ESO DOI Service

• Patat, Ferdinando [European Southern Observatory (ESO)]
• Leibundgut, Bruno [European Southern Observatory (ESO)]
• Mieske, Steffen [European Southern Observatory (ESO)]
• Rejkuba, Marina [European Southern Observatory (ESO)]

The Time Allocation Working Group (TAWG), formed in 2015 as one of the actions generated by the ESO 2020 prioritisation initiative, was tasked with reviewing the telescope time allocation process at ESO. The TAWG report outlined key recommendations aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of proposal handling and telescope scheduling at ESO. Among these, the transition to a yearly cycle for the Call for Proposals and the introduction of a Fast Track Channel were highlighted as significant steps forward. This paper outlines the background, rationale, and next steps for these upcoming changes, made possible thanks to recent improvements in software and scheduling tools.