New WHT Visitor Instruments

The procedure for bringing a new visitor instrument to the WHT is outlined below. 'New' here means new to ING; the instrument may already have been used at other observatories.

1. The PI of a proposal for a new instrument should check the information provided on the Technical Appraisal of New Visiting Instruments page and send a draft of the Technical Appraisal Form to the Head of Engineering and Head of Operations (contact details at staff contacts).

2. Not later than 3 months before the proposal-submission deadline, the PI should let the Director of ING (directoring.iac.es) know of the intention to use a new visitor instrument on the WHT.

3. The proposal will then be discussed at ING, and and a point of contact in each of the astronomy and engineering groups will be identified. Subsequent communications should be through these points of contact.

4. It's essential that the technical-appraisal form is completed before the deadline for proposal submission, so that both ING and the relevant time-allocation committee understand the broader implications (commissioning, feasibility, staff overheads) of scheduling the instrument. The ING engineering contact will help to ensure that the form is completed on time.

Information about proposal deadlines, and about how to submit a proposal, can be found on the Applying for Telescope Time page.