Attachment D: Operational Arrangements for the Management of the Australia Telescope as a National Facility.
The Australia Telescope is managed by the Director of the Australia Telescope National Facility who within CSIRO is responsible to the Director of the CSIRO Institute of Information Science and Engineering, who in turn is responsible to the Chief Executive. The Australia Telescope is primarily funded via the annual one-line appropriation budget to CSIRO, and for funding purposes is subjected to the same level of scrutiny as other areas within the Organisation. The Institute Director takes advice from all relevant sources when reviewing programs. Technical reviews remain largely the responsibility of the Director of the Australia Telescope National Facility.
In line with the draft ASTEC guide-lines for the operation of national facilities, an independent Steering Committee has been established, and a time-assignment sub-committee. Details relating to their operation follow.
1. Steering Committee Operations
i) An independent steering committee, appointed by the Minister for Science and Technology (or whichever Minister has responsibility for CSIRO) is responsible for:
- establishing policy guide-lines for the operation of the Australia Telescope;
- allocating time and determining an appropriate scale of charges for using the Australia Telescope; and
- promoting wide and effective use of the facility.
ii) The Steering Committee comprises representatives of a number of relevant communities - the astronomical community (in CSIRO, Australia and internationally); Australian industry; CSIRO; and a nominated representative of the CSIRO Board. The Director of the Australia Telescope National Facility should be a full member of the Steering Committee except in relation to matters pertaining to his or her employment and performance. Membership of the committee should be on a term basis only. All appointments are made by the Minister. The involvement of overseas members is in line with community practice and ensures a continuing input of information and advice based on international experience.
iii) Nominations for the Steering Committee are made to the responsible Minister by the Chief Executive of CSIRO. These nominations are drawn from a list of names provided by the Director of the CSIRO Institute of Information Science and Engineering and the Director of the Australia Telescope National Facility. The Chairman of the Steering Committee is drawn from the membership of the Steering Committee and is appointed by the Minister.
iv) Non-CSIRO members of the Steering Committee have a particular responsibility to provide input from the communities they represent and where appropriate to perform an audit role on behalf of those communities and to be a political force. Their skills are to be appropriately exploited by the Steering Committee, in providing high-level advice in the budgetary, planning and scientific areas, and particularly in reviewing specific aspects of the Australia Telescope operations.
v) Steering Committee meetings, to be held at least annually, should, in part, include reports from committee members who have been involved in reviews of the ATNF.
vi) Steering Committee members should be called upon to provide advice and assistance to the Director of the Australia Telescope National Facility throughout the year. This input would not be restricted to formal committee meetings.
vii) The Steering Committee will provide an Annual Report, prepared on the Committee's behalf by the ATNF Director, to the Chief Executive of CSIRO for forwarding to the responsible Minister. The report will give details of the Facility's finances and operations, including the allocation of time.
2. Time Allocation
i) As a general policy, there will be no guaranteed allocation of research time on the Australia Telescope for CSIRO, or for any other users. All proposed projects must be assessed on their merits by a time-assignment sub-committee appointed by the Steering Committee and acting according to the time-assignment policy guide-lines established by the Steering Committee.
ii) Use of time by CSIRO Staff for purposes other than research, such as maintaining the facility or testing new equipment, will be determined by the Director of the Australia Telescope National Facility in consultation with the Steering Committee.
3. Funds
i) Annual estimates of funds required for capital and operating expenditures of the Australia Telescope will be developed by the Director of the Australia Telescope National Facility in consultation with members of the Steering Committee as appropriate.
ii) Any funds provided to CSIRO specifically for such expenditures should be provided as specific allocations identified separately within the CSIRO budget.