Basal Financing Program for Scientific And
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BAS AL FINANCING PROGRAM FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT GUIDELINES The report must be written following the format specified hereafter. It must cover only the annual period of execution (or the sp ecific period indicated within) . Once it is completed, it should be sent in printed to the following address: Programa Investigación Asociativa - CONICYT Mailing address: Moneda 1375, Piso 5 , Santiago Centro Phone: For further inquiries contact: INDEX I. PRESENTATION ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 2 II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE PROGRESS MADE ................................ ................................ ...................... 5 III. O BJECTIVES AND RESULTS ACHIEVED ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 7 IV. PROJECT MANAGEMENT ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 23 V. LESSONS LEARNED ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 24 VI. PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 25 VII. FINANCIAL STATEMENT ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 26 REPORT PERIOD : 6 th Year □ 7 th Year x 8 th Year □ 9 th Year □ PERIOD COV ERED : From January to December 201 4 I. PRESENTATION NAME OF THE CENTER COD E Centro de Astrofísica y Tecnologías Afines PFB - 06 DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER SIGNATURE Maria Teresa Ruiz EXE CUTIVE / DEPUTY / CO - DIRECTOR Guido Garay MANAGER (if applicable) SIGNATURE SPONSOR ING INSTITUTION (if applicable) Universidad de Chile ASSOCIATED INSTITUTION ( S ) (if applic able) Pontificia Universidad Católica , Universidad de Concepción CENTER WEBSITE ADDRESS 1 www.cata.cl 1 The home page of the website should contain the logo of CONICYT . Rese arch Lines Other Researchers Principal N° Title Objective (participating in the Researcher line) Barrientos, Bauer, Campusano, Clocchiatti, Demarco, Birth and evoluti on of structures 1. - Area 1 Leopoldo Infante Dunner, Galaz, in the Universe Jordan, Lira, Lopez, Nagar, Padilla, Reisenegger, Treister Catelan, Costa, Chaname, Jordan, Stellar Populations in the Local Area 2 Doug Geisler Mendez, Muñoz, Universe Richtler, Ruiz, Villanova, Zoccali Clocchiatti, Costa, Area 3 Distance Scale Wolfgang Gieren Maza, Mennickent, Minniti, Reisenegger Bronfman, Escala, Area 4 Star Formation Guido Garay Mardones, Rubio Extrasola r planets and brown Jenkins, Jordan, Area 5 Dante Minniti dwarfs Mendez, Rojo, Ruiz High Performance Astronomical Cuadra, Escala, Area 6 Nelson Padilla Computing and Simulations Fellhauer Finger, Infan te, 2. - Area 7 Astronomical Instrumentation Leonardo Bronfman Mena, Nagar, Vanzi Area 8 Outreach José Maza Galaz, Nagar Changes in research personnel Indicate any changes in the Staff of Principal Investigators and o ther Investigators as compared to the Development Plan of Co ntinuity. Use this section to introduce information on profiles and roles of newly hired personnel. Simon Casassus, an assoc iated researcher, presented his resignation to CATA to fully undertake the Direction of his Millenium Nucleus MAD supported by the Iniciativa Cientifica Milenio . During 2014, C ATA hired Cesar Fuentes as a new associated researcher. Fuentes obtained his P h.D. degree in astronomy at Harvard University in 2013. The main areas of research of Fuentes are time domain astronomy, moving object detection, dynamics, precision photometry, all in the context of the emergence of BigData and new astronomical observator ies like LSST. Advisory Committee Name its members and date of constitution, include new additions and/or drop - offs, d escribe its task (s) , frequency of meeting s , decisions taken and/or recommendations made over the period . Attach report s , if applicable. th The Board of Directors of CATA met at Cerro Calán during December 18 2014. The participants were: Sergio Jara, Vice - rector of Universidad de Chile (in representation of the Rector Ennio Vivaldi) Ignacio Sánchez, Rector of the Pont ificia Universidad Católica Bernabé Rivas, Vice - rector of Research and Developmen t of Universidad de Concepción (in representation of the Rector Sergio Lavanchy) Patricio Aceituno, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering , Universidad de Chile Máximo Bañados, Dean of the Faculty of Physics, Pontificia Universidad Católica Rodolfo Araya, Dean of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, Universidad de Concepción. Guido Garay, Director of the Astronomy Department of Universidad de Chile G aspar Galáz, Director of the Astronomy Department of Pontificia Universidad Católica Douglas Geisler, Director of the Astronomy Department of Universidad de Concepción María Teresa Ruiz, in her role of CATA Director. The Meeting started with a pres entation of the Center, its goals and vision included in the proposal for the continuity of CATA (the ongoing 5 year period) by María Teresa Ruiz, followed by the details of the budget with which CATA operates presented by Guid o Garay (CATA Deputy Director ). In this meeting the Board members expressed their concern with some rules of the Basal funds that prevent Centers like CATA from using its funds to acquire medium to large equipment needed for achieving their proposed goals. CATA Board members also ech o ed the concern expressed by the International Committee, regarding the continuation of the Center beyond its first 10 years. It was proposed to discuss this issue with the Center’s PIs and with the Associated members and have a new CATA Board Meeting in M ay /June 2015 to discuss the possible changes in the vision and a plan for renewing the Center´s Director . II. EXECUTIVE S UMMARY OF THE PROGRESS MADE This section should be written in no more than two page s and must be in relation to the progress made in t he reporting period . This information is public and may be published on CONICYT’s web site. The Centro de Astrofísica y Tecnologías Afines (CATA) is hosted by the Universidad de Chil e’s Astronomy Department at Cerro Calán, and has two associated institut ions, the Astronomy Department of the Pontificia Universidad Católica and the Astronomy Department of the Universidad de C oncepción. The main goals of CATA are : (1) to produce a significant increase in the astronom ical community working in Chile, (2) to train stu dents and specialized engineers , at the highest possible level, to meet the challenges posed by the newly available facilities , and (3) to support Chilean astronomers and engineers to become actively involved in the development of new instrumentat ion, which requires innovation in high technology a nd computer science. The actions taken by the CATA during its seven year s of operation have been very successful in pursuing these goals. 1. Research CATA continues to provide Chilean astronomers with the proper environment and tools to engage in astronomical research, giving them the opportunity to undertake ambitious Key projects which have put them at the forefront of astrophysics. These projects favour strong interaction among CATA researchers and m ake the best use of all the available research facilities. During 2014, there were six main areas of astrophysics cultivated by members of the Center: Birth and evolution of structures in the Universe Stellar populations in the local Universe The e xtragalactic distance scale Star formation Extrasolar planets and Brown dwarfs High performance computing and simulations The scientific work performed in all six research areas of the CATA during th e seventh year of operation has been con siderabl e which is reflected by the three hundred and twenty four (324) papers published by CATA members in refereed journals. Given the ample scope of the research and the amount of work done by CATA members , a fair summary is impracticable. A more detailed report of the principal science results obtained during this period in each of the individual areas of research is p resented in the Objectives and Results section. The list of refereed (ISI) publications is presented in the Table. In summary, research activities in all areas proceeded intensely fully in - line with th e initial science objectives as well as broadening their scope. 2. Human resources CATA continues to bring forth an increase in the number of new researchers and engineers working at the three assoc iated institutions. During its seventh year of operation, CATA hired Cesar Fuentes, an astrophysicist with expertise in the solar system, on a full - time ba sis. This brings to twenty (20 ) the total number of new researchers incorporated to the Center. We al so recall that during its first year of operation, CATA incorporated into the research and academic activities of the Center twenty new scientists at the different institutions. The research interests of Dr. Fuentes, hired at Universidad de Chile , include time domain astronomy, moving object detection, dynamics, precision photometry, all in the context of the emergence of BigData and new astronomical observatories like LSST. Fuentes is involved in a long time effort to discover and characteriz e minor body and trans - neptunians