Doc 4.9, ver. 1.0 | Mar 2018

A Guide to the North American ALMA
Regional Center and the NAASC
Anthony Remijan (NAASC)

ALMA, an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of ESO (representing its member states), NSF (USA) and NINS
(Japan), together with NRC (Canada), NSC and ASIAA (Taiwan), and KASI (Republic of Korea), in cooperation with theRepublic of Chile. The Joint ALMA Observatory is operated by ESO, AUI/NRAO and NAOJ.

For further information or to comment on this document, please contact your regional Helpdesk through the ALMA User
Portal at www.almascience.org. Helpdesk tickets will be directed to the appropriate ALMA Regional Center at ESO,NAOJ or NRAO.

1.0

Version Date

Editors

Mar 12, 2018

Anthony Remijan

Gerald Schieven, Group Leader - Millimetre Astronomy Group, NRC Herzberg, Astronomy & Astrophysics
Programs
Katelyn Sevin, NA ARC Administrative AssistantIn publications, please refer to this document as:
A. Remijan , 2018, “A Guide to the North American ALMA Regional Center and the NAASC”, v1.0, ALMATable of Contents
1

WELCOME ................................................................................................................................................ 2

2

About ALMA ............................................................................................................................................ 2

3

Organization and Role of the ARCs and the NAASC .................................................................. 3

4

Essential Resources ............................................................................................................................. 4
4.1
4.2
4.3

5

The ALMA Science Portal .......................................................................................................................... 4
The NAASC Website..................................................................................................................................... 5
The Helpdesk ................................................................................................................................................ 5

Getting Help from the NAASC at Each Step of Your Project.................................................... 6
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7

Learning about ALMA: Documentation, Workshops, and Community Days .......................... 6
Proposal Preparation ................................................................................................................................. 7
Preparing Your Observations ................................................................................................................. 8
Reducing Your Data .................................................................................................................................... 8
Visiting the NAASC ....................................................................................................................................... 9
Publishing Your Results ............................................................................................................................ 9
Promoting ALMA Science .......................................................................................................................... 9

6

Working with the Community to Improve ALMA ................................................................... 10

7

Student Support ................................................................................................................................. 10

8

ALMA Ambassadors Postdoctoral Fellows Program ............................................................. 109NAASC Participation and Initiatives in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) .. 11

10

Addresses for the NAASC, NRC-HAA, and ASIAA ................................................................. 1211

Map of the Area near NRAO Headquarters and the NAASC............................................. 131

1 WELCOME
Welcome to North America ALMA Regional Science Center at
the North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC),headquatered at 520 Edgemont Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22903,
United States of America. The NAASC is a multinational
institution that works to provide the scientific community ofNorth America (NA) access to the Atacama Large
Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). Through the NAASC,
we provide outreach services to our peers including visiting
scholars, graduate, and undergraduate students and postdocs,
underrepresented minorities, and other inquisitive parties
interested in ALMA science and outreach. The NAASC also
facilitates many private and public learning events to theinternational community. The NAASC welcomes you to visit and Anthony Remijan (NA ARC Manager – right) and Neillearn about what we do and what we have to offer to the Phillips (JAO Systems Astronomer – left) at the AOS.
scientific community. The NAASC is operated by the National
Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, Virginia, in collaboration with Canada’s National
Research Council Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics (NRC Herzberg), and the National Science Council(NSC) of Taiwan. The NAASC supports the science use of ALMA by astronomers in North America and Taiwan
and supports research and development for future ALMA upgrades.
The following websites provide additional information on ALMA and the NAASC, and connects users toresources and tools they will need to use the ALMA observatory.
The ALMA Science Portal

http://almascience.nrao.edu

The NAASC website

http://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma

The ALMA Helpdesk, which is also linked from the
Science Portal and the NAASC website

https://help.almascience.org

The NRC ALMA website

www.nrccnrc.gc.ca/eng/solutions/facilities/alma.html

The Taiwanese ALMA website

http://alma.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw

2 About ALMAThe Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) enables transformational research into the physics
of the cold universe, where the sky is dark in the visible part of the spectrum but shines brightly at(sub)millimeter wavelengths. ALMA is a global collaboration involving partners in North America, Europe, andEast Asia, in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. The telescope has 66 high-precision antennas located on
the Chajnantor plain of the Chilean Andes, 5000 m above sea level. In Full Operations, ALMA will image thesky at resolutions as fine as 0.005” with unprecedented sensitivity, and will operate at frequencies between
35 GHz and 950 GHz. The capabilities of ALMA are outlined in the Proposer’s Guide and details on thetelescope are given in the Technical Handbook. New users can learn about ALMA and get an introduction toradio interferometry in the ALMA Primer. These documents are available at the ALMA Science Portal website,
found at http://almascience.nrao.edu.

