources will work to create educational materials and trainings to better help staff travel safely and effectively during the course of their work. The training module will be used to orient new employees and re-introduce some changed policies to more senior staff. Bullying Prevention–Online Training: A recent upgrade in the online learning platform used by Human Resources and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, included new online training modules in the area of unconscious bias and bullying in the workplace. During Q2, Human Resources will provide a mandatory online training focusing on Bullying Prevention. The online training series offered over the last two years has been directly in support of the Observatory’s Workplace Conduct policy.

11.3 Compensation

The HR Department Compensation function analyzes market data and provides program solutions in support of the Observatory’s Total Rewards philosophy. Enhance Online Marketing Pricing Tool: CompAnalyst (Salary.com) is a trusted third-party market pricing resource that has been utilized by NRAO for many years. In Q1 FY2020, the implementation of an additional module will be finalized and operational. The new module will allow for additional salary survey results to be loaded into CompAnalyst and matched to benchmark jobs. The module will greatly increase the ease and ability to produce standard and customized reports, will assist with identifying jobs classified below market, and will aid in the design and verification of pay schedules. In Q1 FY2020, the implementation of an additional module will be finalized and operational to be utilized for the annual benchmarking process. Variable Pay Plan and Performance Bonus Structure: At the request of AUI Corporate, and to ensure NRAO is appropriately positioned to meet total reward goals, the draft framework for a variable pay plan is scheduled to be completed Q4 FY2019. In Q1 FY2020, the draft plan will be reviewed and finalized for implementation. The goal of the variable pay plan will be to create an objective, transparent and motivating structure focused on obtainment of set corporate and/or strategic goals. The variable pay plan will complement the existing performance evaluation process and be used initially to set incentive bonus payouts for corporate management. JDE Position Control Module Implementation: In FY2019, Compensation assisted the Budget department in designing and launching position control, a system of tracking the workforce based on positions rather than employees. The tracking process created a master list of positions for all the jobs within NRAO without regard to whether there is an incumbent in a specific job or not. The master list of positions is captured in Excel and maintained by Human Resources and Budget. In Q3 FY2020, Compensation and Budget will partner with MIS to research the functionality and feasibility of

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implementing the JDE Position Control Module. Based on the functionality of the module, a determination will be made as to whether position control should be moved into JDE or performed in Excel. Factors in the decision will be if Human Resources and Budget gain greater efficiency by reducing: (1) the number of steps in the process; (2) the need to transfer information in and out multiple systems and spreadsheets; (3) the need for multiple layers of audit to ensure the master list of position is continuously up to date. This is due in Q4. Career Pathing: Human Resources has received feedback from employees and managers regarding a need for better tools to assist with identifying possible career path(s) within the Observatories. In response to this feedback, Compensation has identified a need to update and revamp the published job summaries to include additional details such as minimum job requirements and to design a layout to better map career paths within job groups. The goal is to provide employees and their managers an online resource that is fully searchable to assist in understanding career progression and development opportunities. The Software Development division has agreed to assist with this project to build out a website to host this information. This is due in Q3.

11.4 Benefits

NRAO HR works closely with AUI Benefits to develop benefits programs to attract, recruit, retain, and reward employees. Benefits and HR are constantly reviewing and benchmarking available programs for competitiveness and employee engagement. Additionally, HR assists with benefits enrollment processes to ensure benefits plans are administered accurately and efficiently. Electronic Benefit Enrollment (non-Open Enrollment): An outcome of transitioning to an electronic process for open enrollment strategically positions HR to move away from a manual process for new hire benefit enrollments. During FY2020, AUI Benefits and NRAO HR will partner with the Management Information Systems (MIS) department to create electronic processes within JDE for new hires to enroll in benefits. With this system enhancement, HR will also research the opportunity for electronic changes throughout the year for qualifying events, 403b/HSA, etc., for all employees. Moving towards electronic enrollments helps meet the department objective for developing efficient and streamlined processes. This is due in Q3. Third-Party Vendor Upload Preparation: In partnership with the MIS department, HR will design and deliver uploads of benefit information to various third-party vendors directly from JDE system. The Benefits department currently has to update data with multiple vendors individually, and this project will allow benefits administration to become more automated and efficient. This is due in Q3.

11.5 Recruitment/Employment

The Recruitment/Employment function of the HR department is the first point of contact prospective employees experience with NRAO. The strategies and tactics deployed in the recruitment and hiring of qualified candidates are key in contributing not only the NRAO’s commitment to diversity but to achieving the overall mission of the Observatory. The Observatory recruiting team has an established applicant tracking system with JobVite. Although the software has been working well to funnel applicants to hiring managers, there are added tools within the system that could help expedite the hiring and onboarding process. Some possible tools and system enhancements include; combining the Authorization to Recruit and the Requisition into the same functional document; routing approval through the JobVite channels instead of a shared outside folder; and posting internal recruitment opportunities only to existing staff. During Q1, HR staff will work to

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research these tools and enhancements and will identify ways to fully leverage JobVite to increase process efficiency. After the tools and processes have been identified, HR will work to implement and train approvers and hiring managers on the new method. The deadline for delivery is Q2. While HR continues to train hiring managers on a one-to-one basis, a more in-depth workshop will be conducted in FY2020. The workshop will cover risks associated with claims of unfair hiring practices, the importance of dispositioning candidates in relation to EEO and Affirmative Action reporting, interview etiquette, reference checks, efficiently utilizing the applicant tracking system, and so on. The deadline is Q3. Background Checks and Credit Checks: HR will work with Hiring Managers in FY2020 to identify positions that will require background and credit checks. HR will evaluate vendors to provide these services. Information regarding background and credit checks will be included in job postings. This will be delivered in Q2.

11.6 General HR Goals

HR and Benefits partnered to produce and administer an employee climate survey during the second quarter of FY2019. This survey encompassed diversity and inclusion, leadership, engagement, performance, learning and development and morale. Mercer Consulting was retained to provide technical support and tools to build, release, and compile survey results. Climate Survey Results Initiatives: The survey results showed great improvement in employee engagement compared to the last climate survey conducted in FY2016. Although results in all categories improved, there is an opportunity to do more to address staff’s knowledge of training, professional development, and stretch-goal assignments within the Observatory. The HR staff will work in Q4 FY2020 to engage senior managers in focus groups to identify strategies to better communicate opportunities and create ways to focus on staff development. Additionally, HR and the focus group will address the responses related to the management of poor performance. This is due in Q1. Bi-Weekly Payroll Shift: Current exempt staff are paid monthly; non-exempt staff are paid bi-weekly. In Q3 FY2019, the decision was made to transition all staff to a bi-weekly payroll cycle effective January 2020. Streamlining the payroll processes will result in significant business and operational advantages for AUI and the Observatories and employees. In addition, elimination of the monthly payroll methodology will decrease business risk and complexity. A project team of major stakeholders has been formed between HR, MIS, Budget, and AUI Fiscal/Payroll to develop a successful project plan. HR effort will require significant time and coordination across all Observatory HR staff members. Major HR project deliverables include but are not limited to: ensuring the set up and testing of bi-weekly exempt benefit groups, job codes, and deductions, benefits and accruals (DBAs); updating and communicating policy and procedure guides; and ensuring all impacted employees are successfully transitioned in the JDE system. HR Support for Office of Chilean Affairs: HR works in conjunction with JAO HR and the OCA to maintain the successful integration of all ALMA staff in Chile, and to enhance the experience of International Staff Members (ISMs). Additionally, HR serves on the ALMA Human Resources Advisory Group (HRAG) and work closely with JAO HR to ensure that the balance of North Americans working in Chile is improved. The unique nature of ALMA places more HR responsibilities on NRAO than any other ALMA Executive. The collective bargaining contract between the employees of the Joint ALMA Office and the Union will expire in May 2020. NRAO HR will serve on the bargaining strategy committee for the upcoming collective

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bargaining process. Additionally, HR will continue to partner with the OCA and the JAO HR Manager to align and improve the employee experiences in Chile. HR and Benefits will work with the Benefits Broker to evaluate retiree medical options for NRAO Chilean ISMs. Several of the Chilean ISMs have or will spend the majority of their careers working for a U.S. based employer and as a result, they are not eligible to receive retiree benefits from the Chilean government upon retirement. The deadline for this deliverable is Q3.

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11.7 Human Resources Major Milestones

Table 11.7.1: HR FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Workforce Management

ngVLA Hiring 1 1 1 1 GBO Five-Year Proposal Workforce Management Plan 2 2 2 2

Training and Development

Observatory Leadership Cohort Pilot Assessment/Implementation plan 3

How to Travel as an Observatory Employee Training Module 4 Bullying Prevention – Online Training 5

Compensation

Enhance Online Marketing Pricing Tool 6 Variable Pay Plan Evaluation 7 JDE Position Control Module Implementation Preparation 8 Career Pathing 9

Benefits Electronic enrollment – non open enrollment benefits 10 10 10 Third Party Benefits Vendor Upload Preparation 11 11 11 ISM Retiree Medical 12

Recruitment Employment

Jobvite Enhancements 13 Hiring Manager Training 14 Hiring Manager Training Delivery 15 Background and Credit Check (specific positions) 16

HR FY2019 Climate Survey Results Initiatives 17 Bi-Weekly Payroll Transition 18 18

Milestones: 1. ngVLA Hiring 2. GBO Five-Year Proposal Workforce

Management Plan 3. Observatory Leadership Cohort Pilot

Assessment/Implementation plan 4. How to Travel as an Observatory Employee

Training Module 5. Bullying Prevention – Online Training 6. Enhance Online Marketing Pricing Tool 7. Finalize Variable Pay Plan 8. JDE Position Control Module Implementation

Preparation 9. Career Pathing 10. Electronic enrollment - Non open enrollment

benefit entry 11. Third Party Benefits Vendor Upload

Preparation 12. Work with Aon to research Retiree Medical

Plan for Chilean ISMs 13. Jobvite Enhancements 14. Hiring Manager Training Design 15. Hiring Manager Training Delivery 16. Background and Credit Check for Specific

Positions 17. FY2019 Climate Survey Results Initiatives 18. Bi-Weekly Payroll Transition

Deliverables: 1. Deliver full employment support for ngVLA 2. NRAO Human Resource support for GBO’s 5 year NSF proposal 3. Determine effectiveness and future viability of the Leadership

Cohort program 4. In partnership with AUI Fiscal, prepare a training module to help

staff understand the travel policies and reimbursement procedures 5. Deliver mandatory Bullying Prevention training to all staff through

online training module 6. Finalize enhancement of online market pricing tool 7. Finalize and implement variable pay plan 8. Partner with MIS and Budget to evaluate JDE Position Control

Module 9. Partner with SWD to create a user-friendly online database of Obs jobs 10. Partner with HR and MIS to implement an electronic enrollment

process for non-open enrollment benefits 11. Partner with MIS to deliver uploads of benefit information to

various third party vendors 12. Work with Aon to research Retiree Medical Plan for Chilean ISMs 13. Research and implement enhancements to JobVite to improve

hiring and onboarding process 14. Design Hiring Manager Training 15. Deliver Hiring Manager Training 16. Work with Hiring Managers to identify positions requiring

background checks and/or credit checks 17. Partner with senior managers to identify Climate Survey Initiatives

resulting from the results of the FY2019 survey results 18. Partner with MIS, Budget, and AUI Fiscal/Payroll to transition all

exempt staff to a bi-weekly payroll schedule

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11.8 Human Resources Financial Charts

Table 11.8.1: FY2020 by Fund Source and Location in $, FTE

Table 11.8.2: FY2020 Expenditures by Object

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12 SCIENCE COMMUNICATIONS

The Science Communications Office (SciCom) collaborates with scientific staff and the Director’s Office to communicate NRAO science, vision, accomplishments, and plans to the science community, NRAO/AUI staff, and key external stakeholders, including NRAO advisory committees, the NSF, and the U.S. Congress.

12.1 Science Communications

In FY2020, SciCom will organize an effective Observatory presence at major science community meetings, including the semi-annual AAS meetings, the AAAS Annual Meeting, the annual SuperComputing conference. The winter AAS meeting will occur 4–8 January 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Three NRAO special event proposals have been accepted for this AAS meeting: (1) an evening NRAO Town Hall and reception; (2) a Special Session titled Breakthrough Science with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array; and (3) a Special Session titled The Scientific Quest for High-angular Resolution. Both Special Sessions will feature invited oral presentations and an associated poster session with contributed presentations. SciCom will also organize and lead NRAO participation at this winter AAS in: (a) the four-day Exhibition; (b) the Undergraduate Orientation and Graduate Student Fair that will immediately precede the Opening Reception; (c) the Student Pavilion that will be open throughout the meeting; and (d) local EPO events sponsored by AUI and the AAS.

