August 16: Required, non-binding Notices of Intent for Key Strategic Mission Support Proposals due to NExScI
August 31: General and Key Strategic Mission Support letter requests due to NASA HQ
September 14: All proposals and supporting letters due to NExScI by 4 pm PDT
| General Observing | ||||
| General Observing Multi-Semester | ||||
| General Mission Support | ||||
| Key Strategic Mission Support |
NASA announces a call for proposals to use its share of observing time at the W. M. Keck Observatory. This call for semester 2018A (February 1-July 31, 2018) will allocate 48 nights of observing, with planned allocations of 24.5 nights on Keck 1 and 23.5 nights on Keck 2, distributed evenly across dark, grey, and bright time. Typical over subscription rates range from 3:1 to 5:1.
Proposals are due on Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 4pm PDT and should be submitted via the online submission page. See Section VII for details.
NASA intends the use of its time allocation on the Keck telescopes to be highly strategic in support of on-going missions and/or high priority, long-term science goals as described in the 2014 NASA Science Plan.
The scientific areas in which proposals are solicited are:
In 2018A, within these science areas, three types of proposals for NASA Keck observing time will be accepted:
The primary goal of missions within the Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) is to discover and characterize planetary systems and Earth-like planets around nearby stars. Cosmic Origins (COR) Science comprises projects that study how stars and galaxies came into being, how they evolve, and ultimately how they end their lives. Physics of the Cosmos (PCOS) projects explore the most extreme physical conditions of the universe, from black holes to dark energy. PCOS topics include cosmology, high-energy astrophysics and fundamental physics. Solar System (SS) programs involve studies of objects in our own solar system. Proposals may be reassigned to a different science area if deemed appropriate.
Proposers are encouraged to consider compelling planetary science investigations. Many of these objects are possible future mission targets as outlined in the most recent planetary decadal survey. Proposers should identify how the observations contribute to the body of scientific knowledge needed to help refine objectives of future missions and aid in the understanding of the origin or evolution of the targeted body. Observations should be of lasting importance to the broad planetary community
Proposers should base their science case in terms of strategic relevance toward achieving one or more of NASA's goals for the Exoplanet Exploration, Cosmic Origins, Physics of the Cosmos, or Solar System programs, as described in the 2014 NASA Science Plan. Gradations of strategic relevance are listed below in order of highest to lowest relevance. In the "NASA Strategic Relevance" section on the cover page of your application, please note the level your program matches, and give evidence for how it matches that level.
General Observing programs requiring many nights of Keck time over multiple semesters (up to 4 semesters) may be submitted, but must explicitly and strongly justify their strategic connection to the stated goals. Multi-semester proposals are further discussed in Section III below.
Within these broad guidelines, the allocation of time will be based on scientific merit, strategic importance, availability of resources, and the uniqueness of Keck's capabilities for the particular investigation. All proposals for NASA Keck time will be evaluated by scientists comprising the NASA Keck Telescope Allocation Committee (NASA Keck TAC). The TAC process will be administered by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI). In recognition of the science communities that the NASA Keck time is expected to serve, TAC members are selected to assure balanced expertise in the areas of exoplanets, objects in our solar system, and in support of NASA's Cosmic Origins and Physics of the Cosmos goals. NASA's solicitation of proposals and their evaluation by the NASA Keck TAC will be phased so as to provide the evaluation and ranking of proposals needed to meet the telescope scheduling requirements set by the Director of the Keck Observatory.
All proposals for NASA Keck time must comply with the following criteria.
Proposals received by the application deadline will be reviewed and ranked by the NASA Keck TAC. The TAC will then submit their recommendations to the selecting official, the NExScI Executive Director, for final selection. NExScI will coordinate the final selections with WMKO for scheduling.
The scientific case for observing time should establish three things:
The technical case should demonstrate that the proposed measurements are technically feasible, given the performance of the proposed instrument(s), in the time requested, and that the proposal team has the requisite expertise to make the observations and reduce the data in a timely manner. Mission Support proposals must include additional supporting materials as described here.
