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Joint James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)-NASA Keck Proposals

Click here for the full JWST Cycle 4 Call for Proposals (released August 1, 2024), including specific information on Joint JWST/NASA Keck programs.
JWST Cycle 4 Proposals were due October 16, 2024.

By agreement with NASA HQ, the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) and the Space Science Telescope Institute (STScI), the JWST Telescope Allocation Committee (TAC) will award NASA Keck time to highly ranked proposals that request observations from both JWST and NASA Keck. Proposers will submit a single proposal to STScI/JWST to request time on both observatories. This procedure is meant to avoid having to submit separate proposals to and be approved by both the JWST and Keck TACs.

The only criterion above and beyond the usual review criteria is that both sets of data are required to meet the science goals. The proposed project does NOT need to require simultaneous JWST and Keck observations.

Some information on the joint program is given below; see JWST Opportunities and Policies for complete information.

  • The instruments available for NASA Keck observations are listed here.
  • Joint JWST/Keck proposals will be submitted to STScI.
  • Up to 10-15 nights per year can be allocated by the JWST TAC.
  • Up to 2 partner Keck Target of Opportunity/cadence interrupts can be awarded by the JWST TAC.
  • Multi-semester proposals of up to 2 semesters (1 JWST proposal cycle) will be permitted.
  • Keck data collected under this joint program are subject to same nominal period of exclusive use as the JWST data.
  • Keck observations approved through this joint program will be scheduled in a similar fashion to all other Keck programs. Keck observations lost to weather or instrument/telescope issues will not be rescheduled.
  • Requests for contemporaneous/simultaneous JWST/Keck observations will be considered but cannot be guaranteed.
  • NASA Keck time will only be awarded in conjunction with new JWST observations, not with Archival or Theory proposals.
  • Major results from these programs should be credited to both JWST and NASA/Keck.
  • Proposers to the JWST TAC will be required to submit a WMKO coversheet on which instrumentation information and lead observers will be designated. It is a WMKO requirement that first-time users of an instrument have at least one lead observer present at Keck for the initial observing run.
  • NExScI will perform a technical review of the Keck portion of the joint proposals approved by the JWST TAC and reserves the right to reject any approved observation determined to be infeasible, impossible to schedule, and/or dangerous to the telescopes or instruments. Any Keck observations that prove infeasible or impossible could jeopardize the overall science program and may cause revocation of the corresponding JWST time allocation. We therefore urge proposers to discuss technical concerns with appropriate staff at both observatories.
  • Proposers will be required to check if appropriate archival Keck data exist in the Keck Observatory Archive (KOA) and provide clear scientific and technical justification for any new Keck observations of previously observed targets.
  • Although teams may propose a similar or the same program to both the NASA/Keck and JWST TACs, STScI and NExScI personnel will examine approved programs to avoid duplication of proposals/programs in the use of NASA Keck time.

(last updated February 11th, 2025 15:11:46)

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.