Figure 12.1.1: Video wall at FY2019 AAS.

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The summer AAS meeting in FY2020 will be held 30 May–4 June 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. SciCom will organize and lead NRAO participation in: (a) the four-day Exhibition; (b) the Undergraduate Orientation and Graduate Student Fair; (c) the Student Pavilion; and (d) local EPO events sponsored by AUI and the AAS. To help communicate NRAO science to the broader scientific community, a science symposium proposal titled Detecting Extraterrestrial Technologies and Life was submitted by SciCom at the April 2019 deadline for the AAAS Annual Meeting which will take place 13–16 February 2020 in Seattle, Washington. This proposal was peer-reviewed and accepted. This 90-minute symposium features three speakers who will describe the extraordinary progress of the past two decades in the astronomical discovery and characterization of planets orbiting stars other than the Sun (exoplanets), and how that progress is motivating renewed investment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence at NASA, in the private sector, and among philanthropic organizations. Another science symposium proposal will be submitted by SciCom by the April 2020 deadline for the 2021 AAAS Annual Meeting (11–14 February 2021, Phoenix, Arizona). This symposium will feature a diverse set of speakers who will present the most compelling new science emerging from the NRAO user community. SciCom and CIS will collaborate and organize an NRAO exhibition and technical presence at the International Conference for High Performance Computer Networking, Storage, and Analysis or SuperComputing (SC19) conference that will be held 17–22 November 2019 in Denver, Colorado. SciCom will design and publish a 2019 NRAO Annual Report in FY2020. This Report will feature calendar year 2019 science highlights from the community and NRAO scientific staff; major accomplishments at NRAO operational facilities; R&D progress for next-generation facilities; community support activities; and public outreach and diversity highlights. This Report will be available and distributed on-line and in hardcopy. In collaboration with the SSR team and scientific staff across the Observatory, SciCom will continue to design, manage, and improve the high-level content of the NRAO science web site in FY2020. SciCom will also continue to edit, improve, publish, and expand the subscription base for the Observatory’s monthly electronic newsletter, NRAO eNews, and the periodic electronic announcements series, NRAO Announcements, which enter FY2020 with 8,500+ subscribers around the world.

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12.2 Science Communications Major Milestones

Table 12.2.1: Science Communications FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Science Communications

Redesign NRAO exhibits 1 Publish 2020 Research Facilities brochure 2 Submit AAAS science symposium proposal 3 Publish 2019 NRAO Annual Report 4

Milestones: 1. Redesign NRAO exhibits 2. Publish 2020 Research Facilities brochure 3. Submit AAAS science symposium proposal 4. Publish 2019 NRAO Annual Report

Deliverables: 1. NRAO exhibit panels and hardware 2. 2020 NRAO Research Facilities brochure

hardcopy and online versions 3. AAAS science symposium proposal,

electronically submitted to AAAS 4. 2019 NRAO Annual Report, hardcopy and

online versions

12.3 Science Communications Financial Charts

Table 12.3.1: FY2020 by Fund Source

Table 12.3.2: FY2020 Expenditures by Object

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13 ADMINISTRATION

The Observatory Administration Services (Admin) department provides administrative, management, and non-programmatic services to NRAO and ALMA. Admin areas of responsibility include Business Services, Contracts and Procurement (CAP), CIS (See Section 10), Environmental, Safety and Security (ES&S), Management Information Services (MIS), the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) and Events Coordination. Administration activities are headquartered on the grounds of UVA in Charlottesville in Stone Hall on Edgemont Road (ER). UVA Department of Astronomy faculty and students use public spaces at NRAO for colloquia and other meetings, and NRAO provides office space to some undergraduate and doctoral students at ER to provide access to their NRAO scientific staff advisors. Other administrative offices are at the CDL on Ivy Road; in Green Bank in the Jansky Building; and in Socorro in the Domenici Science Operations Center (DSOC). While GBO is no longer under the NRAO umbrella, the department provides administrative services through the Service Level Agreements (SLA) and the Internal Common Costs recovery rate mechanism. The Admin department closely coordinates its efforts with the Business Manager at the DSOC in New Mexico and with AUI Fiscal. AUI manages a Cooperative Agreement (CA) compliance matrix that identifies and aligns key elements critical to the execution by AUI management and the management of the two observatories (NRAO and GBO). Examples of topic areas include Audit, Conflict of Interest, Data Management, Observatory Management, and Program Reporting. AUI management reviewed and socialized the matrix with NRAO management. The two parties agreed upon the responsible position by job title for each item. For example, Program Income is the responsibility of the AUI Chief Financial Officer, and at the Observatory level, the Assistant Director for Observatory Budgets. The matrix is being updated due to the reorganization of the AUI administration and the reintegration of LBO as VLBA. In FY2018, NSF performed an accounting review of AUI and its accounting for NRAO, LBO, and ALMA operations. NSF followed up with an incurred cost audit for FY2011–2016 in FY2019. Budget, CAP, HR, and MIS team members provide support to AUI and its Fiscal division in preparing documents and other information for the auditors and responding to their inquiries. In FY2020, Admin managers will review and update the job descriptions of their direct reports during the annual Performance Evaluation Process. Professional Certification: During FY2020, the Event Coordinator will complete the training and pass the examination for Certified Meeting Professional.

13.1 Business Services

Admin provides support and services to staff located at ER and manages property owner relations at ER (UVA) and CDL (Seminole Properties). The CDL lease expires 30 September 2023, and the lease for ER expires 31 October 2023. Admin will lead the process to ensure continuity of accommodation for NRAO activities in Charlottesville. Other services at ER include relocation support for new hires locating in Charlottesville, shipping and handling, fleet management, procurement, and stocking of office supplies and deliveries. Separate administrative staff provide services at the other operating sites and report to the Site Business Manager or AD.

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13.2 Contracts and Procurement (CAP)

CAP seeks to procure products and services in an efficient manner, utilizing competition to obtain the best product at the lowest price consistent with the specifications, performance, and delivery schedule. The goal is for the result of all procurements to provide the best overall value to NRAO. The division has a procurement manual in place incorporating 2 CFR Part 200 regulations to promote a common understanding of procurement objectives and to insure uniform interpretation of Cooperative Agreement requirements, NRAO policies, and other government laws and regulations. These policies provide a basis for establishing management control and serve as a document for standard procedures for procurements and developing contracts. The division has procurement staff at each of the sites and staff that manage outside funding awards and export compliance. In 2019, CAP staff developed a formal policy and process for collecting subrecipient financial audits and performing risk assessments prior to executing subawards, which went into effect during Q3 FY2019. Negotiations on Lease Renewals: CAP staff will initiate negotiations with the U.S. Corps of Engineers on the North Liberty VLBA site and request a proposed lease. In addition, CAP staff will initiate negotiations with the U.S. Department of Energy on the Los Alamos VLBA site and request a proposed lease.

13.3 Environmental, Safety and Security

The NRAO Environmental, Safety, and Security (ES&S) team has broad responsibility for the management of Observatory risk functions including the above-mentioned ES&S operations. ES&S supports the ngVLA development regulatory compliance with environmental protection coordination and safe design reviews. The management of ES&S related risk functions includes oversight of the insurance claim process for Workers Compensation and supports Budget in the insurance administration and corrective actions following a liability or auto claim. Additionally, ES&S efforts include the planning, organization and direction of the Observatory safety and environmental protection programs. Security Audit: In FY2020, ES&S continues to address risk through the execution of a third party facility security audit to identify issues. The audit shall consider the existing physical security policies and practices including personal security, prevention of theft and vandalism, unauthorized access, and preservation of items essential to the continuity of the Observatory business and operational functions. IT security is not included in the audit. Security Enhancement Budget Plan: After conducting a complete review of the security analysis, ES&S will prepare a response plan and develop pricing for delivery to the annual Observatory Budget Summit for consideration.

13.4 Management Information Systems

MIS is responsible for all Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Business Software related systems for AUI and its holdings, including NRAO and GBO. This includes the Oracle JDE ERP software. These systems support a variety of areas, including, but not limited to: AUI Fiscal and Payroll; reporting; procurement; benefits; employee self-service; and timekeeping. NRAO/AUI committed in its Long Range Plan to review the JDE ERP system. This review will identify areas that need improvement or possible third-party bolt-on solutions. In FY2020, MIS will be involved in projects at the discretion of AUI and NRAO throughout the year.

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ETK and Bi-Weekly Payroll: Milestone projects will include the implementation of Bi-Weekly Electronic Timekeeping (ETK) entry enhancements, implementation of the Exempt Staff Transition from monthly to a bi-weekly pay cycle. Benefits On-Boarding: In coordination with HR, implementation of an Employee Benefits On-boarding through JDE employee self-service.

13.5 Technology Transfer Office

The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) has three main objectives designed to meet the mission and purpose of the NRAO, the NSF, and the directives from the U.S. Congress and Executive branches to support commercialization of federally funded research and technology development. Those objectives are: (1) actively seeking entrepreneurs and new product development teams to commercialize Intellectual Property (IP); (2) marketing certain laboratory resources for broader scientific and commercial collaboration; and (3) soliciting sponsors of research where technical development may yield beneficial public-private innovations in technology. Cells to Galaxies Imaging Workshops: TTO will plan and hold the second radio-imaging workshop bringing radio astronomers and biomedical imaging experts together at a location to be determined by the scientific and logistics committees. The workshop will seek to leverage overlapping interests where both groups of researchers may benefit from mutual or collaborative development.

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13.6 Administration Major Milestones

Table 13.6.1: Administration FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Administration

Event Coordinator to pass Certified Meeting Professional examinations 1

Update Job descriptions of all Admin Employees

2

CAP

Initiate NL VLBA Site lease negotiations with U.S. Corps of Engineers 3

Initiate LA VLBA Site lease negotiations with Department of Energy 4

ESS Develop plan for facility security 5 Present costing for security recommendations to Budget Summit 6

MIS

Test and Implement Bi-Weekly Electronic Timekeeping (ETK) Entry Enhancements 7

Test and Implement Exempt Staff Transition from Monthly to Bi-weekly pay cycle 8

In coordination with Human Resources, implement Employee Benefits On-Boarding workflow through JDE Employee self-service

9

TTO Plan Cells to Galaxies Workshop 10 Hold Cells to Galaxies Workshop 11

Milestones: 1. Certified Meeting Professional examination 2. Updated job descriptions 3. North Liberty VLBA site lease negotiations 4. Los Alamos VLBA site lease negotiations 5. Develop Security Plan 6. Cost security recommendations 7. Bi-Weekly ETK Entry Enhancements 8. Exempt Staff Transition from Monthly to Bi-Weekly

payroll 9. Implement Employee Benefits On-Boarding

workflow 10. C2G 2020 planning complete 11. C2G 2020 commence workshop

Deliverables: 1. Certification complete 2. Review and update job descriptions of all Admin

employees 3. Negotiations with U.S. Corps of Engineers 4. Negotiations with Department of Energy 5. Security Plan 6. Security costing recommendations 7. ETK Enhancements 8. Successful go-live and transition of Monthly to

Bi-Weekly payroll 9. Successful go-live of Employee Benefits On-

Boarding 10. C2G 2020 finalized agenda 11. C2G 2020 workshop program begins

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13.7 Administration Financial Charts

Table 13.7.1: FY2020 by Fund Source and Location in $, FTE

Table 13.7.2: FY2020 Expenditures by Object (excluding recoveries)

