JANSKY INFORMATION
1. WHERE TO STAY
A. In Charlottesville:
If the visitor's does not plan to rent a car and will need to walk to
the NRAO, we normally put them up at the Best Western, Cavalier Inn on
Emmet Street. It is about a 10 minute walk. The NRAO rate is $64.
Contact info is: 434-296-8111, tell them that you have a direct bill
account - Edgemont Road location (we have two accounts).
However, for a nicer hotel we use the Residence Inn by Marriot on
Millmont Street (~10 minutes away). The NRAO rate is $94 to $134.
Contact info: Veronia Molina, Sales Manager 434-923-0300
. They require that you send them email
when making a reservation. Request there best rate and ask them to
direct-bill using UVNRAN7 account.
We do not have a shuttle service available. However, they could get a
taxi to and from the hotel.
B. In Socorro:
For housing, the NRAO guesthouse is within convenient walking distance to the office.
For reservations, please go to the NRAO web site as follows:
1. http://www/nrao.edu/
2. Look under useful links. Click Socorro under NRAO sites.
3. Under Visitors, click Official Visitors
4. Then click Visiting Scientists registration form.
While you are here please contact Allen Lewis in HR to take care of your personnel
matters. I have sent him a copy of this email should he need to contact you before your
visit.
3. COMPUTERS
A. NRAO will create a computer account that can be used to forwards email to an
address at your host institution. This will allow you to receive message posted to the
SciStaff, All Employ lists, and to log in to access internal NRAO web pages. The
initial account can be cloned (with identical password) to other NRAO sites if you
contact the appropriate system administrators.
B. If I want to buy a computer, could I do that now to make sure it is there when I arrive?
Yes, you can take care of ordering a computer now.
Please contact James Robnett at jrobnett@aoc.nrao.edu and he will be able to help you
out on that.
C. What happens to the computer when the Jansky Fellowship is over?
The computer is NRAO property and is returned at the end of the
Fellowship.
D. Can I use my funds to purchase a PDA?
Yes, you may purchase a PDA. The same property rules apply as with the
computer.
E. Who purchases the computers for Janksy Fellows? The first stop
should be with James Robnett in Socorro. He can be reached at
505.835.2852 or via email at jrobnett@nrao.edu.
F. How do I gain access to the internal NRAO website? Pat Murphy of our
Charlottesville Computer group provided the following response to my
question.
"I don't know if this came up before but I was asked about access to
the NRAO website for one of our off-site Jansky Fellows. Will they be
permitted to go via the VPN if they are located at a non-NRAO site
such as Stanford, Rutgers, and the like?
Yes. However, if they run Linux, they may prefer to use ssh tunneling
to achieve the same goal; they can contact me directly if needed for the
recipe (I'm using it right now in fact from home).
If their computer is a NRAO-configured system, it should be preloaded
with the VPN. If not, there's a form they can fill out the form
indicated on the upper right of this page:
http://www.nrao.edu/gold/vpn.shtml
and return it to either me or my counterpart at their "home away from
home" site (aoc, gb, cv). Once we receive the form, we'll send the VPN
software their way."
Pat can be contacted at 434.296.372 or email (his preferred method) at
pmurphy@nrao.edu.
G. Do external Jansky fellows typically make computer purchases through NRAO or
through their host institution? In other words, does it matter whether I use the Dell
representative at my host institution or go through someone at NRAO? Computers are
ordered through ______
at NRAO and not through their host institution or representative.
H. Should I purchase the computer myself and then get reimbursed, or is there an NRAO
purchase order form that I need to fill out to charge the purchase to my research account?
J. Robnett orders. It goes on a purchase requisition with DSAA head approval. NRAO
receives the computer and in turn ships it to the Jansky Fellow.
I. For future reference, the URL that works (for Windows and Linux) is
https://vpn.cv.nrao.edu/webvpn.html
rather thant the one Allan P. sent.
J. I wanted to make sure both of you had an explanation on how to access
internal web pages of the NRAO. The simplest way is to point your
Java enabled browser to:
http://vpn.cv.nrao.edu
Accept the unsigned SSL certificate when asked. Type in your username
and password once the page loads. You will then be presented with the
NRAO home page. You can now go to the internal web pages from here.
