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The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) proposal process occurs in two phases. In Phase I, proposers create and submit proposals which emphasize scientific justification and HST resource requirements. These proposals go through a two-stage external scientific peer review. Successful proposers must then prepare a more detailed Phase II proposal for implementation. The next round (Cycle 5) of HST observing is expected to start in mid-1995, and the call for Phase I proposals for this round is expected to be sent out 1 June 1994 with a proposal submission deadline of 15 August 1994.
For Cycle 5, STScI is introducing some major simplifications and improvements into the Phase I process which will be described in this paper. Among these changes are a switch from spacecraft time to orbits as the basis for resource allocation and accounting, and the introduction of a LaTex template for proposal preparation. New instructions for estimating the required number of orbits have been developed that are accurate and easy to use. The LaTex template serves two purposes: from it the proposer can print the hardcopy of the proposal for submission; in addition the completed template is to be sent electronically to STScI where it will be used to populate the proposal tracking database. In this Cycle, STScI will also experiment on a limited basis with all-electronic proposal submission as a step towards what will hopefully become a more ``paperless'' process in the future.