23 Organization and Role of the ARCs and the NAASC
Being an international facility, ALMA serves a worldwide community of astronomers, scientists, and otherprofessionals. To interact with the geographically distributed user community, the three partners haveestablished ALMA Regional Centers, or ARCs. They are the North American ARC (NA ARC), based in
Charlottesville, VA; the East Asian ARC (EA ARC), based in Mitaka, Japan; and the European ARC (EU ARC),
based in Garching, Germany. The ARCs are staffed by scientists with expertise in radio astronomy,
millimeter/submillimeter astronomy, and interferometry, and their purpose is to work with the scientificcommunity to maximize the productivity of the ALMA telescope. The NA ARC is part of the NAASC,
concentrating on internationally sanctioned core ALMA functions.
Each astronomer who uses ALMA is assigned an ARC for user support at the time they register with the ALMA
Science Portal. Astronomers in North America, East Asia, or Europe are assigned to the ARC associated with
their region. Astronomers from Taiwan can select either the NA ARC or the EA ARC. Astronomers elsewherein the world can select any one of the three ARCs.
The NAASC is located in part at NRAO Headquarters, on the
Grounds of the University of Virginia (UVa), and a shortwalk from the UVa Department of Astronomy (Section 9).
The NRAO and UVa Astronomy share colloquia, journal
clubs, and lunch talks. Several NAASC staff have joint or
adjunct appointments at UVa. The NAASC is also located inpart at NRC Herzberg Astronomy & Astrophysics, located in
Victoria, BC, Canada. A listing of NAASC staff, including
research
interests,
isavailable
here:
http://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/ALMApeople/

Stone Hall on the Campus of the University of Virginia andheadquarters of the North American ALMA Science Center.

The key services provided by the NAASC to the North American astronomical community include:
•

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Assisting users with the preparation and submission of ALMA proposals including the episodic thoughintense preparation of Phase 2 Scheduling Blocks in anticipation of the upcoming observing Cycle.
This effort also includes follow-up on change requests reported during the course of the Cycle andmaking the appropriate edits to the scheduling block before placement into the queue.
Contact scientist provide support and oversight including a thorough review of all the NA projects toensure PIs have approved their projects prior to placement into the queue. Contact scientists will be
responsible for the final data reduction of their observing programs with the support of the data
analysts.
Tools and algorithm development including the QA2 reporting script for manual calibration,
analysisUtils, Splatalogue, simdata, calibration and imaging pipeline heuristics, and algorithm researchand development. (See Section 5.2 of this guide for more information on simdata and Splatalogue.)
Coordinating the testing of the end-user software for ALMA including the ALMA Observing Tool (OT),
the ALMA Archive, AQUA, the Dynamic Scheduler, the Observer Support Tool (OST), and othersoftware tools.