K. "A good page to gather information about various access means would be in the
NRAO web Goldbook, which can be found at this URL:
http://www.nrao.edu/gold/
Use the ssh tunnelling approach to gain access to the internal web pages from a Linux or
Unix system. A user needs to use "ssh" to connect to the actual server before the tunnel
will actually work because of key exchanges. You will find references to the this under
the section 5.1 titled "Virtual Private Networks"."
L. Computing will need to know your:
Full name
Email address
Phone number
Their location (site)
Their start date.
Whether they want email here forwarded to their regular email address.
Whether they need assistance ordering a computer.
Whether they already have an NRAO account and if so where (CV,GB,AOC).
We need to provide them some information as well ... like how
to access internal web pages. How to complete their account set
up by contacting us so we can change the password.
4. EMAIL
Email accounts for non-resident and Socorro residents should be set up through
Socorro computing.
For resident Greenbank and Charlottesville Janskys, the account should be set
up through Charlottesville?
5. DIRECTORIES AND MAILING LISTS
Your names will be added to the NRAO telephone directory and lookup
systems. In addition, you will be on the following mailing lists: scistaff, NRAOpostdocs,
janskyfellows, researchstaff, allemploy. For resident Janskys, their names will be added
to the scistaff list specific to their site location.
6. VISAS
Business Services handles non-visa issues. HR (Roy Norville) handles all visa issues.
Typically Business Services makes contact with the host institution for the business
relationship.
7. TRANSFERS TO ANOTHER HOST INSTITUTION
Ted Miller makes contact with the new institution to establish the process for funding and
the sponsorship letter.
8. SCHEDULE OF STANDARD and OTHER MEETINGS
A. There will be regular telecoms with the other Jansky Fellows. It is also possible
to participate in other NRAO-wide telecoms (e.g., the biweekly star formation
discussion group and the monthly meetings for the North American ALMA Science
Center).
B. Starting list with contact person for details:
1. ALMA North American Science center -- contact John Hibbard
2. ALMA science IPT -- Al Wootten (may be a closed meeting)
3. Software working group -- Steve Myers
4. VLA/EVLA test meeting - Barry Clark
5. VLBA test meeting - Craig Walker
6. GBT commissioning meeting - R. Prestage"
7. NRAO scistaff meetings
These are the best way to find out what is really happening at NRAO, and to potentially
get involved in some of the commissing efforts of the newest instruments. Many things
can be done remotely. For additional information please contact Chris Carilli.
9. TRAVEL
A. I NEED TO FILE A REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRAVEL. Can you remind me
where to find the necessary forms and who to submit them to?
If you'll access the NRAO web page, click on "NRAO Staff", then "Fiscal
Division", then Internal Forms. There you will find forms for travel
authorization, travel expense voucher, etc. When the forms are
completed, please attach the original receipts and mail them to me at P.O. Box O, 1003
Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801. When Miller signs them I'll send them over to
SOC fiscal where they will issue the reimbursement check.
Please remember that a travel authorization form still needs to be sent for insurance
purposes even though the expenses for a trip will be covered by sources other than
NRAO
B. How far in advance can I book travel and get reimbursed?
The NRAO Travel Policy Manual only states that travel authorizations
must be submitted at least one week in advance of the trip. I glanced
through some pending TA's I have on file and they range anywhere from 2
weeks to 2 months before the trip. If you are requesting a travel
advance I would suggest about a month in advance to allow for all time
frames involved in handling the paperwork. I assume you will be making
your own travel arrangements? The Manual also states that the TEV must
be filed within five working days from return. You can access the
Travel Policy Manual by going to the NRAO web page, click on "NRAO
Staff", then "Fiscal Division", then "NRAO Travel Manual". There is
also a "Summary of Reimbursement Allowances" and "Traveler's Check List" on the
"Internal Forms page.
C. Is there a limit to the amount or type of travel that is reimburseable?
As a Jansky Fellow I believe there is a $7,000 per year budget for
travel and computing requirements. Examples of travel I've noticed that
the Janskys have taken have included conferences, travel to NRAO sites,
institutions, domestic and international. On the travel authorization
form there are spaces to fill in your exact itinerary, and the purpose
of the trip and it's relationship to Observatory business, etc. Please
look at the Policy Manual as there are requirements for trips to high
altitude locations.
