Step

Procedure

1) Review the Phase I Roadmap

The HST Phase I Proposal Roadmap is a high level step-by-step guide to writing a Phase I proposal. It includes links to various documents and training videos.

2) Install APT

Go to the APT webpage. Follow the instructions there to download and install the latest version of APT onto your machine. You can also ask your system administrator to do an institution-wide installation.

3) Fill out the APT Phase I form

Use APT to fill out the Phase I form. Information on the use of APT, including movie tutorials, is available on the APT webpage. A description of which items are requested as well as guidelines for answers are presented in HST Filling Out the APT Phase I Proposal Form. Proposers can save work in progress, so APT submission can be completed over several sessions.

4) Download a template file for the creation of your PDF attachment

Download one of the templates to create your PDF attachment. There are separate template files for GO and for AR/Theory Proposals. Template files are available in LaTeX and Microsoft Word.

5) Edit the template

Edit the template using your favorite word-processing application. A description of which issues need to be discussed, and guidelines for how to discuss them, are presented in HST Preparation of the PDF Attachment.

6) Create the PDF attachment.

Transform your edited template into a PDF file. Any figures in your proposal must be included into this PDF file. We will provide the reviewers with the electronic PDF files so that figures can be viewed in color. However there is no guarantee that the reviewers will view the files electronically, so please make sure your figures are useful when printed using grey scales.

8) Add the PDF filename path to the APT form

In APT's Proposal Information form, select the file on your local disk with your Proposal PDF Attachment.

9) Review your proposal

In APT, click on ‘PDF Preview’ to get a preview of all the final information in your proposal. What you will see is the fully synthesized proposal we keep on record at STScI. The reviewers will see essentially the same, without the list of investigators and without the Team Expertise and Background sections (see HST Proposal Selection Procedures). If you are not satisfied at this stage, make any necessary changes.

You are responsible for ensuring that your PDF upload does not include extraneous material (such as extra cover pages, team expertise statements, and backup material). When selecting your PDF attachment, take care to not select a previously made preview of the entire PDF, as that will put investigator information into your proposal and violate the requirements for Dual Anonymous Peer Review.

10) Institutional Endorsement

STScI does not require institutional endorsement of GO/AR Proposals in Phase I. However, some institutions do require such endorsement of all submitted proposals. It is the responsibility of each PI to follow all applicable institutional policies concerning the submission of proposals.

11) Submit your proposal 

In APT, use the Submission tool to submit your proposal to STScI. All parts are sent together (i.e., both the APT form information and the PDF attachment).

12) Receive an STScI acknowledgment of your submission

Verification of a successful submission will appear in the Submission Log on the Submission Screen in APT within about a minute. Also, the PI and all Co-Is will receive an automatic email acknowledgment that the merged PDF submission was received successfully. After the Phase I deadline has passed, and all submissions are in their final form, you will receive final notification that your submission has been successfully processed; this email will mark the completion of the submission. You should expect to receive the final notification email within 5 business days of the deadline. If there are any problems associated with your PDF attachment, you will be contacted by email.