When a user submits a finished proposal to STScI, the file format of the submission will be an RPS2 file. This allows us to concentrate on the PI's proposal development while not changing the PC's proposal processing. This was a luxury that we did not have when we transitioned from RPSS to RPS2 and mitigates the risk of changing two complex systems at the same time.
Note that if the PC finds that s/he needs to make a change to the proposal that the PI cannot make, then the updated RPS2 file could be converted to the APT format before being sent back to the PI.
Figure 5 summarizes the paths of information flow involving RPS2 files. This Figure is an expanded version of Figure 4. The various paths are indicated with different line styles. The upper left shows the input path involving old RPS2 files. Another path is seen in the lower portion of the Figure where a PC occasionally must modify a proposal after submission. The edited proposal should then be returned to the GO as an XML file. The GO can then view the changes and make additional changes for resubmission.