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14 BUDGET

The Budget department manages, conducts, and develops the Observatory-wide budgeting activities for NRAO including North American ALMA Operations and coordination with budgeting activities of the OCA and the JAO in Chile. It monitors for cash flow, budget conformance, and develops recommendations for adjustments; defines, manages, and monitors ICC recovery; coordinates detailed financial analysis and research, and performs any special research and other projects as required. The department monitors budget status and ledger reports and assists project managers and various budgeting entities in submitting accurate and viable budget proposals. Consistency of sound Observatory practices and procedures is ensured while adopting best practices applicable to Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC). Budget managers are located at each site. Responding to the likely integration of a new, complex activity (ngVLA) and associated reporting requirements, as well as the continuing audit demands from NSF, the Budget department will hire a junior Business Systems Analyst in Q1. Observatory Risk Management: The Budget department works closely with the ES&S division and AUI to implement an insurance program appropriate to the AUI / NRAO / GBO risk profile, resource availability, and Cooperative Agreement requirements. The organization last evaluated its insurance broker representation in FY2013 when the AUI and NRAO programs were combined and moved to Marsh. With the passage of seven years, the advent of ngVLA, and expanding scope at AUI, this is an appropriate time to reconsider the insurance program. Accordingly, the broker services will be bid in FY2020 in time to allow any changes to be incorporated in the 1 December 2020 insurance program renewal. The group will also deliver the annual insurance renewal process in time for the 1 December 2019 new insurance year. Cost Estimating: The budget department employs a full-time cost estimator. At this time, this resource is fully allocated to ngVLA. Milestones will be reported with the ngVLA project. Budget Operations: The annual budget cycle consists of loading the budget prepared in the prior year, monitoring that budget through a series of forecasts and monthly financial reports, taking action as required and in collaboration with the departments, and reporting on budget progress at the QSUs. The prior year (FY2019) will be closed and any remaining balances reallocated to FY2020. Closeout includes preparation of audit materials and final rate submissions. Preparation for the coming fiscal year occurs through initial discussions with NSF at the spring budget meeting and the preparation of preliminary budget figures for the departments culminating in the annual Budget Summit where the Observatory reviews planned actions and marginal resource allocations for the coming year. This leads to the preparation of the formal FY2021 budget to be submitted in the FY2021 POP as well as the preparation of the preliminary FY2021 ICC rate proposals. For FY2020, the Budget department will expand/adapt the chart of accounts to accommodate two large anticipated awards: the GBO five-year operations contract and a two-year ngVLA grant. The group will also review historical travel costs and update the domestic and international travel estimates used in proposal budget preparation. The Budget department will have two projects with other groups over the course of the year. First, collaborating with the HR and MIS groups, the Budget Office will study the JDE Position Control Module and evaluate if it can be used to automate the record-keeping for the NRAO and GBO position control

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process. Second, working with Fiscal, HR, and MIS, the group will evaluate the impact of moving paid-time-off expenses into a fringe pool. This could entail a major rework of the NRAO budget structure. Internal Common Costs (ICC): The Budget department creates, documents, and maintains the Observatory Indirect Cost (IDC) rates of which there are presently five. This includes collecting costs and cost descriptions, developing and administering the rates, and preparing the annual preliminary and final rate submissions to AUI and NSF for review and approval. As the absolute level of activity grows among the AUI Observatories, the rate pools and functions will increase proportionally.

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14.1 Budget Major Milestones

Table 14.1: Budget FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Budget

Hire Junior BSA 1 Budget Process 2 2,6,9 2,7 2,8,10 Update travel budget guidance 3 Insurance Program 5 4 JDE Position Control 11 Paid Time Off Restructuring 12 13 14

Milestones: 1. Hire Jr. Business Systems Analyst 2. Implement FY2020 Budget 3. Update travel budget guidance 4. Insurance broker rebid process 5. 2020 Insurance renewal 6. NSF Spring Budget Meeting 7. FY2021 Budget Process 8. FY2021 Budget Presentation 9. FY2019 ICC Final Rate Submission to AUI 10. FY2021 ICC Preliminary Rate Submission to AUI 11. Evaluate JDE Position Control module 12. Revised budget structure for paid time off 13. PTO budget structure in Control Figures 14. PTO budget structure in POP Charts

Deliverables: 1. New hire on-board 2. Budgets loaded into JDE; quarterly reports 3. Five year projection with BOE 4. Insurance broker selection 5. 2020 renewal contracts bound 6. Meeting 7. Preliminary budget figures and budget summit 8. POP/ICC Budgets and tables 9. Documentation and report 10. Documentation and report 11. Recommendation regarding implementation 12. Budget model including PTO separate from

salaries 13. New Salary/Benefit info reflected in FY2021

budget model 14. New Salary/Benefit info reflected in FY2021 POP

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14.2 Budget Financial Charts

Table 14.2.1: FY2020 by Fund Source and Location in $, FTE

Table 14.2.2: FY2020 Expenditures by Object (excluding recoveries)

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15 SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT

The ability to observe without harmful radio frequency interference (RFI) is fundamental to NRAO science. NRAO undertakes a variety of activities directed at maintaining a clean electromagnetic environment at and around its facilities, including testing of installed equipment, formulating rules regarding operation of installed and visiting equipment, and mitigating or remediating externally interfering sources. Spectrum management is a regulatory process whereby spectrum is apportioned into bands that are allocated to various radio services and applications, subject to rules intended to shield them from mutual interference. Spectrum allocations and spectrum rules are formulated at national and international levels. NRAO participates in national and international spectrum management to protect and improve observing conditions for all astronomers, and has done so since its inception.

15.1 Site Spectrum Management

Activities at the VLA site, links to resources for observers, RFI scans of the spectrum, etc., are described in the NRAO Radio Frequency Guides. Similar resources exist for the VLBA antennas. VLA and VLBA Radio Frequency Interference Mitigation in FY2020: The NM Operations Interference Protection Office coordinates spectrum usage for the VLA and VLBA sites by the following.

• Responding to requests for Special Temporary Authority submitted through the NSF from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The requests are analyzed for their potential impact to radio astronomy observing by performing propagation simulations and mapping terrain profiles, calculating the expected power flux density at the array antenna, and comparing the results to internationally recognized detrimental interference thresholds. Negotiations with the active spectrum user are conducted to limit, reduce, or eliminate the potential interference.

• Informing external spectrum users at the U.S. Space Command (GPS-L3), the Tethered Aerostat

Radar System (TARS) sites, and other military and commercial shared-spectrum users of NRAO and National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) planned spectrum usage each month. Jointly used spectrum may then be scheduled; on a first-come-first-served basis, by priority, or by prior cooperative agreements.

• Monitoring VLA and VLBA site spectrum conditions using array observations and external

monitoring equipment, and reviewing the resulting spectral plots and observer reports to detect new, unknown RF emissions. Detections in spectrum allocated to radio astronomy trigger source identification and technical discussions with the responsible spectrum user. Particularly detrimental emissions outside radio astronomy spectrum allocations lead to good-will discussions with the responsible spectrum user with the goal of interference reduction or elimination via technical means.

• Performing RF emissions tests on incoming commercial or NRAO-designed equipment and

reviewing the results to determine interference potential. Equipment found to exceed the detrimental limits are either rejected, modified, shielded, or re-submitted for re-design.

15.2 National and International Spectrum Management

National Issues: The NRAO comments on issues arising at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as they occur. FY2019 was an exceptionally quiet year at the FCC, with only one filing each by

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NRAO and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Committee on Radio Frequencies (CORF). NRAO’s filing concerned an FCC rulemaking for operations above 95 GHz where there are experimental licenses but no regular operating rules for licensed transmitters except for amateur radio. The FCC allowed unlicensed operations at 116–123 GHz, 174.8–182 GHz, 185–190 GHz, and 244–246 GHz based on rules currently in place for operation at 57–71 GHz. The FCC also created a new class of 10-year temporary experimental licenses under which devices could be marketed and sold, including (with justification) across frequency bands in which transmitters are prohibited by US (footnote US 246) and international (RR 5.340) rules. Such use of the spectrum in derogation of the international radio regulations is subject to the International Telecommunication Union-Radio (ITU-R) Rules of Procedure for notification of transmitters that had been revised and strengthened in July 2018. It may be incumbent on NRAO to bring this matter to the attention of the FCC. The most-recent NRAO filing concerned the manner in which the FCC responded to and dismissed NRAO and CORF’s previously filed concerns. The FCC mischaracterized radio astronomy’s concerns and the FCC’s own actions in response to them. NRAO’s comment was filed on the eve of a public meeting at which the FCC action was officially adopted. Domestic satellite coordination with SpaceX and OneWeb identified in previous POP was handed off to the NSF Electromagnetic Spectrum Management Unit that signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SpaceX signifying radio astronomy’s acquiescence to SpaceX’s originally filed operating plan under footnote US 131 to the U.S. Table of Frequency Allocations. In the meantime, SpaceX’s definition of its satellite constellation had fundamentally changed in response to FCC concerns regarding orbital debris removal. Interference to the radio astronomy band at 10.6–10.7 GHz will be monitored during FY2020 as SpaceX and OneWeb operations progress. International Activities: As Chair of the Scientific Committee on Frequency Allocations for Radio Astronomy and Space Science (IUCAF), the NRAO spectrum manager is responsible for organizing its budget and arranging its activities, reporting to IAU, Union Radio Scientifique Internationale (URSI), Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), and International Council for Science (ICSU), and formulating agreed international positions on agenda items of concern at the World Radio Conference WRC-19 to be held in Sharm El Sheik (Bay of Peace) during 28 October-22 November 2019. Most of the FY2019 activity was concerned with preparing IUCAF input documents and consensus positions for the CPM-19 conference preparatory meeting in February 2019. IUCAF input to the CPM-19 consisted of five documents with suggested revisions to individual chapters of the draft treaty text and a white paper expressing the views of the radio astronomy service. There was no other input from the radio astronomy community to CPM-19. The outcome was successful as all but a minor portion of the suggested revisions were adopted. Preparing radio astronomy’s input to WRC-19 will be the main activity in the first half of FY2020. The various regional proposals to WRC-19 must be understood and compared, after which IUCAF, SKA, and the Committee on Radio Astronomy Frequencies (CRAF, the EU version of CORF) will formulate a workplan for WRC-19 and submit a white paper presenting radio astronomy’s views to the meeting. Regular ITU-R activities for the WRC-23 work cycle will start again in April 2020. It is hoped that an IUCAF spectrum management school will be organized for spring 2020. NRAO is considering development of an advanced electromagnetic spectrum management activity in FY2020. Funding is being sought from other NSF programs.

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15.3 Spectrum Management Major Milestones

Table 15.3.1: Spectrum Management FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020 Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

International Spectrum Management

WRC-19 Sharm El-Sheik 1 WP 7D 2 Other ITU-R Working Parties 3 URSI GASS, Rome 4

Milestones: 1. WRC-19, Sharm El-Sheik 2. WP 7D, Geneva 3. Other ITU-R Working Parties 4. URSI GASS, Rome

Deliverables: 1. Report to Director 2. Report to Director 3. Report to Director 4. Report to Director

15.4 Spectrum Management Financial Chart

Table 15.4.1: FY2020 Fund Source in $, FTE

Table 15.4.2: FY2020 Expenditures by Object

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16 DIRECTOR’S OFFICE

The NRAO Director’s Office establishes, refines, and disseminates the mission, vision and overall strategic goals of NRAO through a proactive and continuous assessment of needs and priorities of the organization and the scientific community. The Director’s Office plays a major role in formulating and executing national priorities for research in radio astronomy and other areas of astronomy, and strives to grow the radio astronomy community and improve the scientific relevance of radio techniques and observations.

16.1 Director’s Office

The NRAO Director provides strong leadership to the Observatory’s management team, working with the senior staff to ensure that the Observatory’s science mission and operational requirements are translated into the specific plans and deliverables and executed effectively, including appropriate delegation of roles, resources and responsibilities throughout the organization. The Director’s Office nurtures collaboration among NRAO staff, communicating openly with staff at all levels, seeking input, creating an environment of trust across the Observatory, and providing positive feedback in a timely and constructive manner. The Director manages the Observatory on a day-to-day basis, facilitates resolution of issues between functional areas and departments, and routinely monitors organizational performance. The Director and Director’s Office staff prepares for and executes internal and external Observatory reviews and is responsible for the production of appropriate information to all stakeholders in a timely manner to enable quantitative insight to Observatory performance, including the NSF deliverables. The Director’s Office develops support for the NRAO program within the scientific community and with funding agencies, the U.S. Congress, and local, state, federal and non-governmental organizations. The Director’s Office develops and maintains strategic relationships with national and international agencies, partners, governments, industry and other private sector entities, and all other stakeholders or customers relevant to the Observatory. In 2020, under the 501(c)3 designation held by AUI and with the Director’s supervision, NRAO will initiate a campaign to raise charitable contributions from individuals and private foundations to fund a new VLA visitor center. This effort is underwritten with funds from AUI unrestricted funds, with clear accounting separate from and without financial support from the Cooperative Agreements. Under the guidance of contracted fundraising counsel, NRAO hired a Director of Advancement in FY2019 to lead this initiative. The Director has approved a plan for fundraising activities in FY2020, which will focus on:

• Raising funds totaling $300,000, representing the beginning of the campaign to raise $7.8 million by the end of 2023 for the VLA visitor center;

• Identifying and initiating relationships with prospective individual major gift donors and foundations;

• Creating and presenting a compelling case to prospects, internal stakeholders, and the public, clearly identifying what charitable giving accomplishes and why this support is vital;

• Laying the foundation for expansion of year two and three activities to include seeking support from corporations and from our VLA visitors through segmented direct email appeals.