Specific points that must be addressed include:
The proposal should be aimed at someone who is not a specialist in the area of astronomy under study. A specific scientific case with a connection to the bigger picture, rather than a broad general one, is usually more successful.
The opportunity to propose as Principal Investigators (PIs) for the NASA time on the Keck Telescopes is open to all U.S.-based astronomers ("U.S.-based astronomers" have their principal affiliation at a U.S. institution).
Proposals from PIs, or any Co-Is, who have access to the Keck telescopes through other partners (the University of California, Caltech, Yale, Keck Observatory, Swinburne, and the University of Hawaii) are required to indicate specifically how they are using any other Keck telescope time they have been awarded within the last two years for the proposed project and why their research requires time beyond the allocations available through their institution(s).
The TAC may use access to non-NASA Keck time as a factor in determining the final grades and rankings of the proposals. For example, the ability to achieve the science objectives with and without NASA time could be either a positive or a negative factor. If NASA time provides only a small fraction (<< 50%) of the observing time needed to complete a project, the TAC might conclude that NASA time is not crucial to the completion of scientific goals and the proposal may receive a lower ranking in comparison to a proposal which completes its goals within the NASA allocation. However, if the PI can leverage access to NASA and non-NASA time to address science goals aligned with NASA's strategic goals that could not be addressed with NASA time alone, the proposal could receive a higher ranking. In the case of two proposals ranked equally on scientific and technical merit, the TAC might use access to additional Keck time as one of the factors in determining the final ranking. Other factors that the TAC may use are listed below in the specific points that proposals must address.
In order to use the NASA time on the Keck telescopes as efficiently as possible we ask proposers to verify to the TAC that their science goals cannot be met through public observations already in the Keck Observatory Archive (KOA). To accomplish this, the PI must enter text into a box on the submission page explaining why the data contained in KOA are not sufficient to meet their science goals.
Reasons why additional or different data are needed could be related to but are not limited to the cadence, timing, or depth of the archived observations, or the wavelength range or observation mode in which the data were taken. PIs who are proposing solar system or other target observations in order to investigate changes over time, can state this without checking the archive. Proposers with large survey programs should describe KOA results for a representative sample of their targets.
To see what data are contained in KOA, please use this link and enter your target list according to the directions.
In 2018A, NASA is soliciting proposals for large Key Strategic Mission Support programs. These proposals must directly support NASA mission science goals, and not just be larger versions of general science programs. Eligible KSMS science areas include both astrophysics and solar system programs.
Proposed projects may support past, present, and/or future missions with the exception of TESS and JWST. To coordinate better with the launch and the public availability of data from TESS and JWST, KSMS proposals will NOT be accepted for these two missions in 2018A. However, PIs interested in precursor or early follow-up observations for these two missions can propose for general Mission Support projects or general observing in semesters 2018A-2019A. The next KSMS proposal call is planned for the 2019B semester and will be open to proposals for both of these facilities.
Successful KSMS programs selected in 2016A were the following: Kepler and K2 follow-up of confirmed or candidate exoplanets; redshifts survey in support of the upcoming Euclid mission; search for plumes for upcoming Europa mission.
A KSMS project is typically multi-semester, spanning 10-60 nights total (5-10 nights per semester) of combined Keck 1 and/or Keck 2 time over a time period of up to three years (semesters 2018A through 2020B).
The Key Strategic Mission Support proposals require letters of support demonstrating that the proposals support specific mission goals. All KSMS proposals must include ALL of the following:
Since the strong support of your letter writers is critical to deciding whether or not your proposal meets Key Strategic Mission Support criteria, proposers should contact the relevant flight project lead as well as Dr. Hasan at NASA HQ well before the proposal submission deadline. Letters of support must either be included in the proposal package or sent directly to the NASA Keck Operations Scientist, Dr. Dawn Gelino (KeckCFP@ipac.caltech.edu) by the proposal due date. Omission of any of these items by the above due date for Key Strategic Mission Support proposals will result in the proposal being deemed non-compliant and will eliminate the proposal from all consideration.
We anticipate funding up to $75K/year/team (depending on the number of allocated nights and the complexity of the proposed final data products) will be available to support the completion of item 8 above.