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Providing online data reduction guides for a range of ALMA observing modes. These CASA guides canbe found here: http://casaguides.nrao.edu and more information on CASA can be found here:
http://casa.nrao.edu.
Principal Investigator (PI) data reduction and imaging, including pipeline processing and coordinating
and managing the calibration, imaging, and delivery of PI data products through the ALMA Archiveand the delivery of calibrated measurement sets through htaccess.
NAASC Community Day events, often hosted by ALMA Ambassadors (Section 8), including thedevelopment of the strategic plans and initiatives to grow and educate the ALMA user base throughthe use of schools, tutorials, and workshops.
Overall management of the ALMA Helpdesk activities including routine ticket reviews, enforcementof ticket service level agreements and formulation of new Knowledgebase articles based on userquestions. In addition, enhancing the use of the NRAO forums so users can discuss questions on apeer-to-peer level.
Review and assistance in the preparation of the ALMA documentation including the Call for proposals,
Proposer’s Guide, Users’ Policies, ALMA Primer, Technical Handbook, Guide to the NA ARC, software
user guides, and additional documentation on how to access NAASC services.
Face-to-face visitor support including data reduction visitors, visiting scientists, and sabbatical visits.
Operating a copy of the ALMA data archive including LUSTRE access and management of users to the
NRAO cluster-processing pipeline.
Extension and Optimization of Capabilities (EOC) work and activities. There are still many EOC
activities remaining and NAASC staff interface with the Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) and the ALMA
Science Advisory Committees on setting the priorities of ongoing EOC work as needed for thecompletion of these activities for future Cycles.
Providing opportunities for student funding and page charge support for U.S. investigators.
Active participation in broadening participation and other science outreach events and working very
closely with the NRAO Department of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) to promote STEM education
through a wide range of initiatives.

4 Essential Resources
4.1 The ALMA Science Portal
The Science Portal is the primary access point to ALMA for all science users.
http://almascience.nrao.edu

The website is:

At the Science Portal, users can:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Access the Call for Proposals, the Proposer’s Guide, the Technical Handbook, the Primer, and otherdocumentation
Download the Observing Tool, the software used to prepare and submit ALMA proposals
Search and access public data from the ALMA science data archive
Access “Knowledgebase” articles from the Helpdesk
Access software tools and documentation, including a sensitivity calculator, the ALMA Observation
Support Tool, and Splatalogue
Get an overview of ALMA’s scientific capabilities during Full Operations

Every astronomer who intends to submit an ALMA proposal as a Principal Investigator (PI), or appear on one
as a co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) or co-investigator (Co-I), must register with the Science Portal. Onceregistered and logged in, users will be able to:
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•
•
•
•
•
•

Submit a proposal as a PI
Participate as a co-I or co-PI on ALMA proposals
Manage their user profile and demographic information, including the option to receive automatic
email notifications of observing progress or delegate their data rights to other ALMA users
Access SnooPI, the tool for PIs to monitor the status of their observing programs
Submit Helpdesk tickets
Access their proprietary data through the ALMA science data archive

4.2 The NAASC Website
The NAASC website provides up-to-date news and information of particular use to North American ALMA
users. The website is: https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma.
At the NAASC website, users get information on:
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ALMA and NAASC news and events
Tutorials on ALMA’s capabilities and proposal preparation
Data reduction and analysis support
Workshops on ALMA data processing and analysis
Financial support for travel and publications
Visiting the NAASC
Student and postdoc programs
Education and outreach activities
NAASC staff

4.3 The Helpdesk
The ALMA Helpdesk is the main user resource for getting help. The Helpdesk is a website that can be accessedfrom the Science Portal, from the NAASC website, or directly at: https://help.almascience.org.
The Helpdesk includes a library of “Knowledgebase” articles that address a number of common issues andquestions. As the user types a question, Knowledgebase articles are searched in real time and relevant articles
are presented as the question is being typed. In addition, the Knowledgebase query also accesses the
documentation in the ALMA science portal and suggests parts of the ALMA documentation that may be
relevant to a user’s question. If the user does not find an answer in the articles or documentation suggested,
the user can submit a ticket. While it is necessary to log in before submitting a ticket, users can browse andsearch the Knowledgebase articles and science portal documentation without logging in.
The ALMA Helpdesk has the following departments set up as viewable by a user in order to direct tickets tothe appropriate people at the user’s affiliated ARC:
•
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General Queries (NA) - Science Portal/Registration, Documentation, Webpages, Proposal reviews andassessment, Project tracking, other
Project Planning (NA) - Available Capabilities, Call for Proposals, Sensitivity Calculator, Simulators,
Splatalogue, otherObserving Tool (NA) - Proposal Preparation, Proposal Submission (general), Phase2 process
Proprietary Period Extension Requests (NA)
Data Reduction (NA) - CASA, pipeline processing, etc...
Proposal Change Requests (NA) - request for a change to a submitted proposal or accepted project

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•

Archive and Data Retrieval (NA) - archive access and queries, obtaining your ALMA data, archival
research
Face to Face Support (NA) - Data reduction, science, short term, other

Helpdesk staff will make every effort to respond to tickets promptly. During normal operations, users can
expect a response within two business days. During the last week before the Call for Proposals, a single
department called “Proposal Submission Emergency” is set up across all ARCs that will answer urgent tickets
concerning proposal submission. Triage for this department will start 72 hours before the deadline with 24hour coverage by Europe (EU), North America (NA), and East Asia (EA).