Working with the AUI Executive and Board, the Director helps develop and implement AUI’s vision for the NRAO scientific mission and organizational management. The Director informs the AUI Board of Trustees about all NRAO strategic and policy issues through regular and appropriate communications, bringing emerging issues forward in a timely fashion.

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To continue to facilitate the alignment of AUI Corporate priorities and operational priorities, NRAO will perform joint capacity planning for the initiatives which are considered key, reviewing the risks, critical activities and the timing, milestones and resources required. In this way, NRAO will increase the mutual understanding of each entity’s needs, clarify direction and generate consensus and teamwork. The Director’s Office will represent NRAO and the North American science community interests to the ALMA Director’s Council and the ALMA Board. The Director’s Office will organize the annual face-to-face meeting with the NRAO Users Committee, as well as a mid-year teleconference update. New Users Committee members will be recruited from the community and appointed in 2020. NRAO personnel present at each of the AUI Board of Trustee meetings twice a year, and the AUI Executive Committee three times per year.

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16.2 Director’s Office Major Milestones

Table 16.2.1: Director’s Office FY2020 Major Milestones FY2020

Program Project Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

ALMA ALMA Board 1 1 ALMA Director’s Council 2 2

Corporate Meetings

AUI Board of Trustee Meeting 3 3 3 AUI Executive Committee Meeting 4 4 4 4 AUI Visiting Committee Meeting 5

Science Community

Appoint new Users Committee Members 6 Users Committee Meeting 7

Management Reviews

NSF Annual Program Review 8 All-Hands Meeting 9 9

Milestones: 1. ALMA Board Meeting 2. ALMA Director’s Council 3. AUI Board of Trustee Meeting 4. AUI Executive Committee Meeting 5. AUI Visiting Committee Meeting 6. Appoint new Users Committee Members 7. Users Committee Meeting 8. NSF Annual Program Review 9. All-Hands Meeting

Deliverables: 1. Meeting and Presentations 2. Meeting and Presentations 3. Meeting and Presentations 4. Meeting and Presentations 5. Meeting and Presentations 6. Select new committee members 7. Meeting and Presentations 8. Review and Report-out 9. Presentation to staff

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16.3 Director’s Office Financial Charts

Table 16.3.1: FY2020 Fund Source and Location in $, FTE

Table 16.3.2: FY2020 Expenditures by Object (excluding fee and IDC)

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APPENDIX A: FINANCIAL PLAN

The financial charts presented in the body of the POP have been produced with an organizational view of the Observatory. Most charts are organized as:

• Organization: Observatory Department • Fund Source: CSA-V NRAO Ops; CSA-A ALMA Ops; CSA-L VLBA Ops; CSA-F VLBA Fiber

Project; the Internal Common Cost (ICC) pool; or ALMA Development awards and WFO (Work For Others).

• Location: The site at which the activity is taking place or which controls the budget. Fund Sources: The POP tracks activity through six fund sources. These are:

• NSF AST CSA-V NRAO Operations – for the operations, maintenance, and management of NRAO including the VLA and CDL.

• NSF AST CSA-A ALMA Operations – for the operations, maintenance, and management of ALMA and the NAASC.

• NSF AST CSA-L VLBA Operations – for the operations, maintenance, and management of the Very Long Baseline Array.

• NSF AST CSA-F VLBA Fiber Project – for the installation and maintenance of fiber to multiple VLBA sites.

• Internal Common Cost Pool – the mechanism used to allocate common and management expenses across the total pool of observatory activity (further described below)

• ALMA Development awards are projects which have been or are anticipated to be awarded to NRAO. • WFO are identified projects which support staff in the CDL.

In addition to these fund sources which comprise the direct NSF mandated mission of the Observatory, NRAO will also receive and do work on approximately $2M in external grants and contracts which are not reported in the POP. Other Anticipated Funding: NRAO anticipates receiving NSF funding in FY20 in continuing support for the ngVLA project. These funds and activity are not included in this POP, however some expected activity is included as part of MTDC for the purpose of indirect rate assumptions. Compensation Assumptions: A 4.7% raise pool has been budgeted for FY2019. This is distributed through the CSA-A budgets. For CSA-V, CSA-L, and the ICC, the raise pool can be found on WBS 4600, Compensation Reserve, in the Director’s Office. Benefits Assumptions: The costs for the following employee benefits are treated as a pool: employer retirement contributions, FICA, employer paid medical and dental plan contributions, wellness initiatives, worker’s compensation, unemployment, life insurance, and tuition. This pool is liquidated across AUI to all salary, wage, and leave expenditures, excluding the JAO and LSM staff. The benefits rate is a budget allocation and recovery mechanism and applies whether or not the incumbent is eligible for/receives all the noted benefits. AUI is implementing an employee fringe rate for accounting as discussed with NSF. Budgeting will be handled in the same way as previous years, as discussed here, and any modifications will be made in the next POP cycle.

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Vacation allowance has been budgeted as a pool to allow for the accrual of earned vacation. Effective January of 2020, vacation will no longer be charged directly. Budget adjustments have been made to allow for expected variation in the utilization of vacation. Non vacation Paid time off (PTO) benefits, e.g. sick time, bereavement, etc. are not separately budgeted or pooled for NRAO staff. Each position is budgeted, within its organizational structure, to receive full salary less an allowance for vacation. Payroll expenditures are recorded as a combination of worked time and non-vacation PTO charged to the budgetary unit according to AUI’s pay as you go leave policies and payroll practice. The FY2020 benefits rate is 34.9%. Observatory-wide Departments There are several departments which provide programmatic support and services to all the telescopes and/or sites. These units are: Data Management Services (DMS); Education and Public Outreach (EPO); Science Support and Research (SSR); and the Central Development Laboratory (CDL). This section will describe the mechanism by which these groups are funded and how that appears in the budget for each CSA. In keeping with the common cost approach, the lead executive of each department participates in overall Observatory Management. Their compensation, and non-direct support costs, are included in the ICC pool. Data Management Services: Archive storage equipment and media is charged to the CSA for which it stores data. Algorithm development operations are split based on the science application that they serve. All NRAO instruments utilize CASA. Education and Public Outreach: Core competency staff and equipment (graphics, web designers, illustrators, exhibit designers) are allocated to each CSA. In practice and real time, staff will charge to the programs as they work on them. Public Information Officers are designated for each instrument and charged to that CSA. Tour and gift shop revenue from the visitor center at the VLA offsets the costs of operating the visitor center. Tour revenue at the VLA is shown in the revenue section on the summary sheet. Throughout the year, the sites may host film crews for commercial shoots. That revenue is recorded as program income and used by EPO to improve the program. Note that the Assistant Director for EPO is directly charged to the CSA’s rather than the common cost pool. Science Support and Research: Senior science leadership and support which administers the scientific staff according to a common set of principles and guidelines is charged to common costs. In general, science staff is designated to a specific CSA. Library materials are charged to common costs. Page charges, which also show up under the Library WBS, are charged to the individual CSA’s. Three positions associated with the Science Ready Data Products (SRDP) initiative are charged to the common cost pool. These positions are the project lead, project scientist, and operations manager. Central Development Lab: This department includes the senior functional leadership, core disciplinary coverage, Chem and Cryo lab support and equipment, and certain core technician support. CSA-A includes funding for Offsite-Hardware Maintenance. Some of the staff that perform this work are organizationally aligned with the CDL. CDL staffing levels and disciplinary mix assumes that a conservative 50% of the ALMA (CSA-A) development awards will be made to the CDL and that not all awarded funding will be expended in the same fiscal year. The FY20 CDL budget includes $1M in spending from the ALMA development program, primarily for studies. The CDL also performs WFO, component sales and externally funded research which contribute to supporting its overall staffing and resource level. The CDL

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sells amplifiers, receivers, and other miscellaneous parts or components to other radio astronomy organizations. These sales are booked as program income and directly offset equipment and supply purchases. Auxiliaries EPO and New Mexico Operations operate auxiliary operations captured in WBS 4300 and 6400. These include the NM Guest House and the Visitor Center and Gift Shop at the VLA site. These operations are managed to break even overall. ALMA The JAO contribution of just under $20M is shown in CSA-A in WBS 1221, Telescope Operations, Observing. This includes the Canadian contribution to the JAO. Note that the Canadian contribution to the ALMA project ($1.8M) is shown as revenue in addition to the NSF allocation in the Financial Plan. The Office of Chilean Affairs (OCA) is budgeted to be $0.9M and can be found in WBS 4110, Administrative Services, Business Office. NRAO Internal Common Cost (ICC): The NRAO ICC rates are federally negotiated rates compliant with 2 CFR Part 200. This recovery pays NRAO common costs for programs and services which support the NRAO, the NAASC, the JAO, the Green Bank Observatory, the VLBA, and grants and WFO. The Administrative rates, projected to be 12.4%, will apply to the activity of all the aforementioned programs. The Facilities rates, projected to be 12.2%, will apply only to activity taking place in the Northern Hemisphere. AUI IDC and Fee: The AUI IDC rate is a federally negotiated rate compliant with 2 CFR Part 200. This recovery pays AUI corporate costs, including Fiscal Operations, associated with the management of the NRAO. AUI IDC has been budgeted at 6.1% representing AUI’s projected rates for FY2020. The NRAO budget includes AUI fee of $600K. It is allocated as $300K each to CSA-A and CSA-V. A separate request for fee from CSA-L is pending at NSF. Funding Sources NSF Allocations: Annual President’s Request Level (PRL) budgets provided by NSF. Carry-Over: Funds which have been allocated by NSF in prior years but have not been spent. The major components of the ALMA carryover amount of $6.2M are studies and projects which have been awarded but not yet spent, as well as development funds which have not been awarded. CSA-V has not budgeted carryover in the FY20 budget. CSA-L anticipates minor carryover related to ongoing upgrade initiatives. ALMA Development Awards: CSA-A contains funding for an ALMA development program. NRAO’s staff and programs must compete for these funds. When awarded, for CSA accounting purposes, these are considered to be external awards and are tracked outside of the ALMA budget. WFO: NRAO participates in WFO projects. These projects are shown where they provide support for key staff.

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Telescope Time Sales: The VLBA makes time available for sale. Anticipated program income revenues from telescope time sales are listed. Other: Taiwan/East Asia provides support for the ALMA telescope. This is shown as a revenue for clarity. In year, these funds are recorded as program income. USNO is a major partner (~50%) with NSF in the operation of the VLBA. These funds are accessed directly through NSF, but shown here to distinguish them from the NSF support. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) NRAO tracks activity and associated budgets and expenditures utilizing a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The WBS allows like activities to be tracked across multiple sites, instruments or fund sources allowing for comparison of work, effort, and costs. The WBS definitions were created in conjunction with the operating units of the Observatory assuring that the definitions correspond with actual work units. WBS effort captured includes FTEs, salary and benefits budgets, travel budgets, and materials, equipment and supplies.

