Quotation Estimate Astronomer in United States Chicago –Free Word Template Download with AI

Quotation Estimate No.: QEST-2025-CHIC-0472
Date of Issue: June 12, 2025
Valid Until: July 12, 2025 Prepared For:
University of Chicago Department of Astronomy
5625 S. Ellis Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60637
United States

Dear Members of the Procurement Committee,

Thank you for requesting this Quotation Estimate for professional Astronomer services to be delivered in the United States Chicago metropolitan area. Lakeview Astronomical Consulting Group, LLC is pleased to present the following detailed proposal for your review. This Quotation Estimate outlines the scope of work, associated costs, and terms governing the engagement of a senior Astronomer to support your ongoing research initiatives, public outreach programs, and observational campaigns based in Chicago, Illinois.

The Astronomer engaged under this Quotation Estimate will provide the following professional services within the United States Chicago region and its surrounding observatory facilities:

Research Consultation (40 hours): The Astronomer will conduct in-depth consultations on stellar evolution, exoplanet detection methodologies, and cosmological data analysis. All sessions will be held at the client's designated facility in Chicago or at the McDonald Observatory liaison center in the United States.
Observational Campaign Support (60 hours): The Astronomer will plan, execute, and document a series of deep-sky observation sessions utilizing the 2.1-meter telescope at the client's site. This includes calibration, data reduction, and preliminary spectral analysis of target objects in the northern sky visible from Chicago's latitude (41.8781° N).
Public Outreach & Education (20 hours): The Astronomer will deliver a minimum of four public lectures and two school-visit programs in the United States Chicago area, covering topics such as the life cycle of stars, the Hubble Deep Field, and recent discoveries in gravitational wave astronomy.
Grant Writing & Publication Assistance (20 hours): The Astronomer will assist the client's research team in drafting NSF and NASA grant proposals, as well as preparing peer-reviewed manuscripts for submission to journals such as The Astrophysical Journal and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Equipment Assessment & Calibration (10 hours): A comprehensive review and recalibration of the client's spectrograph, CCD imaging systems, and adaptive optics components located at the Chicago-based research station.

Item No.	Description of Service	Hours	Rate (USD/hr)	Subtotal (USD)
01	Research Consultation – Senior Astronomer	40	$285.00	$11,400.00
02	Observational Campaign Support – Astronomer & Data Analyst	60	$310.00	$18,600.00
03	Public Outreach & Education Programs – Chicago Area	20	$220.00	$4,400.00
04	Grant Writing & Publication Assistance	20	$265.00	$5,300.00
05	Equipment Assessment & Calibration – Chicago Station	10	$340.00	$3,400.00
06	Travel & Local Transportation within United States Chicago Metro	—	—	$1,250.00
07	Software Licenses & Data Processing (AstroPy, IRAF, DS9)	—	—	$2,100.00
Subtotal				$46,450.00
Applicable Illinois State Sales Tax (10.25%)				$4,761.13
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST (USD)				$51,211.13

This Quotation Estimate is valid for thirty (30) calendar days from the date of issue. After the expiration date, all rates and availability of the Astronomer are subject to revision.
Payment terms: Fifty percent (50%) of the total amount is due upon acceptance of this Quotation Estimate; the remaining fifty percent (50%) is due within thirty (30) days of project completion.
All services will be performed by a credentialed Astronomer holding a Ph.D. in Astrophysics or a related field, with a minimum of fifteen (15) years of professional experience in observational and theoretical astronomy.
The Astronomer shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations in the United States Chicago jurisdiction, including but not limited to the City of Chicago's noise ordinances for nighttime observational work and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for equipment operation.
Any additional hours or services beyond the scope defined in this Quotation Estimate will be billed at the hourly rates specified in Section 2, subject to prior written approval by the client.
Intellectual property generated during the engagement shall be jointly owned by the client and Lakeview Astronomical Consulting Group, LLC, unless otherwise stipulated in a separate agreement.
This Quotation Estimate does not constitute a binding contract until countersigned by both parties. The Astronomer engagement is contingent upon the client's written acceptance of all terms herein.
Force majeure: Neither party shall be liable for delays or failures in performance resulting from acts of God, severe weather conditions affecting Chicago-area observatory operations, or government-mandated closures.

By signing below, the client acknowledges receipt of this Quotation Estimate and agrees to the terms, conditions, and pricing outlined for the engagement of the Astronomer in the United States Chicago area.

For Lakeview Astronomical Consulting Group, LLC:

Dr. Margaret E. Thornton, Ph.D.
Lead Astronomer & Principal Consultant
Signature & Date: ___________________________

For the Client (University of Chicago):

Authorized Representative
Department of Astronomy
Signature & Date: ___________________________ ⬇️ Download as DOCX Edit online as DOCX

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