5 Getting Help from the NAASC at Each Step of Your Project
The NAASC provides user support through all stages of an ALMA project, from learning the observatory’s
capabilities to the publication of results.

5.1 Learning about ALMA: Documentation, Workshops, and Community Days
Preparing for an ALMA project begins with learning the observatory’s capabilities and the tools needed todesign observations, prepare proposals, and submit proposals. The NAASC provides user documentation,
including the ALMA Primer - https://almascience.nrao.edu/documents-and-tools/cycle6/alma-early-scienceprimer, at the ALMA Science Portal.
The NAASC helps to organize NRAO Community Days and other regional workshops in the USA and Canada topromote ALMA to the astronomical community and describe the tools needed to write proposals. These
workshops focus on preparation of proposals and observations, and feature talks on the observatory’s
capabilities, mm/submm interferometry observing techniques, and the tools required to design effective
ALMA projects. Attendees learn to use the ALMA Observing Tool (OT), the software used to prepare andsubmit observing proposals. The workshops may include a hands-on session to introduce attendees toimaging ALMA data with CASA. At the request of the hosts, the workshops may also include talks andinformation on CASA tasks for simulating ALMA observations. Future workshops are arranged in response to
the level of interest from the user community. NRAO Community Days and ALMA workshops can be organizedand hosted by university groups or research institutes, or can be tied to other scientific meetings orworkshops.
The NAASC also supports NRAO splinter sessions and training events at AAS meetings and other meetings ofthe astronomical community throughout the year. These events promote all NRAO observing facilities, andinclude a focus on the tools needed to prepare effective proposals. NAASC staff describe ALMA capabilities,
NAASC support services, ALMA user tools, and CASA data reduction and analysis techniques.
Finally, the NAASC hosts periodic workshops that focus specifically on data calibration and imaging. These
workshops are aimed at helping users process their own ALMA data or archival data.
To request a community day event at your institution or see a list of workshops, Community Days, and training
events, visit the workshops page directly at: https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/community1
Registration is required for workshops and Community Days, and is available on the website.

65.2 Proposal Preparation
A Call for Proposals is issued prior to each scheduling period, or "Cycle." The Call and supporting documents
are made available on the Science Portal (see Section 4.1). These documents describe the capabilities of theobservatory for the upcoming Cycle and the policies and procedures for submitting proposals.
ALMA proposals are prepared using the ALMA Observing Tool, an application that can be downloaded fromthe Science Portal. Proposals must include a scientific and technical justification, a list of targets andfrequencies to be observed, and details such as the sensitivity and angular resolution required to meet thescience goals. The Observing Tool includes a sensitivity and exposure time calculator. Users must be
registered with the Science Portal to be able to submit proposals using the Observing Tool.
NAASC staff are available to help users learn how to use the Observing Tool and prepare proposals. We
emphasize here that the Observing Tool is used not only used to assemble and submit the scientific andtechnical justifications, but also to design and specify fully the observations, so users are encouraged to
become familiar with the Observing Tool well in advance of the proposal deadline. The Helpdesk (see Section
4.3 of this guide) is the primary resource for those seeking assistance. It may be possible to arrange face-toface assistance at the NAASC for particularly challenging proposals (Section 5.5).
The CASA task simalma, and the lower-level tasks simobserve and simanalyze, allow users to simulate an ALMA
observation of a target based on a model with a given source position, structure and brightness. These tasks
also help potential ALMA users visualize how different antenna configurations and track durations affect anobservation. More information on simulating ALMA observations is available at:
http://casaguides.nrao.edu/index.php?title=Guide_To_Simulating_ALMA_Data.
The ALMA Observation Support Tool (OST) provides another method of simulating ALMA observations. The
OST provides a web interface to the CASA simulation code through which the user can specify observing
parameters and upload a FITS file with a model image, or select a model image from a pre-existing library.
The OST is available from the Science Portal.
The NAASC is also responsible for providing the ALMA user community with a complete, up-to-date spectralline catalog – Splatalogue. Splatalogue is an effort to collate and rationally organize existing spectroscopic
catalogues into a single resource for the astronomical community. The focus is on pure rotational and rovibrational transitions of astronomically relevant molecules for observations in the microwave and millimeterwave regions using telescopic infrastructure such as ALMA, VLA, GBT, amongst many others. As of February
2016, Splatalogue contains over 8.1 million transitions from 1233 species and is updated regularly. Splatalogue
also features an interface that is Virtual Observatory (VO) compliant for interfacing with external software or
websites.
The main page for Splatalogue features the Basic search capabilities for the Splatalogue database. Use of the
Basic search is limited to:••••Common astronomically detected molecules and vibrational states, such as CO, H2O, methanol,hydrogen cyanide, and others.
Pre-defined “filtered” sets of molecules, such as those relevant to diffuse clouds, comets, planetaryatmospheres, etc.
Single molecules in the Splatalogue database outside those in the pre-defined categories.
User-defined frequency ranges as well as ALMA Bands 3-10 and lower state energy ranges.