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Table A.1: FY2020 Financial Plan

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APPENDIX B: FUNDING BY DEPARTMENT AND OBJECT

Table B.1: FY2020 Funding by Department and Object

Revenue Equipment Participant Support Sub Awards Recoveries S&B M&S Travel NRAO ICC Charges AUI IDC & Fee TOTALALMA Development 542,897 39,619 841,198 1,230 - 1,424,945 ALMA Operations 1,142,000 3,574,782 4,620,693 481,785 407,255 6,876,785 17,103,300 Budget Office 870,899 3,532 20,688 895,119 Business Administration 2,505,362 3,446,892 81,987 6,034,241 Central Development Laboratory 150,000 5,433,344 1,645,203 252,705 402,958 124,585 8,008,795 Communications 358,271 86,999 50,519 495,790 Computer Information Systems 1,701,581 794,265 29,576 2,525,421 Data Management & Software 8,217,129 648,976 196,207 9,062,312 Director's Office 2,713,115 899,554 114,326 6,375,767 6,106,346 16,209,108 Education & Public Outreach (280,078) 1,448,975 287,197 96,793 - 1,552,888 Human Resources 819,144 381,448 15,914 1,216,505 Joint ALMA Operations (7,010,861) 26,676,218 19,665,357 Long Baseline Operations 371,243 4,576,223 2,167,835 144,864 1,812,577 9,072,742 New Mexico Operations (72,141) 336,896 10,715,315 4,229,237 141,803 15,351,110 Office of Diversity & Inclusio 54,518 204,516 205,888 16,083 481,006 Project Management Office 885,142 17,360 24,313 926,815 Scientific Support & Research 173,641 279,600 4,548,367 1,003,927 488,817 6,494,352 NRAO ICC (18,716,037) (18,716,037) TOTAL (352,219) 858,139 228,159 1,964,497 (22,152,116) 49,657,694 43,817,513 2,083,082 15,468,087 6,230,931 97,803,768

Revenue Equipment Participant Support Sub Awards Recoveries S&B M&S Travel NRAO ICC Charges AUI IDC & Fee TOTALALMA-D - - - - - 475,806 232,638 87,726 195,693 60,504 1,052,367 CSA-A - - - 1,943,897 (3,436,079) 11,494,111 29,606,106 788,655 6,876,785 3,274,705 50,548,180 CSA-F - - - - - 126,950 1,122,377 14,832 310,722 96,068 1,670,949 CSA-L - 371,243 - - - 4,934,751 1,045,457 130,032 1,501,855 464,338 8,447,677 CSA-V (352,219) 486,896 228,159 20,600 - 20,464,120 4,925,918 549,523 6,375,767 2,271,235 34,970,000 NRAO ICC - - - - (18,716,037) 11,908,707 6,295,017 512,313 (0) (1) WFO - - - - - 253,248 590,000 - 207,265 64,081 1,114,594 TOTAL (352,219) 858,139 228,159 1,964,497 (22,152,116) 49,657,694 43,817,513 2,083,082 15,468,087 6,230,931 97,803,768

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APPENDIX C: CSA EXPENDITURES

Table C.1: FY2020 - All CSA-V Expenditures (1 of 3)

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Table C.1: FY2020 - All CSA-V Expenditures (2 of 3)

WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE Expenses FTE Expenses FTE Expenses FTECharlottesville TOTALNew Mexico

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Table C.1: FY2020 - All CSA-V Expenditures (3 of 3)

WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE Expenses FTE Expenses FTE Expenses FTECharlottesville TOTALNew Mexico

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Table C.2: FY2020 - All CSA-A Expenditures

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APPENDIX D: COMMON COST EXPENSES BY LOCATION

Table D.1: FY2020 Common Cost Expenses by Location

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APPENDIX E: WBS DICTIONARY

Observatory Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Dictionary (Part 1 of 5)

Org Level1 Org Level1

Org Level2 Org Level2

Org Level3 Org Level3

Org Level4 Org Level4 WBS

1 Telescope Operations 1 Maintenance 1 Corrective 1 Unscheduled 1.1.1.11 Telescope Operations 1 Maintenance 1 Corrective 2 Scheduled 1.1.1.21 Telescope Operations 1 Maintenance 1 Corrective 3 Hardware (Config) 1.1.1.31 Telescope Operations 1 Maintenance 1 Corrective 4 Software 1.1.1.41 Telescope Operations 1 Maintenance 2 Preventive 1 Scheduled 1.1.2.11 Telescope Operations 1 Maintenance 2 Preventive 2 Painting 1.1.2.21 Telescope Operations 1 Maintenance 2 Preventive 3 Inspections 1.1.2.31 Telescope Operations 1 Maintenance 2 Preventive 5 Telescope Structure 1.1.2.51 Telescope Operations 2 Operations 1 Scheduling 1 Telescope Status & Scheduling 1.2.1.11 Telescope Operations 2 Operations 2 Operating 1 Observing 1.2.2.11 Telescope Operations 2 Operations 2 Operating 2 Recording & Media Distribution 1.2.2.21 Telescope Operations 2 Operations 3 Support & Testing 1 Calibration 1.2.3.11 Telescope Operations 2 Operations 3 Support & Testing 2 Antenna Moves/Repositioning 1.2.3.21 Telescope Operations 2 Operations 3 Support & Testing 3 Data Transmission/Config 1.2.3.31 Telescope Operations 2 Operations 3 Support & Testing 4 Systems Software Support 1.2.3.41 Telescope Operations 2 Operations 3 Support & Testing 5 Systems Hardware Support 1.2.3.51 Telescope Operations 2 Operations 3 Support & Testing 6 Scientific Support 1.2.3.61 Telescope Operations 2 Operations 4 M&C Software 1 M&C Software 1.2.4.11 Telescope Operations 3 Spectrum Management 1 Interference Suppression 1 Interference Suppression 1.3.1.11 Telescope Operations 3 Spectrum Management 2 NRQZ Management 1 NRQZ Management 1.3.2.11 Telescope Operations 3 Spectrum Management 3 Anechoic Chambers 1 Anechoic Chambers 1.3.3.11 Telescope Operations 3 Spectrum Management 4 International Spectrum Management 1 International Spectrum Management 1.3.4.11 Telescope Operations 4 Infrastructure Modifications & Upgrades 1 Small Scale R&D 1 Projects 1.4.1.11 Telescope Operations 4 Infrastructure Modifications & Upgrades 2 Modifications 1 Projects 1.4.2.11 Telescope Operations 4 Infrastructure Modifications & Upgrades 3 Small Scale Modifications 1 Projects 1.4.3.11 Telescope Operations 5 Management 1 Telescope operations Mgmt 1 Telescope Operations Mgmt 1.5.1.11 Telescope Operations 5 Management 2 Science Support Mgmt 1 Science Support Mgmt 1.5.2.11 Telescope Operations 5 Management 3 Mechanical Engineering Mgmt 1 Mechanical Engineering Mgmt 1.5.3.11 Telescope Operations 5 Management 4 Electronics Mgmt 1 Electronics Mgmt 1.5.4.11 Telescope Operations 5 Management 5 Software Mgmt 1 Software Mgmt 1.5.5.1

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Observatory Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Dictionary (Part 2 of 5)

Org Level1 Org Level1

Org Level2 Org Level2

Org Level3 Org Level3

Org Level4 Org Level4 WBS

2 Development Programs 1 Business Development 1 Partnerships 1 Partnerships 2.1.1.12 Development Programs 1 Business Development 2 Commercialization 1 Commercialization 2.1.2.12 Development Programs 1 Business Development 3 Technical Services 1 Repair 2.1.3.12 Development Programs 1 Business Development 3 Technical Services 2 Production 2.1.3.22 Development Programs 1 Business Development 3 Technical Services 3 Technical Support 2.1.3.32 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 1 Enabling Technologies 1 Low Noise Amplifiers 2.2.1.12 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 1 Enabling Technologies 2 Millimeter/Sub-MM Detectors 2.2.1.22 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 1 Enabling Technologies 3 Optics & EM Components 2.2.1.32 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 1 Enabling Technologies 4 Advanced Receiver Technology 2.2.1.42 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 1 Enabling Technologies 5 Digital Signal Processing 2.2.1.52 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 1 Enabling Technologies 6 Low Freq Radiometry 2.2.1.62 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 1 Enabling Technologies 7 Next Generation VLA 2.2.1.72 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 1 Enabling Technologies 8 Unallocated Projects 2.2.1.82 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 2 Production 1 Low Noise Amplifiers 2.2.2.12 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 2 Production 2 MM/SubMM Detectors 2.2.2.22 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 2 Production 3 Optics & EM Components 2.2.2.32 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 2 Production 4 Receivers 2.2.2.42 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 2 Production 5 Technical Support 2.2.2.52 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 2 Production 6 Repair and Maintenance 2.2.2.62 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 2 Production 7 Unallocated Projects 2.2.2.72 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 3 Next Generation Facilities 1 PAPER/HERA 2.2.3.12 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 3 Next Generation Facilities 2 DARE 2.2.3.22 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 3 Next Generation Facilities 3 nanoGRAV 2.2.3.32 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 3 Next Generation Facilities 4 FASR 2.2.3.42 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 3 Next Generation Facilities 5 Projects 2.2.3.52 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 3 Next Generation Facilities 6 SKA 2.2.3.62 Development Programs 2 Technology Development 3 Next Generation Facilities 7 ngVLA 2.2.3.72 Development Programs 3 R&D Support 1 Machining 1 Machining 2.3.1.12 Development Programs 3 R&D Support 2 Chemistry Lab 1 Chemistry Lab 2.3.2.12 Development Programs 3 R&D Support 3 R&D Infrastructure 1 R&D Infrastructure 2.3.3.12 Development Programs 3 R&D Support 4 Development Ops Support 1 Development Ops Support M&A 2.3.4.12 Development Programs 4 Software Development 1 Software Development 1 User Interface Development 2.4.1.12 Development Programs 4 Software Development 1 Software Development 2 Pipeline Processing 2.4.1.22 Development Programs 4 Software Development 1 Software Development 3 Instrumentation Upgrades 2.4.1.32 Development Programs 4 Software Development 2 Visualization Tools 1 Projects 2.4.2.12 Development Programs 5 Management 1 R&D Management 1 R&D Management 2.5.1.1

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Observatory Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Dictionary (Part 3 of 5)

Org Level1 Org Level1

Org Level2 Org Level2

Org Level3 Org Level3

Org Level4 Org Level4 WBS

3 Science Operations 1 General Science Support & TAC 1 Staff Science Support 1 Staff Science Support 3.1.1.13 Science Operations 1 General Science Support & TAC 2 Tools & Documentation 1 Tools & Documentation 3.1.2.13 Science Operations 1 General Science Support & TAC 3 Proposal Review & Time Allocation 1 Proposal Review & Time Allocation 3.1.3.13 Science Operations 2 Reference 1 Library 1 Library 3.2.1.13 Science Operations 2 Reference 2 Historical Archives 1 Historical Archives 3.2.2.13 Science Operations 2 Reference 3 Metrics/Statistics 1 Metrics/Statistics 3.2.3.13 Science Operations 3 Broader Impacts 1 Student Programs 1 Undergraduate 3.3.1.13 Science Operations 3 Broader Impacts 1 Student Programs 2 Graduate 3.3.1.23 Science Operations 3 Broader Impacts 1 Student Programs 3 Student Observing Support 3.3.1.33 Science Operations 3 Broader Impacts 1 Student Programs 4 High School 3.3.1.43 Science Operations 3 Broader Impacts 2 Visitor Support 1 Visitor Support 3.3.2.13 Science Operations 3 Broader Impacts 3 Professional Programs 1 Professional Programs 3.3.3.13 Science Operations 3 Broader Impacts 4 Diversity & Inclusion 1 Astronomy Community 3.3.4.13 Science Operations 3 Broader Impacts 4 Diversity & Inclusion 2 Diversity Training 3.3.4.23 Science Operations 3 Broader Impacts 4 Diversity & Inclusion 3 Management 3.3.4.33 Science Operations 4 Scientific Staff 1 Staff Research 1 NRAO Staff 3.4.1.13 Science Operations 4 Scientific Staff 1 Staff Research 2 Jansky Fellows 3.4.1.23 Science Operations 4 Scientific Staff 1 Staff Research 3 NRAO Postdocs 3.4.1.33 Science Operations 5 Management 1 Management 1 Management 3.5.1.13 Science Operations 6 Scientific User Services 1 Community Support 1 User Assistance 3.6.1.13 Science Operations 6 Scientific User Services 1 Community Support 2 Education & Training 3.6.1.23 Science Operations 6 Scientific User Services 1 Community Support 3 Workshops & Conferences 3.6.1.33 Science Operations 6 Scientific User Services 1 Community Support 4 Documentation 3.6.1.43 Science Operations 6 Scientific User Services 2 Science Data Processing 1 Data Processing Operations 3.6.2.13 Science Operations 6 Scientific User Services 2 Science Data Processing 2 Data Analysis Tools 3.6.2.23 Science Operations 7 Science Software 1 Post Processing Software 1 AIPS 3.7.1.13 Science Operations 7 Science Software 1 Post Processing Software 2 CASA 3.7.1.23 Science Operations 7 Science Software 1 Post Processing Software 3 GBT 3.7.1.33 Science Operations 7 Science Software 1 Post Processing Software 4 OBIT 3.7.1.43 Science Operations 7 Science Software 2 Science Support & Archive 1 Science Support & Archive 3.7.2.13 Science Operations 7 Science Software 3 Software Test 1 Software Test 3.7.3.13 Science Operations 8 Scientific Information Services 1 Archive & Cluster Processing 1 Archive & Cluster Processing 3.8.1.13 Science Operations 8 Scientific Information Services 2 Science Computing Infrastructure 1 Science Computing Infrastructure 3.8.2.13 Science Operations 8 Scientific Information Services 3 Wide Area Networking 1 Wide Area Networking 3.8.3.13 Science Operations 8 Scientific Information Services 4 Computing Operations 1 Computing Operations 3.8.4.1

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Observatory Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Dictionary (Part 4 of 5)

