A portion of the DDRF has been allocated to start up a new infrared lab, the Independent Detector Testing Laboratory (IDTL). This lab is jointly operated by JHU and STScI and has three primary goals: 1) to provide instrumentation to staff scientists for advancing their research, 2) to provide the best possible near-infrared detector expertise to STScI, in preparation for the NGST mission, and 3) to serve the community by disseminating information and providing services related to NIR detectors. In its first year of operation, the IDTL has already been awarded major funding to comparatively characterize the two competing NGST near-infrared detectors. This new project will especially benefit the community, given that all of its products will be freely available through a data archive.
See the IDTL Status Report more information.