The Pilina and Kōkua Initiative

The privilege of conducting science on Maunakea in Hawai'i extends beyond the opportunity to seek knowledge from this special place; it invites us to also learn from and share knowledge with the local community.

With sincere intentions of fostering a genuine understanding and respect for the land and its people, the Directors at the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI), University of California Observatories (UCO), Caltech Optical Observatories (COO), and W. M. Keck Observatory (WMKO) are committed to cultivating connections between astronomers and members of the Hawai'i community, including WMKO staff. Among the ways to do so is by providing our observing community the opportunity to learn values unique to Hawai'i, get to know the history of this storied place, immerse in meaningful acts of service, and contribute to the well-being of the local community. In doing so, we can come into long-lasting reciprocal relationships built on trust and mutuality.

Through a deeper connection to Hawai'i, observers will broaden their perspective; gathering data from Maunakea will take on a more personal, holistic meaning that can help astronomers be better scientists in how one views, approaches, and shares one's work. New perspectives could also lead to new, unexplored avenues of scientific inquiry.

Based on this framework, NASA will participate in an initiative started by the COO, UCO, and WMKO leadership to facilitate NASA-Keck observers from our constituencies to travel to Hawai'i, observe at WMKO headquarters, meet and perhaps give informal talks to WMKO staff about science and their scientific program, and most importantly participate in Hawai'i community activities. The Pilina (relationship to people and place) and Kōkua (to help in ways that are called for) Initiative will facilitate extending an observer's stay for up to two additional days to provide time for connection and service to people and place, for example by participating in community engagement programs while at WMKO.

This is aligned with - and in support of - the Astro2020 State of the Profession, which calls for a community astronomy model that consists of the following principles:

• Listen and empower
• Aim to do good for all
• Invest in the future together

Proposers should indicate their willingness to participate in the initiative on the proposal submission site. Based on the response, and the observation scheduling, NExScI will coordinate with WMKO to accommodate approximately six NASA-Keck observers per year (three per semester) for Pilina and Kōkua Initiative participation; selected observers are invited to extend their stay in Hawai'i by up to two days. Expressions of interest in this initiative will not impact TAC grades or time allocations.

Program Eligibility and Requirements

• The participant must be a NASA-Keck observer at the time of the observing run, and designated as a representative of the observing team by the program Principal Investigator.

• The observing must be in support of a NASA-Keck project.
• Participating individuals (no more than three per semester) will be selected by the NASA-Keck Selecting Official and notified of the selection as a part of the standard program notification process.

Reference: https://sites.astro.caltech.edu/observatories/coo/solicit/PKI.html

(last updated January 27th, 2026 12:38:43)