2005 Radio/Submm Astronomy Planning Group (5RSAPG)
Minutes of telecon 13Dec04
Present: Don Campbell, Neal Evans, Martha Haynes, Jackie
   Hewitt, Ken Kellermann, Steve Myers and Mark Reid

1. MH reported on a conversation with W. van Citters following the
   NSF AST senior retreat. Because D&D funding for new
   initiatives/facilities must be funded out of the R&RA budget,
   NSF needs to identify how to redirect roughly 10% of its current 
   budget towards D&D efforts. The process is to be complete by
   August with the senior review set for the June-July 2005 timeframe.
   WvC will participate in the telecon on 27 December.

2. MR reminded the group that the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope
   is to be put forward for funding in the MREFC line. It was ranked
   2nd among "moderate" size projects in the 2000 AASC report (see:
   http://books.nap.edu/books/0309070317/html/33.html#p2000a4318940033004)
   but is now budgeted at $180M (up from $60M in the AASC report).
   This number includes 5 years of projected operations/upgrade
   funds as did the AASC report.

3. There was a discussion of needs for additional operating expenses
   to support the new facilities. MR and KK noted that the EVLA requires
   almost no increase in operations funding. It is not clear where the
   additional operations money for ALMA, ATST etc will come from.

4. KK pointed out that SKA technology development is really just that,
   whereas GSMT, LSST and ATST D&D is really design and development.

5. Some inputs have been received from facility/project contacts;
   reports are all due Dec 15th. MH will organize and collate the
   responses by Jan 1.

6. The outline subgroup has been exchanging ideas. The basic plan will
   be to follow the outline of the AASC Panel report. SM emphasized
   the need to tie the panel report into the full AASC report. This
   group will continue to exchange ideas over the next weeks.

7. MH will organize an informal get-together at the AAS meeting; JC
   will do likewise for the URSI meeting.

8. The next telecon is Mon Dec 27th at 12noon EST.