How to submit your proposal via the webform
Applicants are requested to access the ProMS2.0 page to fill the webform for the application form and upload necessary files (e.g., PDF files of Scientific Justification). Please refer to 'ProMS2_guide.pdf' for the instruction.
We recommend that you read Call for Proposals carefully. Any questions related to proposal submission should be forwarded to 
.
Application Form Templates
Please choose the appropriate form template for your program type.
| Program Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Subaru | Normal/Intensive program for all instruments, including ToO (except for HSC/PFS queue mode, see below) |
| Gemini | Subaru–Gemini time exchange program using Gemini instruments |
| Keck | Subaru–Keck time exchange program using Keck instruments |
| Subaru + Gemini | Subaru–Gemini time exchange program using both Subaru and Gemini instruments |
| Subaru + Keck | Subaru–Keck time exchange program using both Subaru and Keck instruments |
| HSC Queue | HSC Queue mode program |
| PFS Queue | PFS Queue mode program |
| Service | Service mode program |
| HSC Filler | HSC Filler program |
| PFS Community Filler | PFS Community Filler program (offered only in the “A” semester) |
Each form describes sections specific to the program. If you don't find the sections, please refer to Normal/Intensive Application Form.
Normal/Intensive Application Form
The sections with (*) will be hidden from referees. For other sections, please follow the Dual Anonymous (DA) writing style described below.
1. Title of Proposal
Provide a short title for your proposal.
2. Principal Investigator (*)
Provide contact details for the PI.
The information provided in the 'Gender' and 'PhD Year' fields is utilized exclusively for statistical analysis aimed at identifying potential biases. This data will not appear in the proposal, and referees will not have access to them.
Please ensure that your affiliation and email address are up to date.
3. Scientific Category
Please select appropriate one out of following 23 categories:
(1) Solar System (2) Evolved Extrasolar Planets (3) Young Extrasolar Planets (4) Planet Formation (5) Star Formation
(6) ISM (7) Stars and Brown Dwarfs (8) Stellar Envelope and Activity (9) Compact Objects and SNe (10) Milky Way
(11) Galactic Archaeology (12) Local Group (13) Nearby Galaxies (14) IGM and Abs. Line Systems (15) Circumgalactic Medium
(16) Cosmology (17) Gravitational Lenses (18) Clusters and Proto-Clusters (19) Environmental Effect on Galaxies
(20) High-z Galaxies (LAEs, LBGs) (21) High-z Galaxies (others) (22) AGN and QSO Activity (23) Miscellaneous
This is used to combine similar proposals into the same category group. Please note, however, that the category specified by an applicant may be changed in the reviewing process according to its contents. Each Normal/Intensive program proposal will be reviewed usually by 5 referees (anonymous) who are experts in the relevant category.
4. Abstract
Provide a clear and concise description of your proposed observations and their scientific importance in approximately 200 words. The abstract of all the accepted Subaru proposals will be open to the public after the time of the data release (i.e., when the proprietary period of 18 months has expired).
5. Co-Investigators (*)
List the first and last names and affiliations, and email addresses of co-investigators. Please obtain the consent of all co-investigators for his/her being included in this list, since e-mail notification will be sent to them just after the deadline of application. All potential observers should be listed here. Please avoid using the name of a team or group. You can append the "CoI" field as many as you like (In case that the number of these co-investigators is large, the names of some members may not appear on the formatted cover page, however, our database certainly stores all the records of co-investigators listed on the webform). Please answer the question of 'How many students do you have among CoI?'. This is just for educational statistics and will not be used for the screening.
6. Thesis Work (*)
If the observations will form part of a graduate student's thesis project, please provide the student's name and thesis title.
7. Intensive Programs
If you are submitting an Intensive Program proposal, please select 'yes'. Intensive proposals using Keck instruments are not allowed. Those using Gemini instruments can be submitted only for B semesters (March deadline).
8. List of Applicant's Related Publications (*)
List publications (with full citation) related to the proposal.
