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As members of staff, Plaskett Fellows have access to all the resources of the NRC-HIA, including:
- Conference and Observing Travel
- Publication Charges
- Computing Support
- Library Resources
- Administrative Support
Conference and Observing Travel
Every effort is made to ensure that Plaskett Fellows have the opportunity to present their work at national and international meetings, typically one or two of each per year. Similarly, priority is given to enabling Plaskett Fellows to travel, when required, to telescopes upon which they have been awarded observing time. The budget for science travel is allocated by a small committee that includes one Fellow.
Publication Charges
The Observatory science budget covers each staff member's share of page charges in refereed journals.
Computing Support
We make it a priority to provide each Plaskett Fellow access to a modern computer system that will optimize their research productivity. NRC-HIA provides extensive, state-of-the-art computer systems operating with Unix (Linux, Solaris), Windows, and Mac OS X platforms, general purpose computing servers, excellent storage and file backup (access to approximately 7 – 8 TB of disk space), and internet connectivity (gigabit link to the research internet), all professionally managed by the Computer Group. Our small users group invites one Fellow to serve, and thus to provide input for optimal operation of the systems for scientific research. In addition, CADC staff have cutting-edge platforms supporting the Canadian Virtual Observatory and the associated data bases. Current CADC holdings include approximately 100 TB of images in >16 million files; these include copies of Digitized Sky Surveys 1 & 2, FUSE, Guide Star, HST and Vizier Catalogues; and the official archives for CFHT, CGPS, Gemini and JCMT data. The CADC delivered almost 9 TB of data to astronomers around the world in the last twelve months. In mid-2005, these CADC services were supported by 31 processing and 30 storage servers.
Library Resources
Plaskett Fellows enjoy access to extensive electronic library holdings, including electronic versions of the major journals of astronomy and astrophysics. This virtual library service is operated by Canada's national science library, the NRC Canada Institute of Scientfic and Technical Information. NRC-CISTI also manages our strong physical collection, the result of assiduous development since our founding early in the 20th century. This collection includes astronomical journals, observatory publication series, books and conference proceedings and is managed by a professional, on-site librarian.
Administrative Support
An excellent, service-oriented team provides staff with assistance for human resource issues, travel arrangements, purchasing, etc.