Org Level1 Org Level1

Org Level2 Org Level2

Org Level3 Org Level3

Org Level4 Org Level4 WBS

4 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 1 Business Office 1 Business Office 4.1.1.14 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 1 Business Office 2 Visitor Support 4.1.1.24 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 1 Business Office 3 Unrecovered Expenses 4.1.1.34 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 2 CIS 0 CIS 4.1.2.04 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 2 CIS 1 CIS Hardware 4.1.2.14 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 2 CIS 2 CIS Software 4.1.2.24 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 2 CIS 3 CIS Network 4.1.2.34 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 2 CIS 4 CIS Cyber Security 4.1.2.44 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 2 CIS 5 CIS General IT Support 4.1.2.54 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 3 CAP 1 CAP 4.1.3.14 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 4 MIS 1 MIS 4.1.4.14 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 5 ESS 1 ESS 4.1.5.14 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 6 HR 1 HR 4.1.6.14 Administrative Services 1 Business Services 7 Fiscal 1 Fiscal 4.1.7.14 Administrative Services 2 Facilities 1 Building/Plant Maintenance 1 Building/Plant Maintenance 4.2.1.14 Administrative Services 2 Facilities 2 Communication 1 Communication 4.2.2.14 Administrative Services 2 Facilities 3 Utilities 1 Utilities 4.2.3.14 Administrative Services 2 Facilities 4 Leases 1 Leases 4.2.4.14 Administrative Services 2 Facilities 5 Infrastructure 1 Infrastructure 4.2.5.14 Administrative Services 2 Facilities 6 Vehicles 1 Vehicles 4.2.6.14 Administrative Services 2 Facilities 7 Central Instrument Shop 1 Central Instrument Shop 4.2.7.14 Administrative Services 3 Auxiliaries 1 Visitor Centers 1 Visitor Centers 4.3.1.14 Administrative Services 3 Auxiliaries 2 Housing 1 Dorms 4.3.2.14 Administrative Services 3 Auxiliaries 2 Housing 2 Residence Hall 4.3.2.24 Administrative Services 3 Auxiliaries 2 Housing 3 Houses 4.3.2.34 Administrative Services 3 Auxiliaries 3 Food Handling 1 Cafeteria 4.3.3.14 Administrative Services 3 Auxiliaries 3 Food Handling 2 Café 4.3.3.24 Administrative Services 3 Auxiliaries 4 Gift Shops 1 Gift Shops 4.3.4.14 Administrative Services 3 Auxiliaries 5 Management 1 Management 4.3.5.14 Administrative Services 3 Auxiliaries 6 Promotional Fees 1 Promotional Fees 4.3.6.14 Administrative Services 5 Management 1 AD Mgmt 1 AD Management 4.5.1.14 Administrative Services 5 Management 2 Community Relations 1 Community Relations 4.5.2.14 Administrative Services 6 Compensation Reserve 1 Compensation Reserve 1 Compensation Reserve 4.6.1.14 Administrative Services 8 NRAO Overhead 1 NRAO Overhead 1 NRAO Overhead 4.8.1.14 Administrative Services 8 NRAO Overhead 1 NRAO Overhead 2 Depreciation Expense 4.8.1.2

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Observatory Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Dictionary (Part 5 of 5)

Org Level1 Org Level1

Org Level2 Org Level2

Org Level3 Org Level3

Org Level4 Org Level4 WBS

5 Director's Office 1 Program Mgmt 1 Program Mgmt 1 Program Mgmt 5.1.1.15 Director's Office 2 Public Outreach 1 Public Outreach 1 Public Outreach 5.2.1.15 Director's Office 3 Communications 1 Communications 1 Communications 5.3.1.15 Director's Office 4 Academic Affairs 1 Academic Affairs 1 Academic Affairs 5.4.1.15 Director's Office 5 Administration 1 Administration 1 Administration 5.5.1.15 Director's Office 8 AUI Fee and IDC 1 AUI Fee and IDC 1 AUI Fee and IDC 5.8.1.16 Education & Public Outreach 1 News and Media Releases 1 Press Publications 1 Press Publications 6.1.1.16 Education & Public Outreach 1 News and Media Releases 2 Media Engagement 1 Media Engagement 6.1.2.16 Education & Public Outreach 1 News and Media Releases 3 Crisis Communications 1 Crisis Communications 6.1.3.16 Education & Public Outreach 2 STEAM Education 1 Formal Education 1 Formal Education 6.2.1.16 Education & Public Outreach 2 STEAM Education 2 Informal Education 1 Informal Education 6.2.2.16 Education & Public Outreach 2 STEAM Education 3 Site Tours 1 Site Tours 6.2.3.16 Education & Public Outreach 2 STEAM Education 4 Broadening Participation 1 Broadening Participation 6.2.4.16 Education & Public Outreach 3 Digital Learning & Multimedia 1 Animations 1 Animations 6.3.1.16 Education & Public Outreach 3 Digital Learning & Multimedia 2 Data Visualizations 1 Data Visualizations 6.3.2.16 Education & Public Outreach 3 Digital Learning & Multimedia 3 Exhibits Design 1 Exhibits Design 6.3.3.16 Education & Public Outreach 3 Digital Learning & Multimedia 4 Video Production 1 Video Production 6.3.4.16 Education & Public Outreach 3 Digital Learning & Multimedia 5 Web/Apps Development 1 Web/Apps Development 6.3.5.16 Education & Public Outreach 3 Digital Learning & Multimedia 6 Feature Writing 1 Feature Writing 6.3.6.16 Education & Public Outreach 3 Digital Learning & Multimedia 7 Social Media Engagement 1 Social Media Engagement 6.3.7.16 Education & Public Outreach 4 Visitor Center Operations 1 Guided Tours Operations 1 Guided Tours Operations 6.4.1.16 Education & Public Outreach 4 Visitor Center Operations 2 Exhibits Maintenance 1 Exhibits Maintenance 6.4.2.16 Education & Public Outreach 4 Visitor Center Operations 3 Community Engagement 1 Community Engagement 6.4.3.16 Education & Public Outreach 5 EPO Management 1 Administration 1 Administration 6.5.1.16 Education & Public Outreach 5 EPO Management 2 Digital Content Management 1 Digital Content Management 6.5.2.16 Education & Public Outreach 5 EPO Management 3 Educational Programs Management 1 Educational Programs Management 6.5.3.16 Education & Public Outreach 5 EPO Management 4 Visitor Center Management 1 Visitor Center Management 6.5.4.17 Fund Source Adjustments 1 Fund Source Adjustments 1 Fund Source Adjustments 1 Fund Source Adjustments 7.1.1.1

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APPENDIX F: MAJOR MILESTONES SUMMARY

FY2020 Major Milestones POP

Section # POP

Milestone Milestone Completion

Date 2.5 NA ALMA Operations

Operations 1 Investigate logistics and feasibility for interferometric workshops 03/30/2020

2

Review conference applications

12/31/2019 03/30/2020 06/30/2020 09/30/2020 3 Special ALMA Session at AAS Winter 2020 meeting 03/30/2020 4 Participate and Sponsor ISMS 06/30/2020 5 Participate and Execute SISS 06/30/2020 6 Coordinate planning and execution for Cycle 8 APR 06/30/2020 Development 7 FY2021 (Cycle 8) Call for Study Proposals 03/30/2020

8 FY2021 (Cycle 8) Study Award Notifications 09/30/2020

Chile Office

9 Power options for Parque Astronómico Atacama and ALMA

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

10 Office lease alternatives for OCA 12/31/2019

11 IT involvement in STEM education and diversity programs 06/30/2020

12 OCA Digitization of fiscal documents 09/30/2020

13 Plan to improve maintainability of AOS technical building

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

14 Management of FEHV warranty

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

15 Multicancha project – delivery and inauguration

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

16 Collective bargaining

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

17 STEM EPO and D&I

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

3.3 New Mexico Operations Very Large Array Operations 1 Define VLA GO and SRO capabilities to be offered for Semester 2020B 12/31/2019

2 Define VLA GO and SRO capabilities to be offered for Semester 2021A 06/30/2020

3 Update VLA documentation to support 2020B Call for Proposals, perform proposal technical reviews 03/30/2020

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FY2020 Major Milestones POP

Section # POP

Milestone Milestone Completion

Date

4 Update VLA documentation to support 2021A Call for Proposals, perform proposal technical reviews 09/30/2020

5 Determine baselines and pointing for antennas moving into their D configuration locations 12/31/2019

6 Determine baselines and pointing for antennas moving into their C configuration locations 03/30/2020

7 Determine baselines and pointing for antennas moving into their B configuration locations 06/30/2020

8 Reconfigure from A to D configuration 12/31/2019

9 Reconfigure from D to C configuration 03/30/2020

10 Reconfigure from C to B configuration 06/30/2020

11 Cross-training operators on VLA and VLBA instruments completed 09/30/2020

12 VLA technical manager assumes scheduler duties for major maintenance and overhauls for the VLA and the VLBA 06/30/2020

Development

13 Realfast operational with VLASS epoch 2 observing 06/30/2020

14 Realfast project complete 09/30/2020

15 eLWA operation expanded to more antennas 09/30/2020 Maintenance and Renewal

16 WIDAR power system replacement 03/30/2020

17 Perform five antenna overhauls during the year 09/30/2020

18 Replace one antenna azimuth bearing during the year 09/30/2020

19 Perform preventive maintenance on each of two transporters prior to array reconfiguration to D 12/31/2019

20 Perform preventive maintenance on each of two transporters prior to array reconfiguration to C 03/30/2020

21 Perform preventive maintenance on each of two transporters prior to array reconfiguration to B 06/30/2020

22 Perform preventive maintenance on each of two transporters prior to array reconfiguration to BnA 09/30/2020

23 Identify and replace 5000 aging or damaged cross-ties during the course of the year 09/30/2020

24 Identify and replace five antenna intersections during the course of the year 09/30/2020

25 Perform preventive maintenance on the next configuration VLA antenna transformers prior to array reconfiguration to D 12/31/2019

26 Perform preventive maintenance on the next configuration VLA antenna transformers prior to array reconfiguration to C 03/30/2020

27 Perform preventive maintenance on the next configuration VLA antenna transformers prior to array reconfiguration to B 06/30/2020

28 Perform preventive maintenance on the next configuration VLA antenna transformers prior to array reconfiguration to BnA 09/30/2020

