The Governing Council of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canaries (IAC) met this afternoon, under the presidency of the Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation of the Ministry of Economics and Competitivity (MINECO) Carmen Vela del Olmo, who in the following press conference highlighted the work carried out by the IAC in these past 30 years both in scientific research, publishing on average more than one result per day in specialized journals, and in scientific outreach. Juan Ruiz Alzola, Director General of the Canary Agency of Research, Innovation, and the Information Society (ACIISI) of the Government of the Canaries, also pointed out that Astrophysics is the area where the Islands have developed their competitive capacity to the maximum, and which has made the biggest contribution to European science.

At the start of the meeting the Secretary of State also met with some of the IAC researchers, to interchange impressions about the present state of research in Spain, and in particular at the IAC.

The meeting of the Governing Council began with the report of the Director of the IAC, Rafael Rebolo, on the technical and scientific activities carried out since the previous meeting in July 2014. Personnel issues were discussed. Then a report was presented containing the recommendations of the Research Advisory Commission (CAI) of the IAC. It was proposed to substitute Professor Andrea Dupree, of the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, who is finishing her service on the Commission, by Professor Debra Elmegreen, of Vassar College, New York.

Large Telescopes 

The IAC continues working in international collaborations whose aim is to develop three major telescopic installations, and have expressed an interest in siting these in the Canary Observatories. One of these would be the Liverpool 2 Telescope (LT2), with a 4m primary, the first robotic telescope of this diameter. The science case for this telescope has been published in the journal Experimental Astronomy, Vol. 39, Issue 1. Pp. 119-165.

The Governing Council was informed about the negotiations leading towards the installation in the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma) of the northern hemisphere section of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The IAC is coordinating the negotiations with MINECO and with CTA-Spain.

The European Solar Telescope (EST) has been presented at the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (EFSRI) as a project led by Spain, and coordinated by the IAC. EFSRI has accepted the proposal for technical evaluation.

The Director also informed the meeting that the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) of the United Kingdom has told the IAC of its interest to continue scientific exploitation of the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes during the coming decade, but with reorganization of the management and operation of the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) and the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT).

IACTech and CATELP

The Director of the IAC also informed the meeting about the state of IACTech, the technology centre which will be sited in the Science and Technology Park of La Laguna, in the previous “Hogar Gomero”. The contract for the building work for this centre is still out for tender, although on March 9th 2015 the construction project was presented publicly. The building of IACTech has an overall budget of 4.5 million euros. IACTech will be sited in grounds with an area 4,730 m2; the building itself will have a total area of 4,185 m2 on several floors.

The Governing Council was also informed of the present state of the projected installation of the Centre of Astrophysics and Technology (CATELP) OF La Palma in the new Project Antares Zone for Science and Technology. The motive is to allow the whole astrophysical community on La Palma to be situated in a one place, to guarantee the maximum connectivity (by road and with telecommunications) of this new centre with its surroundings, (including the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory) and to favour the future growth of the centre with the incorporation of new user institutions and with highly innovative initiatives by private industry. The IAC will be the manger and the point of contact for this new Technology Area with all the institutions represented at its observatories.

The Governing Council finally ratified the 41 agreeements, 31 national and 10 international, signed since its last meeting.

Budget

The Director presented a planned Budget for 2016, which was approved, which maintains the Institute’s expenses at about the same level as those of 2015, and which follows the provisions of the Four Year Plan previously approved by the Governing Council. The budget of the IAC is 15,888.7 k€ of which funding from MINECO is 11,350.00 k€ and from the Autonomous Community of the Canaries is 4,560.00 k€. In addition additional income is foreseen for activities of R+D+I (contracts, agreements, funding from the European Union etc.) of some 8,000 k€.

The members of the Governing Council of the IAC who were present at the meeting: 

-Carmen Vela del Olmo, Secretary of State for Research Development and Innovation (substituting for the Minister of Economics and Competitivity

-Juan Ruiz Alzola, Director General of the Canarian Agency for Research,Innovation, and the Information Society

-Antonio Martinón Cejas, Rector of the University of La Laguna

-Marina Villegas Gracia, Director General of Scientific and Technical Research of the Ministry of Economy and Competitivity

-Carlos Alonso Rodríguez, President of the Most Excellent Island Council of Tenerife

-Anselmo Pestana Padrón, President of the Most Excellent Isalnd Council of La Palma

-Rafael Rebolo López, Director of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canaries and Secretary of the Governing Council. 

Also present were:

-Carlos Martínez Roger, Vice-director of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canaries, acting as secretary of the meeting.

-Gema Esther Sotomayor, Legal Services of the State, as advisory lawyer.