In all cases, the only frequencies shown are those that are NRAO recommended. These frequencies are
typically selected from the most recently updated line list. Observed astronomical intensities for transitions

7

found in the Lovas/NIST database are also included along with the NRAO recommended frequencies. For
more information about Splatalogue and its use and functionality, visit www.splatalogue.net.

5.3 Preparing Your Observations
ALMA proposals are reviewed on their scientific and technical merit, and PIs are informed of the outcome of
the review process by email from the JAO. Programs eligible for scheduling are assigned a Contact Scientist,a member of the NAASC staff who provides a single point of contact for program support. NAASC staff and
the Contact Scientist work with the PI to review observing strategies and prepare Scheduling Blocks. After theobservations are made, the Contact Scientist can assist with questions related to data reduction. The mainmeans of interaction between PIs and NAASC staff is via the Helpdesk. For particularly complex observations,however, users may arrange a visit to the NAASC to prepare the observations (Section 5.5).
Observers do not travel to Chile or elsewhere to take part in the ALMA observations. Observatory staff
dynamically schedule ALMA observations, taking into account the weather conditions, instrument status,
availability of the targets, and proposal ranking.

5.4 Reducing Your Data
The primary software package used to process ALMA data is CASA (Section 5.2 - http://casa.nrao.edu). Notein particular the CASA Guides link available from this site. The CASA Guides site provides a collection of data
reduction tutorials and step-by-step processing and analysis examples, including scripts for processing Science
Verification data.
The challenge posed by storing and processing ALMA data is formidable. The NAASC hosts a copy of the ALMA
data archive and the NAASC site serves as the primary data access point for North Americans, and will provide
a backup of the archive in Santiago. Upon completion of the observations and initial data processing,investigators are notified and given instructions on how to download their data.
ALMA data are processed in two steps: first they are calibrated, and then imaged. Most ALMA data are
calibrated using the pipeline, but in some cases observatory staff may prepare CASA scripts for the calibration.
Calibrated measurement sets are supplied with all NA processed deliveries to the PI and (on request) todelegated co-Is. Generally, calibrated data provided to users are ready for science imaging. In a minority ofcases, however, users may get best results by refining the calibration themselves, with assistance from NAASC
staff if desired.
The calibrated data are retained on disk for a period of two months. After that, they can be re-generated uponrequest by the PI or delegated co-I. The PI or delegated co-I may also request calibrated measurement sets
for data calibrated at the JAO or another ARC. This service is restricted to projects whose PIs have NA
designated as their ARC for support. If the requestor is not a PI or delegated co-I, and is requesting calibrated
measurement sets for public data, there will be a limit of five such requests per calendar year per requestor.
NAASC staff provide reference images to the PI as part of the delivered data package. Projects observed andreduced prior to the instatement of the imaging pipeline (including all projects from Cycles 0 through 2 andsome projects in Cycle 3), as well as projects that post-dated the imaging pipeline but required manual
imaging, are also delivered with sample imaging scripts. Starting with these scripts, users can complete
imaging of the full data set independently.
Users are encouraged to visit the NAASC to get help with their data processing (Section 5.5). The NAASC has
computers with ample resources to reduce ALMA data, including powerful desktops and a cluster machine
connected to a high-speed LUSTRE file system. The NAASC also supports remote access to its cluster machine,8which can be obtained by submitting a ticket to the helpdesk. To request remote access to the cluster, visit:https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/docs/manuals/computing-resources/overview.
On the NAASC website, there are recommendations for computing hardware required to process ALMA data
outside of the NAASC. See: https://almascience.nrao.edu/processing/hardware-recommendations.

