17 August 2020
The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) is an X-ray experiment on the International Space Station dedicated to high-resolution timing and spectroscopy of neutron stars and other rapidly variable X-ray sources in the 0.2–12 keV band. ROSES-2020 Amendment 48 releases revised text and a new due date for Guest Observer (GO) proposals for NICER Cycle 3 (1 March 2021 - 28 February 2022), solicited through ROSES-2020 element D.11. Phase 1 proposals are now due by 17 November 2020, 4:30p Eastern / 3:30p Central / 2:30p Mountain / 1:30p Pacific via the Astrophysics Research Knowledgebase (ARK) Remote Proposal System (RPS). Proposals will be evaluated using dual-anonymous peer review.
Proposers also have the opportunity to request coordinated NuSTAR observations of their proposed NICER targets. A total of up to 400 ks of NuSTAR observing time is available within this Cycle.
Proposers may request, and must justify, an exclusive-use period of up to 6 months for GO data in this Cycle; by default, data will be subject to the existing NICER data-release policy with no exclusive-use period. Validated data are made available in the public High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) archive within two weeks of acquisition.
Proposals will be submitted in two stages, with Phase 1 focusing on the science goals and observation parameters. Selected Phase 1 proposers will be invited to submit a budget for Phase 2.
Direct technical questions concerning this program element to Keith Gendreau at Keith.C.Gendreau@nasa.gov and programmatic questions to Daniel Evans at Daniel.A.Evans@nasa.gov.