JPL scientists, engineers and technologists with ideas and concepts that have the potential to revolutionize future space missions, are encouraged to respond to this solicitation. Study Programs must be co-led by a JPL researcher, a Caltech Campus faculty member, and an external collaborator. The study will include participants from each of these communities. JPL has resources to support the JPL participants of successful proposals. KISS provides limited travel support for external collaborators.

Studies may vary in their implementation. A study could be a short and intensive two-week workshop. A study could be as long as a year in length, with a couple of workshops, and some other periods where external visitors return to KISS to continue their collaborative interaction with their JPL/Campus study counterparts. Regardless of the study length, every selected study program will be eligible to compete for KISS follow-on technical development funding in the following 2014 calendar year.

Study program proposals are solicited in the areas of space engineering, planetary science, remote sensing and earth system science, astrobiology, and astronomy and physics from space.

The Keck Institute is looking for approaches that would not happen without KISS sponsorship. We are looking for technically oriented studies that significantly advance a field. Proposals for incremental advances will not be funded. We are interested in bringing people together in new ways on in-depth collaborations that will pursue new scientific and technical directions. Proposers are encouraged to contact any JPL KISS Steering Committee member if they have questions or need help identifying a Caltech faculty collaborator.

KISS Steering Committee Members include:

• Dan McCleese, JPL Chief Scientist
• Jonas Zmuidzinas, JPL Chief Technologist
• Randy Friedl, Deputy Director for Research, Engineering and Science Directorate (3X)
• Mike Werner, Chief Scientist, Astronomy and Physics (7X)
• Les Deutsch, Chief Technologist, Interplanetary Network (9X)

We intend to select and support 4-5 Study Programs for the 2013 calendar year. All proposers must submit a Proposal Concept to the Institute (see link below for more details) by 01 November 2012. More information may be found at this website: http://www.kiss.caltech.edu/study/guidelines.html