The legacy value of your data, as well as the compelling data products you produce, will enable the community to make more and better use of data from NASA space astrophysics missions. Therefore, criterion #8 is an essential part of a KSMS program. Further, the amount of funding a successful KSMS proposal receives will be contingent upon the TAC's asessment of this criterion.
KSMS proposal packets must be written in 12-point font with 1-inch margins and are limited to the number of pages below. Please note that page limits are different for the general mission support and general observing proposals, and can be found here.
All proposals requesting time must fill out a Keck Observatory Cover Sheet for 2018A. Successful Key Project teams will have to fill out the cover sheet for each subsequent semester to enable scheduling of their observations.
All raw data will go public through the Keck Observatory Archive (KOA) after the standard 18-month proprietary period (see Section VII below). Requests for a shorter proprietary period may be considered favorably by the TAC in their deliberations. Requests for longer proprietary periods will not be accepted for Key Strategic Mission Support data.
The NASA Keck TAC accepts mission support proposals that demonstrate that the proposed observations provide critical and timely support for approved NASA space missions. In this case, "critical" refers to NASA Keck data meeting one or more of the following criteria:
The TAC evaluates the science of each Mission Support proposal along with the general proposal pool without special consideration for programmatic impact. However, mission support proposals usually garner high strategic grades, and the NASA Keck selecting official, the NExScI Executive Director, will take the TAC evaluation and programmatic concerns into consideration in making the final time assignments.
All proposals submitted under the general mission support category must include the following two endorsement letters, either in the proposal package or sent directly to the NASA Keck Operations Scientist, Dr. Dawn Gelino (KeckCFP@ipac.caltech.edu) by the September 14 due date. Omission of either letter will eliminate a proposal from consideration in the mission support category.
Since the strong support of your letter writers is critical to deciding whether your proposal meets Mission Support criteria, contact the relevant flight project lead, and Dr. Hasan at NASA HQ, well before the proposal submission deadline.
Principal investigators may submit general observing/mission support proposals that span up to 4 semesters. This option reduces the workload on both PIs and the NASA Keck TAC for long-term programs. The NASA Keck TAC will be instructed to consider these proposals in light of all of the criteria that apply for single semester proposals, in addition to the following considerations:
In considering multi-semester proposals, the TAC may recommend accepting the proposal in its entirety, for some subset of the proposed semesters, or reject it outright.
Proposers should bear in mind that proposals requesting less than full nights must be scientifically and technically justified and can ordinarily be accommodated only if they can be combined with another selected program requiring a compatible instrument and configuration. Observing modes that require substantial observatory support (e.g., Laser Guide Star) are more difficult to schedule as partial night observations.
NASA observers can propose for cadence/Time Domain Astronomy (TDA) and Target of Opportunity (ToO) programs using the new WMKO cover sheet. See Section IV for details.
NASA observers can propose both cadence/Time Domain Astronomy (TDA) and Target of Opportunity (ToO) programs. ToO proposals for events likely to happen during a single semester (e.g. gamma-ray bursts, supernovae) must be submitted during the regular submission cycle so that the proposed observations can be considered by the TAC and potential scheduling opportunities can be discussed. Cadence/TDA observations are those that can be scheduled in advance and require only a small fraction of a night several times over a semester. Policies related to ToO or TDA proposals can be found at ToO policies and TDA/cadence policies. These policies are in place for a 2-year trial period (through semester 2018B) with a review after the first year.
Starting in Semester 2017A, four Keck partners (UC, Caltech, UH, and NASA) agreed that TAC-approved ToO and TDA projects may interrupt observers at any of the four institutions. Each TAC can award up to a combined total of six ToO/TDA observations that interrupt any of the other institutions. The TAC will require that proposals requesting ToO or TDA status be of the highest scientific and/or strategic importance due to their disruptive nature at the observatory and to other observers. We will endeavor to schedule the highest priority programs, but we cannot guarantee availability of ToO/TDA observations for all approved programs. Observing modes that require substantial observatory support, e.g. LGS, are more difficult to schedule as ToO observations.
