The principal goal of the IAC is “to promote astrophysical research”. One of the most effective ways the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has of doing this is through providing the use of Spanish observing time on each of the telescopes installed in the Canarian observatories at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos and the Observatorio del Teide.  

Observing time for the Spanish community is awarded through different schemes. Access to a large number of facilities is granted through the Time Allocation Commission (Comisión de Asignación de Tiempos – CAT), comprising a Solar Committee and a Night Time Committee. The CAT members are qualified astrophysicists, who can be based in national and international Institutes, Universities, and Research Centers. The CAT manages ~20% of the observing time corresponding to Spain according the International Agreements on Cooperation in Astrophysical Matters, signed by the owner institutions of the telescopes.

Some of the telescopes at the Observatorio del Teide (IAC80, TCS, OGS) are managed by Head of the Telescope Operation Group, who evaluates all the observing proposals. Moreover, the IAC community has access to a number of facilities (SARA, LCOGC) through specific agreements.