1. Mid-Scale Projects Vernon Pankonin Team Leader

2. Mid-Scale Projects Programmatic Characteristics Not a formal funding program. Collection of proposals and projects needing an administrative home. Proposals & projects that are much larger in cost and more complex than an Individual Investigator Grant. Proposals & projects require more attention in review and in post-award. Projects usually involve a collaboration of institutions. Projects cover a wide range of topics and techniques. PI does not submit a proposal directly to this program. AST assigns proposals to Program Officer on a case-by-case basis. Budget of program line is not fixed. There are no “free” funds in the budget to support new projects as projects end. Projects are supported on a case-by-case basis; with funding from Division level in AST. Projects are often supported jointly with other MPS Divisions, other NSF Directorates, and other agencies. Funded as projects with defined duration; no long term operations. COV-AST2008 recommended against a program solicitation. Historical Perspective 2005--2010

3. Current Projects Under Mid-Scale Rubric Mid-Scale Projects VERITAS -- Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System –V. Pankonin ACT and ACTPol -- Atacama Cosmology Telescope –R. Barvainis SDSS-III-- Sloan Digital Sky Survey III –V. Pankonin MWA -- Murchison Widefield Array –V. Pankonin QUIET -- Q/U Imaging ExperimenT –V. Pankonin POLARBeaR -- POLARization of the Background Radiation –R. Barvainis DES -- Dark Energy Survey –N. Sharp VAO – Virtual Astronomical Observatory –N. Sharp Design & Development (D&D) or Technology Development (TDP) LSST -- Large Synoptic Survey Telescope –C. Foltz GSMT -- Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope –C. Foltz SKA -- Square Kilometre Array –R. Barvainis

4. Program Officer Management & Oversight Review of proposal includes ad hoc reviews and panel meeting (reverse site visit). –Longer dwell time before funding is available –May be significant revisions to budgets and project plan. Funding instrument often a Cooperative Agreement. Project Execution Plans are required. Program Officer Project Oversight Group in post award. Quarterly or semi-annual reports. Annual reports at physical meeting. Conducts interim reviews as needed. Attendance at collaboration meetings. Projects sited around the globe.

5. Prime Challenge to create Mid-Scale Innovations Program as recommended by Astro2010 The Goal: To evolve the ad hoc collection of projects, as represented by the current portfolio, into a coordinated programmatic framework that can be managed to fulfill a community need. Can reprogram some current funding, but need new money to really get Program going. First opportunity for new money is FY 2013.

6. Implementation is under study Questions to be answered. –Should there be a general mid-scale solicitation? –Should there be targeted solicitations? How often? –How should a budget for a program and/or a solicitation be set? –For how long should AST support operations?