Board of Directors' Meeting - Dec. 2003

The Board has discussed SAC resolutions #5 to #10 and expresses the following:

The Board strongly supports the recommendation from SAC on the need for close communication within the CFHTLS Steering Group and the member communities. The SG is reminded that part of its mandate is "to be proactive in disseminating information on the progress of the Survey to the CFHTLS communities" and to plan the detailed execution of the Survey "through continuous interaction with the involved communities". Major changes in the execution of the Survey, such as significant changes in target field selection, filter selection, or relative time allocations, should be approved by SAC after consultation within the SG and with the member communities. Other aspects of the SG mandate are outlined in the minutes of the BOD meeting in December 2001.

SAC is charged with conducting the first annual assessment of the CFHTLS by an expert review panel, to be completed by November 2004.

The Board has discussed SAC resolution #11 and expresses the following:

The Board encourages the CFHT member communities to explore large joint programs that would make the best scientific use of WIRCAM.

At this time the Canadian and French agencies indicate their willingness to make a significant fraction (25%-50%) of their bright time available for this purpose.

The Board encourages programs that:

* complement the CFHTLS
*make acquired data available to the participating community within a minimal   proprietary period
* define a mechanism for public release of homogeneous high level products

The Board asks SAC to consider the following issues:

* limitations of the proprietary time
* definition of the review process through national TACs
* definition of a process to resolve scheduling, target duplication and similar issues
* role of agency centers in data processing and generation of high level data products

The Board asks SAC to prepare a response with a draft call for proposals, available for review by the Board no later than March 1st, 2004.