ALMA Cycle 13 Call for Proposals to Open Soon

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) will soon invite astronomers worldwide to submit proposals for its next observing cycle. The Cycle 13 Call for Proposals will be released on 19 March 2026, with a submission deadline of 23 April 2026.

Observations are expected to begin in October 2026 and span 12 months, with 4,300 hours of observing time using the 12-meter Array and the Morita Array (Atacama Compact Array, ACA). These observations will enable studies across a wide range of astrophysical topics, from the formation of planets and stars to the evolution of galaxies across cosmic time.

Proposal preparation

For this cycle, proposals will be prepared using a web-based version of the ALMA Observing Tool, replacing the previous desktop application. The web-based system preserves the established proposal preparation workflow while allowing users to create and manage proposals directly within the tool.

Astronomers planning to submit proposals are encouraged to begin preparing their observing programs in advance. Documentation on Cycle 13 proposal preparation and technical capabilities will be available on the ALMA Science Portal when the Call for Proposals is released on 19 March 2026.

Expected capabilities

Observations in Cycle 13 will use the standard 12-meter Array configurations C-1 through C-10, providing maximum baselines ranging from 0.16 km to 16 km.

Cycle 13 will also mark the introduction of Band 2 (67-116 GHz) on the 12-meter Array. This new capability expands ALMA’s frequency coverage. It enables the observation of important molecular transitions that trace cold gas in the interstellar medium and in nearby and distant galaxies.

Additional Information

ALMA is a partnership of ESO (representing its member states), NSF (USA) and NINS (Japan), together with NRC (Canada), NSTC and ASIAA (Taiwan), and KASI (Republic of Korea), in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. The Joint ALMA Observatory is operated by ESO, AUI/NRAO and NAOJ.