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Guidelines for the Scientific Case for NASA Keck Telescope Time

The following guidelines apply to standard proposals for 2008A and/or 2008B time. The guidelines for Exo-Zodiacal Key Science proposals can be found here.

The NASA allocations support investigations within four areas, including three science areas and space missions support.  The order of priority is:

  1. Detection of extrasolar planets,
  2. Origin and nature of planetary systems,
  3. Investigations of our own solar system, and
  4. Mission support.
Proposals received by the application deadline will be reviewed and ranked by the NASA Keck Telescope Allocation Committee. The committee will then submit their recommendations to the selecting official, the MSC Executive Director, for final selection.  The MSC then coordinates these final selections with the Keck Observatory for scheduling.

The scientific case for observing time should establish two things:

  1. It should outline the scientific problem(s) or question(s) toward whose solution the observations are requested, and place these questions in the larger scientific context. 
  2. It should show how the measurements requested will be used to illuminate these questions or problems. 
The technical case should demonstrate that the proposed measurements are technically feasible, given the performance of the proposed instrument(s), in the time requested.  Mission support proposals must include additional supporting materials.  The number of target objects required should be justified.

All applications must include complete lists of the objects to be observed, their magnitudes and their approximate equatorial coordinates. Applications without such lists will be rejected.

Specific points which must be addressed: 

  • How the proposed observations relate to the applicant's previous work, and to other work in the field. 
  • Why the Keck Observatory and its site on Mauna Kea, are particularly important or even essential for the proposed observations. 
  • The spatial, spectral, and temporal range and resolution required. 
  • Estimates of the signal-to-noise required and expected, and justification for the number of nights requested for the entire program. 
  • If new or unusual techniques are to be used, make clear how observations and calibrations will be obtained. 
  • Brief description of the status of large telescope time that has been awarded during the past 2 years, such as progress with data reduction and publications. 
  • Any other information that may assist the TAC in evaluating the scientific merits of the proposal and its suitability for the Keck Telescopes. 
  • The presentation should be aimed at someone who is not a specialist in the area of astronomy under study. A specific scientific case, rather than a broad general one, is usually more successful. 
  • Proposals that span multiple semesters should additionally justify their extended requests.
Principal Investigators (PIs) with access to the Keck telescopes through other means (faculty and research scientists of the University of California system, Caltech, and the University of Hawaii) should indicate in their proposals how they are using any other Keck telescope time that they are being awarded and the reasons why their proposed research requires time beyond the allocations available through their universities.

Web Curator & MSC Cognizant Official: Dawn Gelino