29 Purchase FE test instrumentation (SOIDA) 09/30/2020

30 Replace several site heavy vehicles 09/30/2020

31 Purchase electrical arm switches 09/30/2020

32 Purchase Control Building HVAC compressor 09/30/2020

33 Improve site road/parking 09/30/2020

34 Purchase ACU upgrade components 09/30/2020

35 Purchase track maintenance materials 09/30/2020 Technical Upgrades and Enhancements

36 P-band polarization observations to SRO 03/30/2020

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FY2020 Major Milestones POP

Section # POP

Milestone Milestone Completion

Date 37 YUPPI pulsar observations to GO 09/30/2020

38 More smoothing options in correlator 09/30/2020

39 Complete installation of 3 more ACUs 09/30/2020

40 Integrate VFD cryogenics system for lab testing 06/30/2020

41 Install VFD compressor and refrigerator lines and tanks on antenna 09/30/2020

42 Install network switch power conditioning system on all antennas 09/30/2020

Very Long Baseline Array Operations

43 Define VLBA GO and SRO capabilities to be offered for semester 2020B 12/31/2019

44 Define VLBA GO and SRO capabilities to be offered for semester 2021A 06/30/2020

45 Update VLBA documentation to support 2020B Call for Proposals, perform proposal technical reviews 03/30/2020

46 Update VLBA documentation to support 2021A Call for Proposals, perform proposal technical reviews 09/30/2020

47 Implement VLBA user help program 03/30/2020

48 Evaluate pySCHED 03/30/2020

49 Plan for future RFI monitoring 09/30/2020

50 VLA/VLBA technical managers assume full administration of the JIRA-based maintenance tracking system 03/30/2020

Development

51 Deliver production proposal for Oryx rollout to all VLBA sites 03/30/2020

52 Demonstrate Oryx capabilities in lab 09/30/2020

53 Initial development of network performance diagnostic tool 03/30/2020

54 E-transfer of VLBI data from VLBA sites to DSOC correlator 06/30/2020

Maintenance and Renewal

55 Major Maintenance Visit #1 06/30/2020

56 Major Maintenance Visit #2 09/30/2020

57 Cold temperature operating report 12/31/2019

58 4 Gbps observing promoted from SRO to GO 03/30/2020

59 Y1 promoted from RSRO to SRO 03/30/2020

60 Install upgraded VLBA weather station at one site 09/30/2020

61 Complete installation of E-racks at all VLBA sites 09/30/2020

62 Finalize design of production E-rack power supply 03/30/2020

4.3 Central Development Laboratory Operations

1 Build and test Band 1 cryogenic amplifiers

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

2 Build and test ALMA Band 1 local oscillators

12/31/2019

06/30/2020

Development

3 Design Band 6v2 Nb/AlN/Nb SIS mixer 09/30/2020

4 Evaluate upgraded balanced IF amplifiers 09/30/2020

5 Design, fabrication, and testing of 310 MHz short-backfire antenna 12/31/2019

6 Design OMT with band gap structure 06/30/2020

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FY2020 Major Milestones POP

Section # POP

Milestone Milestone Completion

Date 7 Implement polarization processing with W-band Front End 06/30/2020

8 Design SADC drop-in for W-band Front End 09/30/2020

9 Initiate transmission-line reflectionless filter development with collaborator 03/30/2020

10 Deliver 2nd generation CTP 09/30/2020

Maintenance Renewal, and Warranty Claims

11 VLA/VLBA multichip module support

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

5.7 Science Support and Research TAC 1 CfP for Semester 2020B 03/30/2020

2 SRP and Tech Review, Semester 2020B 03/30/2020

3 CfP for Semester 2021A 09/30/2020

4 SRP and Tech Review, Semester 2021A 09/30/2020

5 TAC Meeting, Semester 2020A 12/31/2019

6 TAC Meeting, Semester 2020B 06/30/2020

7 Update SW requirements for TAC 2020A 12/31/2019

8 Update SW tools requirements for PST 2020B 03/30/2020

9 Update SW requirements for TAC 2020B 06/30/2020

10 Update SW tools requirements for PST 2021A 09/30/2020

11 Update documentation for CfP 2020B 03/30/2020

12 Update documentation for CfP 2021A 09/30/2020

13 Extra-large proposal outcomes 06/30/2020

Science Ready Data Products 14 Wave-1 SRDP operations 12/31/2019

15 SRDP Wave-2 capabilities and requirements 12/31/2019

16 TTA Tools Conceptual Design Review 12/31/2019

17 VLASS product delivery schedule 03/30/2020

18 VLASS Epoch 2.1 Observations begin 06/30/2020

Scientific User Support 19 Community Day Event program finalized 06/30/2020

20 Synthesis Imaging Workshop 06/30/2020

21 NM Symposium 12/31/2019

22 CASA validation 03/30/2020

23 CASAGuides 03/30/2020

24 CASA validation 09/30/2020

25 CASAGuides 09/30/2020

Reference Services 26 NRAO history book published - Development of U.S. radio astronomy 03/30/2020

Scientific Staff and Jansky Fellows 27 SciStaff performance reviews 12/31/2019

28 SciStaff promotion reviews 03/30/2020

29 Five-year reviews 03/30/2020

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FY2020 Major Milestones POP

Section # POP

Milestone Milestone Completion

Date 30 Jansky Lectureship awarded 06/30/2020

31 Jansky Fellows selection completed 12/31/2019

32 Jansky Fellows appointments completed 03/30/2020

Student Programs 33 Summer student selection and offers 03/30/2020

34 Student Observing Support selection (VLA) 12/31/2019

35 Student Observing Support selection (VLA) 06/30/2020

36 Student Observing Support selection (ALMA) 09/30/2020

37 Reber predoc selection 03/30/2020

38 Reber predoc selection 09/30/2020

6.6 Data Management and Software SIS 1 Lustre and Cluster OS upgrades in NM 03/30/2020

2 Persistent Storage for NAASC and NM 06/30/2020

3 Evaluation of ICRAR NGAS 03/30/2020

4 Investigate HTCondor for local VLASS operations 12/31/2019

5 Investigate HTCondor for SRDP/VLA pipeline ops 03/30/2020

6 Investigate remote VLASS processing on OSG 06/30/2020

7 Migrate NM VLASS/SRDP ops to HTCondor 09/30/2020

8 Completion of VLBA fiber project 03/30/2020

9 Develop Science DMZ Processing model 09/30/2020

ALMA Systems Software 10 ALMA Cycle 8 Release 12/31/2019

11 ALMA Cycle 9 Pre-Release 06/30/2020

12 ALMA Correlator Data Rate Testing 06/30/2020

13 ALMA Scheduling Update 09/30/2020

14 Science Data Model Update 09/30/2020

New Mexico Systems Software 15 VLA/VLBA Observing Support for Semester 2019B 03/30/2020

16 VLA/VLBA Observing Support for Semester 2020A 09/30/2020

17 VLA/VLBA Commissioning Support for Semester 2020A 03/30/2020

18 VLA/VLBA Commissioning Support for Semester 2020B 09/30/2020

19 Support hardware/CBE Upgrade 03/30/2020

20 Support RHEL Upgrade 03/30/2020

21 RFI Excision in WIDAR 09/30/2020

22 ACU Software Support 09/30/2020

23 VLBA Network Performance Monitoring Tool 09/30/2020

24 VLBA Weather Station Support 09/30/2020

CASA 25 CASA 5.7/6.1 Release 03/30/2020

26 CASA VLBI/Solar Gap Analysis 09/30/2020

27 CARTA Release 06/30/2020

28 CASA NGI CDR 06/30/2020

CASA Testing

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FY2020 Major Milestones POP

Section # POP

Milestone Milestone Completion

Date 29 CASA Testing Redesign 06/30/2020

CASA Pipeline 30 Pipeline C7/SRDP Release 12/31/2019

31 Pipeline C8 Test Release 06/30/2020

32 Pipeline Python 3 Planning 12/31/2019

Science Support and Archives 33 Archive Retirement 06/30/2020

34 PST Updated for Semester 2020B 12/31/2019

35 PST Updated for Semester 2021A 06/30/2020

36 OPT Updated for Semester 2020A 12/31/2019

37 OPT Updated for Semester 2020B 06/30/2020

38 PHT Updated for Semester 2020B TAC 03/30/2020

39 PHT Updated for Semester 2021A TAC 09/30/2020

40 SRDP-Wave-1 12/31/2019

41 SRDP-Wave-2 09/30/2020

42 TTA Tools CoDR Support 12/31/2019

Algorithm Research and Development 43 Fully Heterogeneous Array Imaging 09/30/2020

44 Commission Full-Polarization Primary Beam Modeling Algorithm 09/30/2020

45 Commission Wide-Field Full-Mueller Imaging Algorithm 09/30/2020

7.5 Program Management Department PMD Operations

1 HQ PM/SE Project Leadership

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

2 NM PM/SE Project Leadership

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

3 CDL PM/SE Project Leadership

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

Proposal Development

4 HQ Proposal Development

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

5 NM Proposal Development

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

6 CDL Proposal Development 12/31/2019

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FY2020 Major Milestones POP

Section # POP

Milestone Milestone Completion

Date 03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

PM Activities

7 HQ Continuing Education

12/31/2019

06/30/2020

8 NM Continuing Education

03/30/2020

09/30/2020

9 CDL Continuing Education

03/30/2020

09/30/2020

PM/SE Activities

10 Program Management Software Decision 12/31/2019

11 Program Management Software Implementation 06/30/2020

12 Multicancha Construction Complete 12/31/2019

13 Multicancha JAO Acceptance Complete 03/30/2020

14 SRDP TTA Tool Concept Design Review 12/31/2019

15 VLBA Fiber Installation Complete 12/31/2019

16 VLBA Fiber Final Report 03/30/2020

17 VLBA St. Croix Repairs Complete 06/30/2020

18 VLBA St. Croix Repairs Final Report 09/30/2020

19 Band 1 LNA Production Complete 03/30/2020

8.5 Education and Public Outreach News and Public Information

1 Identify potential image or story to feature

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

2 Reserve room with AAS 03/30/2020

3 Coordinate with AAAS 03/30/2020

4 Define promotional materials for Astronomers 12/31/2019

5 Establish calendar and contacts for deskside briefings 12/31/2019

6 Contact reporter for briefing

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

Multimedia Team 7 Define menu of press product image options 12/31/2019

8 Determine specifications for Gallery 12/31/2019

9 Wireframe of new image gallery interface 09/30/2020

10 Identify topic for hosted video

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

11 Complete assignments for hosted video 12/31/2019

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FY2020 Major Milestones POP

Section # POP

Milestone Milestone Completion

Date 03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

12 Define format and develop procedure for populating style guide 12/31/2019

13 Present and Review populated style guide to EPO team 09/30/2020

14 Create AR beta application and web plugin 06/30/2020

STEAM Ed 15 San Pedro Cohort orientation 12/31/2019

16 NM Cohort orientation 03/30/2020

17 Identify new content for outreach booth 06/30/2020

18 Identify National Association for Interpreters workshops for certified trainers 03/30/2020

19 VLA 40th Anniversary planning 09/30/2020

VLA VC Operations 20 Survey advertising options 12/31/2019

9.4 Computing and Information Services Observatory-Wide Support 1 Upgrade of Mac platform to Mojave 12/31/2019

2 Albuquerque office connectivity 03/30/2020

3 Cyber Security risk assessment 12/31/2019

4 Security Controls and Log Management 06/30/2020

5 Cyber Security training 09/30/2020

6 Information Privacy Policy release 12/31/2019

7 Non-employee account audit 03/30/2020

8 Application Whitelisting 06/30/2020

9 Evaluation of MS Office 365 applications 09/30/2020

Site Specific Facilities Infrastructure 10 VLA CBE and network upgrade 03/30/2020

11 Local area network upgrades at the NAASC 06/30/2020

Maintenance and Renewal 12 Video System end-of-life mitigation 09/30/2020

10.2 Office of Diversity and Inclusion Local and National Programs

1 Diversity Council quarterly meetings

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

2 NAC and LSAMP Recruitment

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

3 Summer programs initiated and completed 09/30/2020

4 NAC Annual Meeting completed 09/30/2020

5 RADIAL Project Plan and Proposal completed 03/30/2020

6 Diversity and Cultural Awareness training offered

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

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FY2020 Major Milestones POP

Section # POP

Milestone Milestone Completion

Date 06/30/2020

09/30/2020

International Partnerships 7 Chile REU program recruitment completed 12/31/2019

8 Chile REU program completed 03/30/2020

9 NINE recruitment and completion 09/30/2020

11.7 Human Resources Workforce Management

1 ngVLA Hiring

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

2 GBO Five-Year Proposal Workforce Management Plan

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

Training and Development 3 Observatory Leadership Cohort Pilot Assessment/Implementation plan 12/31/2019

