JWST Opportunities and Policies
This page provides a listing of current and past JWST opportunities and applicable policies.
On this page
Current JWST proposal opportunities and guides
Past opportunities
- Director's Discretionary Early Release Science (DD ERS) Program
- Guaranteed Time Observation (GTO) Program
- JWST Cycle 1 General Observer (GO) and Archival Research (AR) Program
- JWST Cycle 2 General Observer (GO) and Archival Research (AR) Program
- JWST Cycle 3 General Observer (GO) and Archival Research (AR) Program\
Announcement
Release Notice: August 1, 2024
We are pleased to announce the Cycle 4 Call for Proposals for James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations and funding for archival research programs.
Participation in this program is open to all categories of organizations, both domestic and foreign, including educational institutions, profit and nonprofit organizations, NASA Centers, and other Government agencies.
We anticipate up to 8,500 hours offered for GO programs in Cycle 4 as compared with 5,500 hours in Cycle 3. The increased allocation reflects the reduction in the tail of observations from Cycle 1. See the JWST Call for Proposals for Cycle 4 for further details.
This solicitation for proposals will be open through October 16, 2024 by 8:00 pm US Eastern Daylight Time. The Astronomer's Proposal Tool (APT) is required for proposal submission. Results of the selection will be announced in early March 2025.
Questions can be addressed to the STScI JWST Help Desk (http://jwsthelp.stsci.edu) where you can submit questions directly to the appropriate team of experts.
The Cycle 4 Call for Proposals
The Call for Proposals (CfP) invites the astronomical community to propose for observing time on JWST in a given cycle (nominally one year in duration). It summarizes the policies and procedures for proposing in that cycle of JWST observing, including requests for research funding on archival JWST data. See the JWST Call for Proposals for Cycle 4 for more information.
The James Webb Space Telescope offers proposal opportunities for General Observers (GO) and Archival Proposals (AR) during Cycle 4. Cycle 4 science observations will commence July 1, 2025.
We invite scientists to participate in the fourth cycle of investigations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST is an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). JWST is operated and managed by AURA's Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).
Important dates
| Release of the Cycle 4 Call for Proposals | August 1, 2024 |
| Cycle 4 Proposal Deadline | October 16, 2024 by 8:00 pm US Eastern Daylight Time |
| Cycle 4 Budget deadline | May 8, 2025 by 5:00 pm US Eastern Daylight Time |
The Time Allocation Committee meeting date is scheduled for February 2025. Notification of the outcome of the selection process will be sent to all proposers in early March 2025.
JWST general science policies
James Webb Space Telescope Science Programs from all opportunities are required to follow a broad range of STScI and NASA policies that affect e.g., time allocations, duplicate observations, data rights, and funding. This includes the list of policies below, which are also accessible from the menu on the left. Salient aspects of many of these policies are also highlighted or referenced in the Call for Proposals.
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JWST General Science Policies
- • Guidelines for Proposals where JWST and HST Overlap in Capabilities
- • JWST Observing Overheads and Time Accounting Policy
- • JWST Duplicate Observations Policy
- JWST Observation Duplication Checking
- • JWST Science Parallel Observation Policies and Guidelines
- • The JWST Single-Stream Proposal Process
- • Micrometeoroid Avoidance Zone Policies and Procedures
- • JWST Observing Program Modification Policy
- • Policies for the Telescope Time Review Board
- • How to Submit a Program Change Request (PCR)
- • JWST Target of Opportunity Program Activation
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NASA-SMD Policies and Guidelines for the Operations of JWST at STScI
- • Policy 1 - Limitations on the Use of Funds for the Research of General Observers and Archival Research
- • Policy 2 - Data Rights and Data Dissemination
- • Policy 3 - Data Requests and Facilities
- • Policy 4 - Post-Launch Commissioning of JWST
- • Policy 5 - Clarification of Extensions of Exclusive Access Data to Public Affairs Activities
- • Policy 6 - Distribution of JWST Science Data Obtained from Investigations Other Than Those Selected Through the Peer-review Process
- • Policy 7 - NASA Needs for Support for Other Missions
- • Policy 8 - Definition of Observing Time
- • Policy 9 - Allocation of Guaranteed Observing Time to Scientists Selected Under AO 01-OSS-05 and Through NASA-ESA-CSA Agreements
- • Policy 10 - Redistribution of Guaranteed Observing Time Among Observers
- • Policy 11 - Protection of Science Programs Associated With Guaranteed Time
- • Policy 12 - Education and Public Outreach
- • Submission Process for Joint JWST Proposals where the Partner Observatory is Prime
- • Review and Implementation of Rapid Response Observations on JWST
Download PDF
JWST Call for Proposals for Cycle 4.pdf
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