To submit an observing proposal successfully, you need to have a "coversheet" file (which is created from the submitted information), a scientific justification file (PDF format only, limited to 5Mbt), and a finished set of AORs. In addition to the above files, you need the username and password requested from the HCSS (see Section 16.3, “ Registration ”).
To submit, use the "Submit" pull-down menu and go to "Submit proposal to HCSS". You will be queried as to whether the AORs currently showing in HSpot are the ones you want to submit. If you answer "Yes" then you will be queried for your HSC-supplied username and password (see Figure 16.12, “ Username and password request for proposal submission. ”).
You will be asked to save your information in a coversheet (".cs") file (Figure 16.13, “ Dialogue for saving coversheet/proposal information”). This you MUST do to proceed with the submission of the proposal.
This the final step for submission. Note that the network needs to be up for a proposal submission.
If no problems during the transfer to the HSC are detected, HSpot will inform you that the submission was successful (Figure 16.14, “ Dialogue for saving coversheet/proposal information”). A "receipt of submission" will be sent from the HSC to the submitter’s email address.
After you have completed the submission, the proposal information (username and id) appears on the bottom of the Proposal Submission tool window (Figure 16.15, “ Dialogue for saving coversheet/proposal information”)
If you have submitted an observing proposal, but have noticed that there was an error in something, an AOR, the name of a Co-I, a rotated figure in the scientific justification file, or just something that needs to be revised or updated, it is possible to change a submitted proposal. Provided that the deadline for the Call for Proposals has not yet passed, you can re-submit your proposal, replacing the part that has the error. There is no need to submit a "new" proposal to correct errors in a submitted proposal.
When you "Update" an existing proposal, HSpot will replace the old information with the new. For AORs, this means that even if you detected an error in just one of your AORs, you must submit the entire set of AORs again with the error corrected. Do not just submit the corrected AOR as, if you do, you will end up with a proposal with just one AOR associated with it.
To make changes to your original submission.
Go to the Proposal Submission Tool.
Under the "File" menu go to "Open proposal". This will then allow you to import the coversheet (".cs" file) information stored with the original proposal.
Make the appropriate changes, or include new version of the scientific justification, etc., in the same way as for a new proposal.
Go to the "Submit" menu and pull down to "Update proposal at HCSS".
After input of your username and password, you will be requested to save your updated coversheet information on your local hard disk before the update is allowed.
The coversheet information (title, abstract, PI information, etc.) is always updated at the HSC when you submit a proposal update. Each time you submit a proposal, or an update to a proposal, check that the coversheet information is correct. When the new version is submitted, the "version number" of the proposal shown at the foot of the "Proposal Submission Tool" pop-up window will update. In principal you can update your proposal as many times as you wish; the number of updates is though recorded in this version number.
These are the steps you need to take to submit a Herschel observing proposal:
Start up HSpot.
Load in the appropriate set of AORs.
Open the Proposal Submission Tool.
Load the coversheet file and double-check that all the information is correct, especially Total Hours requested and the scientific justification file.
Click on the Submit Menu in the Proposal Submission Tool and select "Submit proposal to HSC" for a new proposal.
Enter your proposal user name and password when prompted.
Load in the coversheet file HSpot prompted you to save when you submitted your proposal for the first time (it now contains the proposal user name which is needed for Updates).
Change any appropriate coversheet information.
If you needed to modify any AORs, you must re-submit the entire set of AORs (complete replacement of all AORs submitted). Load them into HSpot.
Click on the Submit Menu in the Proposal Submission Tool and select "Update proposal at HSC".
HSpot will confirm that the Update was successfully received at the HSC. You will also receive an email confirmation.
Think of some great science you can do with Herschel.
Remember: You will have to specify all the details of your observations when you submit your proposal via HSpot. General Observer (GO) Proposals will need a "coversheet" file (created using the Proposal Submission Tool in HSpot), a set of AORs (created using HSpot), and scientific justification.
Obtain all the relevant documentation about Herschel and its science instruments on the Herschel Science Centre website at http://www.rssd.esa.int/Herschel/. These include the Herschel Science Observing Rules, Instrument Observer’s Manual, Call for Proposals and HSpot User’s Guide, among others.
Download and install HSpot. Do this early! Get to know your HSpot and the Herschel science instruments well ahead of the proposal submission deadline.
If you have any problems installing or using HSpot or any questions regarding Herschel or its instruments, contact us at the Herschel Helpdesk: herschel_hd@sciops.esa.int
Check that your favourite target(s) is/are not too bright or faint for Herschel. Remember that the sky background is significant at Herschel’s wavelengths.
Use HSpot to fill out AOTs and create AORs. Check the visibility of your observations especially if you need to time-constrain your observations. Use HSpot to visualise just how your observations will be executed on the sky. Is it what you expected?
Start writing that scientific justification. The final file must be in PDF format. See the Call for Proposals for details on what you need to include in your justification.
Early in your planning, open the Proposal Submission Tool in HSpot and see what kind of administrative information we need from you. Create a "coversheet" file as you work on your proposal. Save a final, clean version to disk when you are about ready to submit your proposal. Be sure that the hours requested and scientific justification file are correct. The coversheet information will be ingested into our database when you submit your proposal. It will be used by the HSC during the technical and science review of your proposal. If your proposal is approved, a subset of this information (PI name, title, abstract, etc.) will be made publicly available via the HSC WWW and HSpot.
Save all the AORs you will submit to a file that contains no other testing or what-if-I-try-this-option AORs. This will be the AOR file you load into HSpot when actually submitting your observing proposal to the HSC. It should contain only those AORs you want to be executed as part of your observing program.
Register at the HSC user registration website (http://herschel.esac.esa.int/herschel_phs/hcss_struts/).
When you are ready to submit your observing proposal:
When finished, HSpot will inform you that the proposal has been successfully submitted to the HSC. You will also receive a confirmation email.
Prior to the deadline for the Call for Proposals, you can update any submitted proposal. This is a handy feature if you noticed a significant error in the AORs you submitted, in the scientific justification file, or in any other aspect of your proposal. To update your submitted observing proposal: