Proposal Documents

Cycle-Independent Documentation

In addition to cycle-specific documentation, the following documents are regularly updated:

Quick Guide — brief booklet with an overview of each instrument, including science examples
​Tech Flyer — single-page list of specifications of SOFIA and its instrument suite
USPOT Manual — instructions for submitting proposals with the Unified SOFIA Proposal and Observation Tool (USPOT); download USPOT here
Co-Author Affiliations with the People’s Republic of China

Cycle 10 Documentation

Call for Proposals (for regular proposals)
Call for Proposals for the SOFIA Legacy Program (SLP)
Observer's Handbook for Cycle 10
USPOT Manual
AOR and projects examples (Proposal prep webinars proceedings)

SLP & SARP Budget Template (not cycle-specific)
Grant Funding Distribution Plan
Grant Budget Guidelines 
Grant Progress Report Template
Co-Author Affiliations with the People’s Republic of China

SOFIA Archival Research Program

Call for Proposals
USPOT Manual
Budget Template
Grant Funding Distribution Plan
Grant Budget Guidelines
Grant Progress Report Template

Cycle 9 Documentation

Call for Proposals (for regular proposals)
Call for Proposals for the SOFIA Legacy Program (SLP)
Observer's Handbook for Cycle 9
USPOT Manual (not cycle-specific)

AOR and projects examples (Proposal prep webinars proceedings)
SLP & SARP Budget Template (not cycle-specific)

Grant Funding Distribution Plan (updated June 25, 2021)
Grant Budget Guidelines
Grant Progress Report Template
Co-Author Affiliations with the People’s Republic of China

Cycle 8 Documentation

Call for Proposals (for regular proposals)
Call for Proposals for Legacy (SLP) and Archival (SARP) programs.
Observer's Handbook for Cycle 8
USPOT Manual (not cycle-specific)
SLP & SARP Budget Template (not cycle-specific)

Documentation Compilation

Compilation of SOFIA documentation, including data documentation, as described below.

• ​Call for Proposals - overview of the specified cycle, including offered instrumentation, available modes of operation, southern deployment, and notable changes from previous cycles.
• Observer's Handbook - the primary technical reference for astronomers who wish to submit a proposal to SOFIA; provides an in-depth review of each instrument's capabilities and observation techniques
• Data Handbooks - descriptions of data products, processing steps, calibration procedures, and known issues
• Data Cookbook Recipes - guided examples of common data analysis objectives using SOFIA processed data; access SOFIA archival data here