The Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) is operated as a national facility for astronomical research . Located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, the IRTF is operated by the University of Hawaii with funding from NASA. The NASA contract to the U. of Hawaii provides for supporting costs of visiting observers studying solar system objects. The NSF funding supports visiting observers for observations of non-solar-system objects, which are allotted approximately 50% of the observing time on the telescope.
***