9. Condition of Closely-Related Past and Scheduled Observations (*)
If your proposal is a continuation of (or inextricably related with) the previously accepted proposals, describe how the relevant past observations were carried out by giving the Open Use proposal ID, Title, Weather/Observational condition, Achievement rate [in %] for the planned outcome.
Additional remarks:
(a) The proposals described here must be included also in the following "10. Post-Observational Status and Publications".
(b) The reason why you request observational time in this semester (in spite of the past experience of Subaru observations on a similar/the same theme) has to be briefly described at the end of the "Scientific Justification" (e.g., bad weather/condition, telescope/instrument down time, expansion/improvement of the data, observing targets in different season).
10. Post-Observation Status and Publications (*)
Report the status or outcome of your main Subaru Observations carried out in the past. All observations relevant to this proposal (e.g., those listed in 1-9) must be included here. Similarly, all observations in the past 3 years with which the applicant was involved as PI must be reported. Give the date, the Open Use proposal ID (e.g., S01B-999), PI's name, status of data reduction/analysis, and related publications. For HSC queue mode programs with Grade A or B, specify (Grade, completion rate) [for example, (A,90%)] in the 4th status column. Queue programs of Grade C or Filler programs do not need to be reported unless they have been executed.
11. Team Expertise (*)
Please describe your team expertise to conduct the proposed science program.
12. Observing Run
List the instruments, the requested and minimum acceptable number of nights, preferred and acceptable dates (e.g., "Apr/01-May/31"), lunar phase (Bright, Gray or Dark), and Observing Modes.
Dark time is defined as being within 3 nights of the New Moon, Bright time is within 3 nights of the Full Moon, and Gray time is the remaining part of the lunar cycle.
Applicants who request Dark time for infrared observations should justify its necessity in their scientific justification.
If you propose AO observations, please select the correct combination in the instrument list among NGS-AO188, LGS-AO188, and NIRWFS-AO3k.
Possible 2nd choice Instruments: If your science goal can (fully or partly) be achieved by the instruments (of Subaru/Keck/Gemini) other than your 1st choice instrument, you could describe such alternative instruments as 2nd choice instruments.
13. Scheduling Requirements
Any other special scheduling requirements should be clearly explained here, especially when you request bright/gray nights while there are still unacceptable dates affected by the Moon.
Please note that there are two types of ToO programs in terms of the response timescale: "rapid" and "non-rapid" - please see ToO Program. If your proposal includes both rapid and non-rapid ToO, please select "rapid". If your proposal is intended for phenomena with a low occurrence rate and satisfies the rare ToO criteria described on the ToO Program page, the PI may submit it as a rare ToO proposal by checking “rare”. A rare ToO proposal is still classified as either rapid or non-rapid; therefore, PIs must select the appropriate response timescale ("rare" or "rapid+rare"). "rapid" can be selected on the Subaru, Subaru+Gemini, Subaru+Keck (Subaru only), or Gemini forms. “rare” can be selected on the Subaru, Subaru+Gemini (Subaru only), or Subaru+Keck (Subaru only) forms.
If your proposal requires observations on a specific date/time or within a narrow time window (e.g., only a few specific dates or at most about a week), please select “Time-Critical” in this section.
14. List of Targets
List all the targets intended for observations. Please use equinox J2000.0 unless otherwise specified in comments. If you have comments on targets, please indicate them in the field for comments.
Notes for PFS: Use the PFS Target Uploader to submit the target list and then paste the Upload ID in the boxes at the bottom of this section. Please refer to the PFS Target Uploader User Guide for detailed instructions. The Upload ID is not mandatory in the PFS Classical form if the targets are not available at the time of the proposal submission (e.g., transient, ToO targets). Please describe a summary of the areal coverage, number of targets, and source density in the comment box, which is mandatory for technical reviews.
15. Observing Method and Technical Details
Describe your proposed observations. Please explicitly state the instrument configuration (filters, slit width, readout mode) and justify the requested time by describing the details of your proposed observations, with reference to the instrument sensitivities provided on the website. Please justify the minimum nights requirements. Please give sufficient information so that the feasibility of proposed observations can be confirmed, and so that support astronomers can prepare for observations.
