JWST Call for Proposals for Cycle 6
STScI solicits proposals for JWST General Observer (GO), Survey, and Archival Research (AR) programs.
This document establishes the goals, requirements, and policies for JWST GO, Survey, and AR programs in Cycle 6. The Table of Contents for the web version of this document is on the left side of this page (some users may not see this sidebar, but instead have a "Browse" button at the the top or bottom of the screen), and links there can take you to any page from any other page (click the arrow to expand the entire table of contents under "JWST Call for Proposals for Cycle 6"). The links at the top of each page under "On this page" correspond to sections within that given page. Downloadable PDF collections of these articles are provided as a courtesy, made available and updated when feasible.
The online documentation is the authority and will be updated with the latest information.
On this page
Late breaking news
New information that arises during the Cycle 6 Call for Proposals will be provided here. Please check back frequently and subscribe to the JWST Observer News mailing list.
- July 20, 2026
If you downloaded the PDF version of the Call for Proposals before 11:00 am ET on July 20, 2026, please redownload the latest version. There was an issue resulting in several pages missing from the previous version of the PDF.
Announcement
We are pleased to announce the Cycle 6 Call for Proposals for James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) General Observer (GO), Survey, and Archival Research (AR) programs. We anticipate allocating up to 7,700 hours in Cycle 6 divided proportionally among Very Small, Small, Medium, and Large/Treasury GO programs, depending on proposal pressure. We invite scientists to participate in this opportunity, which is open to all categories of organizations, both domestic and foreign, including educational institutions, profit and nonprofit organizations, NASA Centers, and other Government agencies.
Proposals are due on September 30, 2026 by 8:00 pm US Eastern Time. The APT submission portal will close promptly at the deadline.
The version of the Astronomer's Proposal Tool (APT) required for proposal submission is 2026.3.2 or higher. This version was delivered on July 9, 2026. We encourage prospective investigators to start preparing their proposals as soon as possible.
The Cycle 6 Telescope Allocation Committee (TAC) will meet in the first two weeks of February 2027, with selections announced in March 2027.
For details, please consult this full Call for Proposals, including JWST New Features and Updates. Questions may be submitted to the JWST Help Desk.
The telescope and its instruments were built under the auspices of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Management of JWST's scientific program is carried out by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).
Proposing calendar and deadlines
Cycle 6 Call for Proposals released: July 20, 2026
Cycle 6 proposal deadline: September 30, 2026 by 8:00 pm US Eastern Time
Cycle 6 peer review meeting: February 1–11, 2027
Cycle 6 selection notifications to all proposers: Early to mid-March 2027
Cycle 6 budget submission deadline: End-April 2027
Cycle 6 observing dates: July 1, 2027–June 30, 2028
Important resources
- Read all sections of this Call for Proposals by following the Table of Contents (left sidebar of the web version, or if not visible, click the "Browse" button at the top or bottom of the page).
- Register (or update) a STScI Single Sign-On (SSO) Account.
- Consult the suggested JWST proposal workflow.
- Familiarize yourself with the JWST key science policies.
- Know how your JWST proposal will be evaluated.
- Visit the JWST User Documentation Homepage.
- Find abstracts of previously accepted programs on the JWST Approved Programs page.
- Contact the STScI JWST Help Desk. We strongly encourage users to use this avenue to submit questions directly to the appropriate team of experts.
Who's responsible
The JWST Call for Proposals and related materials for Cycle 6 were edited by Rebecca Levy. The Associate Director for Science, Mercedes López-Morales, and the Science Policy Division (SPD) at STScI are responsible for the oversight of the JWST science program selection process. SPD members include Laura Watkins (Head of SPD), Amaya Moro-Martín (Head of JWST Science Policies Group), Molly Peeples (Cross-Mission Policy Scientist), Daniel D'Orazio, Amy Jones, Claus Leitherer, Rebecca Levy, Joshua Lothringer, Nikolay Nikolov, Lou Strolger, and Technical Manager Aleksandra Hamanowicz. Neill Reid (Multi-Mission Project Scientist) participates in an advisory capacity.
Next: JWST New Features and Updates