PIs may ask for their time to be designated as uninterruptable, i.e. as exempt from ToO or cadence interrupts. To do this, mark the appropriate box on the NExScI submission page and justify in one brief paragraph why the proposed observations cannot be interrupted. This explanation should be scientifically motivated, namely that such interruptions would seriously compromise the scientific return of the observing program. It is anticipated that interruption-free time will rarely be granted. Note that programs scheduled as half-nights or smaller will not be interrupted.
Only proposals that fit the case of a ToO observation of an extraordinary opportunity that could not have been anticipated prior to the proposal deadline may be submitted outside of the regular submission cycle to Dr. Dawn Gelino. Note that all ToO proposals must meet the strategic relevance guidelines described above.
Data taken with all instruments on the Keck telescopes are included in the Keck Observatory Archive (KOA) with a default proprietary period of 18 months. Requests for extensions of this default proprietary period MUST be included in the proposal and on the WMKO cover sheet and be scientifically justified. All extensions must be approved by the NASA selecting official, NExScI Director, Dr. Charles Beichman.
All publications based on data acquired with the Keck telescopes and/or the Keck Observatory Archive should include the acknowledgement(s) below.
Please send a citation for any paper using either acknowledgement to the NASA Keck Operations Scientist, Dr. Dawn Gelino (KeckCFP@ipac.caltech.edu).
"This work was supported by a NASA Keck PI Data Award, administered by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute. Data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory from telescope time allocated to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through the agency's scientific partnership with the California Institute of Technology and the University of California. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.
The authors wish to recognize and acknowledge the very significant cultural role and reverence that the summit of Mauna Kea has always had within the indigenous Hawaiian community. We are most fortunate to have the opportunity to conduct observations from this mountain."
"This research has made use of the Keck Observatory Archive (KOA), which is operated by the W. M. Keck Observatory and the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI), under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration." Please also use the ADS bibcode provided by KOA to reference the PI of the dataset.
To submit your proposal, please follow the guidelines outlined on the Application Procedures page, and submit your proposal via the online submission page. Proposals are due on Thursday, September 14, 2017 by 4 pm PDT.
Subject to the availability of funds, NASA will financially support PIs of programs assigned time through this call for proposals. PIs will receive limited research and travel support contingent upon NASA Headquarters funding. Funding awards will be determined through formulaic means. Target of Opportunity proposals do not typically receive financial support since the observations may never be triggered. PIs of approved KSMS programs are expected to be awarded up to $75K/year depending on the number of nights the program is awarded and the complexity of the proposed final data products.
NExScI will manage the Keck PI Data Awards and will contract with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to administer the disbursement of most of the funds. Depending on the size of the award and the nature of the PI's home institution, the funding instrument used by JPL will in most cases be a Research Support Agreement (RSA). An RSA is a simple Fixed Price, Advance Paid, subcontract provided through JPL that is used for basic research funding where scientific reports and technical data are the only deliverables. RSAs can be awarded to educational and non-profit institutions. JPL is unable to issue grants. Proposers should not include any budget information in the proposal however successful KSMS proposers will be contacted by NASA Headquarters for detailed budget information.
The only reporting necessary for RSAs is a final "end of contract" report outlining the work done and listing publications from the research. This report is required. Please use this final report template to ensure that all relevant information is included. Failure to submit a final report in a timely manner may be grounds for rejection of observing proposals in subsequent years. Final reports can be submitted online.
NASA Keck observers have direct access to three Remote Observing Facilities (ROFs) for their Keck observations. These ROFs are located at Caltech (Pasadena, CA), Yale University (New Haven, CT) and USRA (Columbia, MD). See the ROF page for more information and usage guidelines. The procedure to use one of these ROFs should be started no later than 5 weeks before the scheduled nights.
Note that other ROFs are available to NASA users with direct access to these facilities.
Web Curator and NExScI Cognizant Official: Dr. Dawn Gelino
(last updated May 7th, 2020 16:39:09)
The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute is operated by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under the Exoplanet Exploration Program.
