Record Number of Proposals Submitted for Cycle 13
The Call for Proposals for Cycle 13, which closed on 23 April, set several new records, as stated on the ALMA Portal. First, a total of 1843 proposals were received for Cycle 13, which broke the prior record of 1836 set in Cycle 6. Second, the total amount of time requested on the 12-m Array exceeded 37000 hours, which was several thousand more than the record set in Cycle 11. Additionally, ALMA received 48 proposals for Large Programs and 91 Joint Proposals, which were also records.
Distributed Peer Review Process Underway
Deadline for stage 1 proposal review submission: 03 June 2026
Deadline for stage 2 proposal review submission: 18 June 2026
For people who are the PIs of Cycle 13 ALMA proposals or who agreed to be reviewers for proposals, the dual-anonymous distributed peer review process is now underway. The proposals can be accessed from and ranked using the online Reviewer Tool.
ALMA has assembled a large amount of documentation to guide people, particularly junior researchers, through this process. Guidelines on the ALMA website provide ample information on working with the Reviewer Tool and on writing useful proposal reviews as well as dealing with factors such as unconscious bias and generative artificial intelligence. A presentation in PDF form that describes the review process is also available. Reviewers who need help should submit a ticket through the ALMA Helpdesk.
ALMA2040 Call for White Papers
Deadline for proposing new topics or expressing interest in leading papers: 15 May 2026
Deadline for submission: 20 September 2026
Website
ALMA2040 is an initiative guiding the development of the next-generation millimetre/submillimetre interferometric facility for the 2040s. The goal is to first define the astronomical community’s key science priorities and then to use this information to instruct the design of the next-generation observatory, which may include features such as hundreds of new antennas, improved angular resolution or maximum recoverable scales, or broader frequency coverage. The science topics include the emergence and evolution of galaxies and black holes, the evolution of the cosmic baryon cycle in galactic ecosystems, the life cycle of planetary systems, and the physics of the extreme universe.
ALMA2040 is still at the stage where the initial science goals are still being defined, and everyone from the astronomical community is invited to get involved. At the moment, a call for white papers has gone out where people can submit their ideas for the science that the next generation observatory should be doing. The deadline for proposing new science topics or for offering to lead a white paper is 15 May. After this, the deadline for the white paper submissions will be 20 September. See the ALMA2040 website for more information about the overall program.
ALMA at 15 years: Science, Synergies, and the Road Ahead
22-26 February 2027
Academia Sinica Nangang Campus
Taipei, Taiwan
Website
The fifteenth anniversary of ALMA’s first general science observations is approaching, and the ALMA organization will be organizing a conference in Taipei, Taiwan, to celebrate. This conference will not only cover the latest results from ALMA but will also feature updates on the Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade, ALMA tutorial sessions, and discussions on future ALMA developments. At the moment, the conference website features only a pre-announcement, but registration and abstract submissions are scheduled to open soon.
Young European Radio Astronomers Conference
17-21 August 2026
University of Oxford
Oxford, United Kingdom
Website
Registration
The Young European Radio Astronomers Conference (YERAC) is an annual conference that provides early career researchers with the opportunity to present their science results and to network with their peers. This year’s YERAC will be hosted by the Astrophysics Department at the University of Oxford. People who wish to attend can now register using this form. However, the meeting is limited to 40 participants total, and registration will close this month, so people are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
UK ALMA Regional Centre Support Information and Contact Details
The UK ALMA Regional Centre Node is available to provide support to people working with or interested in working with ALMA. This may include help with preparatory data analysis, including the use of archival data, proposal and observing preparation, data calibration and imaging, and subsequent data analyses. We can also provide computing facilities for ALMA data processing and training for individuals or groups of people.
If you have any ALMA science results that they want to share with the UK ALMA community, please contact us, and we will endeavour to include those results in our next newsletter and on our website.
For any ALMA-related queries or support requests, please contact the UK ARC Node via the following:
ALMA Helpdesk: help.almascience.org
Email:
Web: www.alma.ac.uk