ATC Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who should apply?
    • Graduate and undergraduate students, postdocs, and faculty can all submit proposals, though all proposals should be discussed and approved by faculty mentors/repsonsibles first.
  • What will be the process by which the decisions are made?
    • The proposals will be evaluated on a competitive basis by a panel composed of the physics support manager and deputy support manager, the site managers, and the US physics support panel. They will be evaluated on merit, how the proposals will improve the US contribution to US ATLAS, and based on the available budget. The final list of projects and amounts will then be approved by the US ATLAS project operation managers.
  • What is the maximum dollar amount for a given award?
    • We have not specified a maximum amount in the call for proposals. We envision that the majority of the money will pay for visits to the ATC sites and cost of living expenses for people based at the sites. We imagine that the typical proposal will range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars for proposals that cover a longer time period.
  • What is the maximum length of time for a grant?
    • The time scale is typically not longer than one year, though longer periods could be possible under special circumstances.
  • What is the minimum length of time for a grant/travel?
    • There is no minimum time, but trips should be for a minimum time that collaboration at the lab is useful. Travel can be broken into pieces.
  • When will funding begin?
    • The awards decisions are expected to be announced within two months of the deadline (or the date of submission for proposals received after the deadline).  However, one should also take into account that it typically takes an additional 1-3 months to create the contract with BNL to receive the funding. 
  • What process will be used to distribute the funds?
    • A MOU between BNL and the PI of the institute submitting the proposal will be set up.  As noted above, one should take into account that this can take 1-3 months to complete. 
  • Are non-US institutes eligible?
    • Yes, if the proposal strengthens ties between a US lab and one or more US institutes. If you think your proposal falls under this category, please contact the US ATLAS Physics Support Managers.
  • Are non-US citizens eligible?
    • Yes
  • Does the grant cover travel to CERN or to a different locale? Materials? Beam Time?
    • In general we envision funds to cover travel to ATC sites to take part in activities based at ATC sites. Travel to different locations or CERN is not excluded but is not the primary purpose of the ATC which is to build intellectual centers at the ATC sites. Other costs are not prohibited, but it must be very clearly demonstrated how they move towards this goal.
  • Are engineers or technicians eligible for the awards?
    • Yes - but please be aware that limited funding is available.
  • Are undergraduates eligible for the awards?
    • Yes. We also encourage you to consider the SUPER program for undergraduate research. 
  • If the grant covers multiple people for an activity from an institute, then should the request be combined or separated?
    • Either are acceptable, but the page limit applies for each individual proposal.
  • Will there be iteration on the grant request to reduce costs if required?
    • We expect this will be the case as we expect there to be limited funding available.
  • Can grants be combined with other sources of funding? (For example, SCGSR fellowships.)
    • Yes, and we encourage you to let us know if this is the case so that we can leverage our resources and limited funding as much as possible.
  • Are NSF institutes eligible for the awards?
    • Yes
  • Does the grant only cover approved ATLAS Upgrade projects or can speculative ones (HGTD or Si R&D) be funded?
    • In principle they could request funding for more speculative research. However, they must be coupled to the ATLAS project, as the DOE is funding this as part of the ATLAS project and not as a general R&D grant.
  • Can I change the scope or direction of the project after it is funded?
    • This is not possible without first getting approval from the US ATLAS Physics Support managers. If you are uncertain whether your change is significant enough to require approval, it is better to ask first.
  • Is support for PIs allowable?
    • In general, we are not supporting PI travel costs unless it is strongly justified such as if the PI is providing educational support to the ATC.
  • Will I have to submit status or project reports if my proposal is approved?
    • Yes, we will request quarterly reports from you, though they can be quite brief and should not be burdensome to prepare. Failure to submit these reports in a timely manner may be considered in future funding cycles, however.