5.5 Visiting the NAASC
The NAASC welcomes short-term visits to Charlottesville or Victoria from investigators of successful ALMA
programs or archival researchers for expert assistance with processing and analyzing ALMA data. Visits fordata reduction are expected to last about a week. Student visitors should be accompanied by an experienced
investigator, e.g., their academic advisor. Visitors will have access to an office and a computer to process theirdata. Investigators who are requesting a short data reduction visit can apply to the NAASC for assistance withtravel expenses. To request a visit, send a ticket to the ALMA Helpdesk using the “Face-to-Face Support”
category. More details are available at: https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/visitors-shortterm.
The NAASC also hosts approximately two Data Reduction Parties each year during which a group of 10-12 PIs
and their students visit the NAASC at the same time for assistance in data reduction and analysis. These parties
are similar to individual “face-to-face” support visits except that they also include lectures on ALMA data
packaging, the ALMA calibration and imaging pipelines, and advanced imaging analysis techniques, depending
on interest. The dates for these events are announced via the NAASC webpage and the NRAO eNews
newsletter.
Long-term visitors to the NAASC are also strongly encouraged, especially those interested in extending andoptimizing the capabilities of ALMA or improving the data reduction and imaging strategies. The length ofsuch visits are negotiable but can last between a few weeks to a year. Visit support can range from paying foraccommodation, per diem or travel costs, to salary supplements, as needed. More details are available at:https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/community1/opportunities/visitorsprogram.

5.6 Publishing Your Results
Upon request, NRAO provides financial support for page charges to authors at U.S. scientific or educational
institutions. The paper may report either original data obtained with an NRAO facility, including ALMA, ororiginal research made with NRAO archival data.
All publications must include the following statement as a footnote or acknowledgement: "The National Radio
Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative
agreement by Associated Universities, Inc." and, for ALMA data, the additional acknowledgment: "This paper
makes use of the following ALMA data: ADS/JAO.ALMA# [Project code]. ALMA is a partnership of ESO(representing its member states), NSF (USA) and NINS (Japan), together with NRC (Canada) and NSC and ASIAA(Taiwan), in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. The Joint ALMA Observatory is operated by ESO,
AUI/NRAO and NAOJ."
Details on the page charge support policy are here: http://library.nrao.edu/pubsup.shtml.

5.7 Promoting ALMA Science
The NAASC sponsors ALMA-themed science conferences on roughly an annual basis. A listing of previous
ALMA conferences and information on upcoming conferences is available at the following site:
https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/workshops.

9NAASC activities and ALMA results are publicized in the NRAO eNews: http://science.nrao.edu/enews.
The NAASC is also involved in community outreach through special ALMA sessions at American Astronomical
Society and Canadian Astronomical Society meetings. At these sessions, we provide attendees with highlightsof recent ALMA science, describe the current status of ALMA, and give updates on the proposal submission
and data processing tools.
The Education and Public Outreach (EPO) team at NRAO works with investigators to publicize newsworthy
ALMA projects via news releases, videos, and other outreach products. In addition to providing expertise andadvice on outreach activities, the EPO team can develop images, graphics, and other visuals to promotescience results. To recommend a potentially newsworthy result or for questions, contact Charles Blue atcblue@nrao.edu.