4 How to Travel as an Observatory Employee Training Module 03/30/2020

5 Bullying Prevention – Online Training 06/30/2020

Compensation 6 Enhance Online Marketing Pricing Tool 12/31/2019

7 Finalize Variable Pay Plan 12/31/2019

8 JDE Position Control Module Implementation Preparation 09/30/2020

9 Career Pathing 09/30/2020

Benefits

10 Electronic enrollment - Non open enrollment benefit entry

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

11 Third Party Benefits Vendor Upload Preparation

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

12 Work with Aon to research Retiree Medical Plan for Chilean ISMs 03/30/2020

Recruitment Employment 13 Jobvite Enhancements 03/30/2020

14 Hiring Manager Training Design 03/30/2020

15 Hiring Manager Training Delivery 06/30/2020

16 Background and Credit Check for Specific Positions 03/30/2020

HR 17 FY2019 Climate Survey Results Initiatives 12/31/2019

18 Bi-Weekly Payroll Transition 03/30/2020

12.2 Science Communications 1 Redesign NRAO exhibits 12/31/2019

2 Publish 2020 Research Facilities brochure 03/30/2020

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FY2020 Major Milestones POP

Section # POP

Milestone Milestone Completion

Date 3 Submit AAAS science symposium proposal 06/30/2020

4 Publish 2019 NRAO Annual Report 09/30/2020

13.6 Administration Administration 1 Certified Meeting Professional examination 09/30/2020

2 Updated job descriptions 06/30/2020

CAP 3 North Liberty VLBA site lease negotiations 09/30/2020

4 Los Alamos VLBA site lease negotiations 09/30/2020

ESS 5 Develop Security Plan 03/30/2020

6 Cost security recommendations 06/30/2020

MIS 7 Bi-Weekly ETK Entry Enhancements 12/31/2019

8 Exempt Staff Transition from Monthly to Bi-Weekly payroll 03/30/2020

9 Implement Employee Benefits On-Boarding workflow 03/30/2020

TTO 10 C2G 2020 planning complete 06/30/2020

11 C2G 2020 commence workshop 06/30/2020

14.1 Budget 1 Hire Jr. Business Systems Analyst 12/31/2019

2 Implement FY2020 Budget

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

3 Update travel budget guidance 06/30/2020

4 Insurance broker rebid process 03/30/2020

5 2020 Insurance renewal 12/31/2019

6 NSF Spring Budget Meeting 03/30/2020

7 FY2021 Budget Process 06/30/2020

8 FY2021 Budget Presentation 09/30/2020

9 FY2019 ICC Final Rate Submission to AUI 03/30/2020

10 FY2021 ICC Preliminary Rate Submission to AUI 09/30/2020

11 Evaluate JDE Position Control module 06/30/2020

12 Revised budget structure for paid time off 03/30/2020

13 PTO budget structure in Control Figures 06/30/2020

14 PTO budget structure in POP Charts 09/30/2020

15.3 Spectrum Management 1 WRC-19, Sharm El-Sheik 12/31/2019

2 WP 7D, Geneva 06/30/2020

3 Other ITU-R Working Parties 06/30/2020

4 URSI GASS, Rome 09/30/2020

16.2 Director’s Office ALMA

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FY2020 Major Milestones POP

Section # POP

Milestone Milestone Completion

Date

1 ALMA Board Meeting 12/31/2019

06/30/2020

2 ALMA Director’s Council

03/30/2020

09/30/2020

Corporate Meetings

3 AUI Board of Trustee Meeting

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

4 AUI Executive Committee Meeting

12/31/2019

03/30/2020

06/30/2020

09/30/2020

5 AUI Visiting Committee Meeting 06/30/2020

Science Community 6 Appoint new Users Committee Members 12/31/2019

7 Users Committee Meeting 06/30/2020

Management Reviews 8 NSF Annual Program Review 12/31/2019

9 All-Hands Meeting

03/30/2020

09/30/2020

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APPENDIX G: ACRONYMS

Acronym Definition

AAS American Astronomical Society AAAS American Association for the Advancement of Science AAS American Astronomical Society AAT Archive Access Tool AATF African American Teaching Fellows ACA Atacama Compact Array ACS ALMA Control System ACU Antenna Control Unit AD Assistant Director ADC Analog-to-Digital Converter ADMIT ALMA Data Mining Toolkit ADS Astrophysical Data System AGN Active Galactic Nuclei AIN Aluminum Nitride ALMA Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array AMG Array Maintenance Group AMT ALMA Management Team ANASAC ALMA North American Science Advisory Committee AoD Astronomer on Duty AOS Array Operations Site (ALMA, Chile) APR Annual Progress Report APRC ALMA Proposal Review Committee AR Augmented Reality ARC ALMA Regional Center ARDG Algorithm Research and Development Group ARO Arizona Radio Observatory ASA ALMA Science Archive ASAC ALMA Science Advisory Committee ASIAA Academia Sinica Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit ASKAP Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder AST NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences ATCA Australia Telescope Compact Array ATI Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation program (NSF) AU Astronomical Unit AUI Associated Universities, Incorporated

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Acronym Definition

AURA Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy BE Back End BR Brewster CA Cooperative Agreement CAP Contracts and Procurement CARTA Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy CASA Common Astronomy Software Applications CBE Correlator Back-End CCA Cold Cartridge Assembly CCE Common Computing Environment CDL Central Development Laboratory CDP Correlator Data Processor CDR Critical Design Review CfP Call for Proposals CFR Code of Federal Regulations CHILES Cosmos HI Large Extragalactic Survey CHIME Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment CIRADA Canadian Initiative for Radio Astronomy Data Analysis CIS Computing and Information Services CLOA Central Local Oscillator Article cm Centimeter CMMS Computerized Maintenance and Management System CNGI CASA Next Generation Infrastructure CO Carbon Monoxide CoDR Conceptual Design Review COLDz VLA CO Luminosity Density at High Redshift Survey CONICYT Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica CORF Committee on Radio Frequencies COSPAR Committee on Space Research COTS Commercial Off-The-Shelf CPM Computing Planning Meeting CRAF Committee on Radio Astronomy Frequencies CS Contact Scientist CSA Cooperative Support Agreement CSP Central Signal Processor CTDS Casacore Table System CTHC Center for High Throughput Computing CTP Cosmic Twilight Polarimeter

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Acronym Definition

CTS CCA Test Set CUP ALMA Correlator Upgrade Project CV Charlottesville, VA CY Calendar Year D&I Diversity & Inclusion DA Data Analyst DAPPER Dark Ages Polarimeter Pathfinder DASI Degree Angular Scale Interferometer dB Decibel DBA Deductions, Benefits, and Accruals DDC Digital Down-Converter DDT Director's Discretionary Time DiFX Distributed FX correlator DMG Data Management Group DMS Data Management and Software Department DRM Data Reduction Manager DRXA Data Receiver Article DS Decadal Survey DSA Dynamic Scheduling Algorithm DSOC Domenici Science Operations Center DSP Digital Signal Processing EDP Enhanced Data Product EEO Equal Employment Opportunity EHT Event Horizon Telescope EOC Extension and Optimization of Capabilities EoI Expressions of Interest EPO Education and Public Outreach ER Edgemont Road ERP Enterprise Resource Planning ES&S Environment, Safety, and Security ESO European Southern Observatory ETK Electronic Time Keeping EU European Union EVLA Expanded Very Large Array EVN European VLBI Network EWG Environmental Working Group FCC Federal Communications Commission FD Fort Davis

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Acronym Definition

FE Front End FEHV Front End Handling Vehicle FEMC Front End Monitor and Control FFRDC Federally Funded Research and Development Center FOW Fiber Optic Wrap FPGA Field-Programmable Gate Array FRB Fast Radio Burst FRM Focus Rotation Mount FTE Full-Time Equivalent FX Fourier Transform correlation FY Fiscal Year (1 October through 30 September) GBO Green Bank Observatory Gbps Giga-bits per second GBSE Green Bank Session Editor GBT Green Bank Telescope GHz Gigahertz GMC Giant Molecular Clouds GMRT Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope GO General Observing GOST General Observing Setup Tool GPS Global Positioning System GPU Graphical Processing Unit GRB Gamma-ray bursts GUI Graphical User Interface GW Gravitational Wave HBCU Historically Black Colleges and Universities HERA Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array HFET Heterojunction Field-Effect Transistor HiLS Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulator HN Hancock HPC High Performance Computing HQ Headquarters HR Human Resources HRAG Human Resources Advisory Group HRIS Human Resource Information System HAS High Sensitivity Array HSI Hispanic Serving Institutions HVAC Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

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Acronym Definition

Hz Hertz IAU International Astronomical Union ICC Internal Common Cost ICRAR International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research ICSU International Council for Science ICT Integrated Computing Team IDC Indirect Cost IET Integrated Engineering Team IF Intermediate Frequency InP Indium Phosphide IRD Integrated Receiver Development IRIS Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) ISM Interstellar Medium ISM International Staff Members IT Information Technology ITU-R International Telecommunication Union-Radio (communications sector)

IUCAF Scientific Committee on Frequency Allocations for Radio Astronomy and Space Science

JAO Joint ALMA Observatory JDE JD Edwards JIVE Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratory k 1000 K Kelvin km kilometer kpc kiloparsecs LA Los Alamos LBO Long Baseline Observatory LIGO Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory LLC Line Length Corrector LMT Large Millimeter Telescope LNA Low Noise Amplifier LNF Low Noise Factory LO Local Oscillator LO/IF Local Oscillator/Intermediate Frequency LPR Local Oscillator Photonics Receiver LRP Long Range Plan LRU Line Replaceable Unit

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Acronym Definition

LSAMP Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation LSST Large Synoptic Survey Telescope LTCC Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramic LWA Long Wavelength Array m meter M Million M&C Monitor and Control Mbps Mega-bits per second mG milliGauss MHz Megahertz MIS Management Information Services MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology mm millimeter MMIC Monolithic Millimeter-wave Integrated Circuit MOU Memorandum of Understanding MREFC Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction MS Measurement Sets msec millisecond MSI Minority-Serving Institution MSMRx Millimeter and Submillimeter Receivers MSV3 CASA Measurement Set Version 3 MTS Mixer Test Set MUSE Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer

µas Micro-arcsecond µJy microJansky Myr Million years NA North American NA ARC North American ALMA Regional Center NAASC North American ALMA Science Center NAC National Astronomy Consortium NAIC National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center NAOJ National Astronomical Observatory of Japan NAS National Academy of Sciences Nb Niobium NESS Network for Exploration and Space Science NGAS Next Generation Archive System ngVLA Next Generation Very Large Array NINE National and International Non-Traditional Exchange

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Acronym Definition

NL North Liberty NM New Mexico NRAO National Radio Astronomy Observatory NRC National Research Council

NRC-HAA National Research Council of Canada Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Center

NSBP National Society of Black Physicists NSF National Science Foundation NSF-AST National Science Foundation – Division of Astronomical Sciences NTIA National Telecommunications and Information Administration OCA Office of Chilean Affairs ODI Office of Diversity and Inclusion OMT OrthoMode Transducer OPT Observation Preparation Tool OSG Open Science Grid OSF Operations Support Facility (ALMA, Chile) OT Observing Tool P2G Phase 2 Group Pan-STARRS Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System pc parsec PDR Preliminary Design Review PEMR Performance Evaluation and Management Report PFB Polyphase Filterbank PFT Proposal Finder Tool PHANGS Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS PHT Proposal Handling Tool PI Principal Investigator PIO Public Information Officer PING Physics Inspiring the Next Generation PMD Program Management Department PM Project Manager PMI Project Management Institute POP Program Operating Plan ProVoca Promovamos Vocaciones Científicas PST Proposal Submission Tool PTO Paid Time Off PVCC Piedmont Virginia Community College Q1 Quarter 1 (October – December)

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Acronym Definition

Q2 Quarter 2 (January – March) Q3 Quarter 3 (April – June) Q4 Quarter 4 (July – September) QA Quality Assurance QA2 Quality Assurance 2 QDR Quadruple Data Rate QSU Quarterly Status Update R&D Research and Development RADIAL Radio Astronomy Data Imaging and Analysis Laboratories RAP-NM Radio Astronomy Path to University Physics RDBE ROACH Digital Back End REU Research Experiences for Undergraduates RF Radio Frequency RFI Radio-Frequency Interference RfP Request for Proposal RHEL Red Hat Enterprise Linux rms radio, millimeter and submillimeter ROACH Reconfigurable Open Architecture Computing Hardware RSRO Resident Shared Risk Observing SAC Science Advisory Council SACNAS Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science SADC Serial Analog-to-Digital-Converter SAO Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory SAS Sub Array Switch SB Scheduling Block SC Saint Croix SCG Scientific Computing Group SCO Santiago Central Office SCR Silicon Controlled Rectifiers SCREAM Scalable, Reconfigurable, and Modular SDM Standard Data Model SEDLE Socorro Electronics Division’s Laboratory Experience for Undergraduates SE Systems Engineering SIS Scientific Information Services SIS Superconductor–Insulator–Superconductor SKA Square Kilometre Array SLA Service Level Agreement SMBH Super Massive Black Hole

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Acronym Definition

SOP Standard Operating Procedure SOS Student Observing Support SRDP Science Ready Data Products SRO Shared Risk Observing SRP Science Review Panel SSG Survey Science Group SSR Science Support and Research STEAM Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics STEM Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics submm submillimeter SUS Scientific User Support TAC Time Allocation Committee TARS Tethered Aerostat Radar System TDE Tidal Disruption Events THz TeraHertz TKIP Traveling wave Kinetic Inductance Parametric amplifiers TP Total Power TPS Total Power Spectrometer TTA Telescope Time Allocation TTO Technology Transfer Office UC Users Committee UNM University of New Mexico UPS Uninterruptable Power Supply URM Underrepresented Minorities URSI Union Radio Scientifique Internationale U.S. United States of America USNO U.S. Naval Observatory UVA University of Virginia UVML University of Virginia Microfabrication Laboratory v volt VA Virginia VFD Variable Frequency Drive VI Virgin Islands VLA Very Large Array VLASS VLA Sky Survey VLBA Very Long Baseline Array VLBI Very Long Baseline Interferometry VLT Very Large Telescope

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Acronym Definition

VM Virtual Machine VME Versa Module Eurocard WBS Work Breakdown Structure WCS World Coordinate System WFO Work-For-Others WIDAR Wideband Interferometric Digital ARchitecture WISE Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer WMP Workforce Management Plan WRC World Radio Conference WV West Virginia YIG Yttrium Iron Garnet yr year YUPPI "Y" Ultimate Pulsar Processing Instrument