Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium

Welcome to KNAC!

The Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium (KNAC) comprises astronomy faculty and students at eight small liberal arts colleges and universities in the northeast. Our goals are to promote astronomy research among our students and to foster faculty and student interaction among the eight campuses. We sponsor a student exchange program each summer and a student research symposium each fall.

We were originally funded by the W. M. Keck Foundation beginning in 1990 and have been funded in the past by the National Science Foundation.

Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium

Each summer KNAC faculty host undergraduate research interns from within the consortium.

Information about the types of research projects carried out in the consortium can be found on the web pages of individual faculty and there's also information available about the application process. Applications for summer 2025 are due by February 10. The application is now open.

The application process for summer 2025 is now open!

Fall Student Research Symposium

Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium

Each fall students and faculty from the summer undergraduate research research experience and the member schools gather together for a student research symposium.

The 2024 symposium was hosted by Colgate University on September 27 and 28.

Information for Students