If you propose AO observations, please describe the nature of the targets (extended or point source) as well as the guide star properties (see the Planning Observations with Subaru AO188, and with NIRWFS for details).
If you propose PFS Classical observations, please follow the template for Classical mode provided on the PFS website to fill out this section.
If you propose a rare ToO program, please provide an estimate of the target occurrence rate and explain why the proposal satisfies the criteria of rare ToO program. Please see the ToO program page for examples of estimates of occurrence rates.
16. Instrument Requirements
HSC applicants must explicitly describe the filters they intend to use, where the desired set as well as the minimum acceptable set should be clearly specified here. Other specific or unusual instrument requirements should be explained here.
17. Backup Proposal in Poor Conditions
Provide a short description of observations which will be carried out if conditions are not good enough for the main purpose (e.g., poor transparency). Please specify target names. Besides, please do not forget to give the data for the targets also in "List of Backup Targets" section in the application form.
18. Public Data Archive of Subaru
Check your targets in SMOKA database (Public Data Archive) before your submission. If your targets have already been observed by Subaru in the past, please describe why you need to observe them again.
19. Justify Duplications with the on-going SSP
For PFS applicants who request to observe the same fields or targets as observed with PFS SSP, please describe the differences between your program and the SSP.
Service Program Form
For Service Programs, 'Requirements of Observation' should be written in the plain text according to the specific instructions detailed on the service program webpage. Then, upload the plain text file via the webform.
PFS Queue Form
12. Pointing Simulation
To fill out this section, please run pointing simulations using the PFS Target Uploader. Please refer to the PFS Target Uploader User Guide and the PFS website for detailed instructions.
14. Target Upload ID
Use the PFS Target Uploader to submit the target list after the pointing simulations. Copy the Upload ID and paste it into a box in this section. Also, please describe a summary of the areal coverage, number of targets, and source density in the comment box, which is mandatory for technical reviews.
15. Observing Method and Technical Details
Please follow the template for Queue mode provided on the PFS website.
17. Justify Duplications with the on-going SSP
Please describe the differences between your program and the PFS-SSP following the policies described on the PFS website.
[Offered in the A semester] PFS Community Filler Form
7. Target Upload ID
Use the PFS Target Uploader to submit the target list. Copy the Upload ID and paste it into a box in this section. Also, please describe a summary of the areal coverage, number of targets, and source density in the comment box, which is mandatory for technical reviews.
8. Justify the program as a filler and duplications with the on-going SSP
Please describe (1) why a normal program does not fit to carry out the proposed observation, and (2) the differences between your program and the PFS-SSP following the policies described on the PFS website.
How to Prepare the Scientific Justification
Dual Anonymous Review
Applicants should read the Dual Anonymous Guidelines (Japanese/English) before writing the Scientific Justification, and proposals should be written in the DA writing style.
- Avoid mentioning names and affiliations of PI/Co-Is.
- Avoid claiming ownership of the applicant's past work.
- Cite references (publications, data, and software) in a neutral third-party manner.
More practical examples can be found in the DA Guidelines of ALMA.
SJ Format
Following conditions should be fulfilled for the PDF file of the Scientific Justification. Proposals violating any of these requirements may be disqualified without being reviewed.
A template that complies with the formatting rules can be found at: Overleaf template
| language: | Should be written in English. |
|---|---|
| paper size and orientation: | A4 size, portrait |
| header information: | At the top of the first page, the title of the proposal should be clearly written. |
| font size: | Use font no smaller than 10 points (even in the figure caption or in the reference). |
| page limitation: | including figures, tables and references.
|
| margins: | 15mm or more on all sides. Page numbers and white areas of figures are not considered margins. |
| file size: | The file size should not exceed 4MB. |
| file name: | The name of the file should end with ".pdf". |
Notes: The scientific justification for the service does not need to include an abstract, as a separate abstract section has been added to the service program form.
Color figures can be included in scientific justification. However, proposals will be sent to referees electronically, and reproducibility of the color figures may depend on the referees' environments.
updated on August 5, 2026