As institutions and observatories are required to handle more tasks with fewer resources, the need to automate processing becomes crucial. One of the easiest tasks to partially automate is the front-end process of requesting to use a service, e.g. a telescope. Automation can include making the proposal forms available, and allowing them to be submitted, electronically. By providing a standard proposal form, the necessary information contained in the proposal can be extracted and partially processed by software including tracking and low-level error detection. The need to have people in the loop is still necessary, but may of the mundane, repetitive tasks can be given to software, while the mentally difficult tasks can be handled by people. This paper discuses tools available for automating a proposal submission process. It will also discuss a system which was implemented in two months to partially automate Phase I submissions for using the Hubble Space Telescope. This system was used for the most current call for proposals and will continue to be used for upcoming cycles.

Date Published: 8 June 1995
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 2479, Telescope Control Systems, (8 June 1995); doi: 10.1117/12.211451

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2479:
Telescope Control Systems
Patrick T. Wallace, Editor(s)