6 Working with the Community to Improve ALMA
The NAASC encourages involvement from the user community to develop and improve ALMA. The NAASC
periodically invites proposals from North American entities for studies or projects for potential inclusion in
the ALMA Development Plan. The primary aims are:•••To give groups in North America the opportunity to propose ALMA upgrades that may later be
implemented as part of the ALMA Development Plan
To support the development of conceptual and detailed designs for ALMA upgrades, andTo encourage relevant long-term research and development

Development proposal calls are announced at: https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/alma-develop/

7 Student Support
The NAASC supports student involvement in ALMA through the NRAO student programs. NRAO has a Summer
Student Program aimed at introducing undergraduate and graduate students to cutting-edge research. In
addition, a Student Observing Support Program funds graduate students working on eligible ALMA proposals.
Finally, a graduate Pre-Doctoral Program is available to give students the opportunity to conduct thesis
research at NRAO sites under the supervision of an NRAO scientist. Details on the student programs areavailable at: http://science.nrao.edu/opportunities/studentprograms.shtml.

8 ALMA Ambassadors Postdoctoral Fellows Program
The ALMA Ambassadors Postdoctoral Program provides training (and a $10,000 research grant if based in theU.S.) to postdoctoral researchers interested in expanding their ALMA/interferometry expertise and sharingthat knowledge with their home institutions through the organization of ALMA proposal writing workshops.
Each year beginning in Cycle 5, the NAASC sponsors a group of selected postdocs to travel to Charlottesville,
Virginia to receive in-depth training in topics related to ALMA proposal writing (including interferometry
basics, ALMA science capabilities, recent ALMA headlines, and use of the Observing Tool) as well as guidancewith speaking on these topics. The postdocs then return to their home institutions to host local 1-2 day
proposal writing workshops in advance of the ALMA proposal deadline. More information on the ALMA
Ambassadors program, including upcoming deadlines, can be found here:
https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/ambassadors-program109 NAASC Participation and Initiatives in the Office of Diversity andInclusion (ODI)
The ODI National Astronomy Consortium (NAC - https://science.nrao.edu/opportunities/studentprograms/nac) is a program that had its roots in the NAASC and is led by the National Radio Astronomy
Observatory (NRAO) and Associated Universities Inc., (AUI) in partnership with the National Society of Black
Physicists (NSBP), and a number of minority and majority universities to increase the numbers of students
from underrepresented and underserved groups and those otherwise overlooked by the traditional academic
pipeline into STEM or STEM-related careers. The NAC Project Scientist position is held by NAASC staff andhandles most of the summer program development including organizing the weekly meetings and activities.
The National and International Non-Traditional Exchange (NINE - go.nrao.edu/NINE) Program is geared
towards enticing the best and brightest, both nationally and internationally, into high quality programs
designed to benefit the participant, each partnering location, and the radio astronomy community as a whole.
Finally, NAASC staff actively participate in mentoring students participating in the the Louis Stokes Alliance for
Minority Participation (LSAMP - https://lsamp.virginia.edu/) program. The LSAMP program consists of 12
partner institutions, including the University of Virginia, and strives for diversification of the Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce, with an emphasis on increasing the number ofunderrepresented minority students earning baccalaureate degrees and matriculating to graduate school.
The LSAMP program targets early career undergraduates and work with staff on learning how to do scientificresearch, especially involving synergistic research between astronomy and chemistry, in an eight week
summer program. The NAASC provides financial support for the NAC and NINE programs and supports NINE
hubs around the world. The NAASC works very closely with ODI on best practice for inclusion of all staff andin supporting safe spaces (http://www.nrao.edu/policy/diversity.shtml). NAASC management and leadership
all have “open door” policies especially when it comes to personnel issues. Finally, the NAASC is a major
corporate sponsor of the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy and sponsors new initiatives
including the LGBTQIA+ reception.

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10 Addresses for the NAASC, NRC-HAA, and ASIAAThe North American ALMA Science Center
520 Edgemont Rd.
Charlottesville, VA 22903
USA
Phone: 434-296-0211
Directions: https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/
National Research Council
Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics
5071 West Saanich Road
Victoria, BC V9E 2E7
CanadaPhone: 250-363-6919
Directions: http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/about/directions/victoria.html
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica.
11F of Astronomy-Mathematics Building, National Taiwan University
No.1, Roosevelt Rd, Sec. 4 Taipei 10617, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Phone: +886-2-3365-2200
Directions: http://www.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/guide/transport.php

1211 Map of the Area near NRAO Headquarters and the NAASCNRAO headquarters and the NAASC are located by the red marker labeled "A"

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