10. NRAO CALENDAR OF MEETINGS
Go to http://www.nrao.edu/internal/cal.shtml. Click “All NRAO” or desired
NRAO site, then click “View Selected Calendar.” Choose from day, week, 2-week,
month, year.
11. START OF EMPLOYMENT PAPERWORK
A. Start-of-employment paperwork can be filled out at any
NRAO site. This may be especially relevant if you are
coming from outside the U.S., do not have continuous health
care coverage, and do not want to risk getting hit by a bus
before you are able to make the standard orientation visit
to Socorro.
B. Some iteration with the business office may be
necessary even after the initial start-of-employment
paperwork is filled out, since in certain state (e.g.,
Maryland), income tax withholding may depend on which
county you end up living in.
12. Oral Presentations and Publishing Papers:
A. As an NRAO employee, you are expected to list your NRAO
affiliationfirst and your host institution second in
contexts when both are called for (e.g., presenting talks
and publishing papers). Using the ApJ style file as an
example, an acceptable formulation in an author list would
be
\altaffiltext{1}{Jansky Fellow, National Radio Astronomy
Observatory}
\altaffiltext{2}{Department of Astronomy, Host Institution,
host Address; user @astro.host.edu}
Paper acknowledgements should cite cupport from NRAO,
“which is operated by Associated Universities, Inc., under
cooperative agreement with the National Science
Foundation.” NRAO will also pay page charges for papers,
according to the policies explained at
http://www.nrao.edu/library/page_charges.shtml
13. EXTERNAL GRANTS
A. External grants (e.g., won through successful NASA
observing proposals) will be managed by NRAO, not by your
host institution. There is an extensive description of how
grant proposals should be submitted and grant awards
managed at the (internal) page
http://www.nrao.edu/internal/business/pwg.pdf
Note that official NRAO policy requires submission of the
“Authorization for Submission of Non-Programmatic Funding
Request” form in advance of the actual grant proposal
deadline-by two weeks in the case of Chandra, Hubble,
Spitzer, and similar proposals. At whatever stage a budget
is prepared, Ted Miller (tmiller@nrao.edu) an provide detailed
information about NRAO indirect cost rates. It is possible
to arrange for NRAO to sub-contract some fraction of an
overall grant to your host institution in the event you
wish to hire a student there.
14. LOCAL INSTITUTIONAL COSTS
A. Each nonresident fellow is entitled to up to $3000 per
year “to defray local institutional costs.” Such costs may
include a computer connection fee, phone calls, Xeroxing,
printing, sending faxes, and express-mailing documents,
amont others. Exactly how this fund is set up will vary,
but the common denominator is that someone in your host
institution’s business office will need to talk to someone
in the NRAO business office first. This would also be a
good opportunity to make sure that your host institution
understands you are foremost an NRAO employee (with your
own health insurance, support for grant management, etc.).
15. COMMUTER PARKING
A. Commuter parking (i.e., required by the home-to-work
trip) cannot be paid for out of the “local institution
costs” fund, but it can be deducted from your salary on a
pre-tax basis. This requires filling out a form from the
NRAO business office. Parking on work-to-work trips (e.g.,
you are hosted by MIT but regularly visit the CfA) can be
reimbursed from the “local institution costs” fund at the
discretion of your host institution.
16. ACCOUNT NUMBERS
A. The project numbers that you write down on travel
authorization forms and travel expense reports (all of
which should be sent to Socorro) include
• 94300.4686 for domestic research-budget trips,
including observing, data reduction, and long-terms visits
to NRAO sites;
• 94300.4690 for international research-budget trips;
and
• 94310 for participating in the annual Jansky
Fellows Symposium.
Note that for insurance purposes, travel authorization
forms still need to be submitted for trips that will be
entirely paid for by non-NRAO institutions.
17. TRAVEL CARDS
A. It is possible (via the business office) to obtain an
NRAO-backed Diners Club (Master) Card. This is a useful
resource for trips requiring use of a rental car, since
Diners Club provides benefits in case of damage to the car
that (a) most other credit cards do not, and (b) for
certain rental car companies you would otherwise require
paying for additional insurance that NRAO cannot reimburse.