  The cosmological utility of type Ia Supernovae (SNe) prompted numerous
studies of these events, and they are now well characterized observationally,
both as individual objects and as a population. In contrast, all other types of
SNe (i.e., core-collapse events) are not as well observationally characterized.
While some individual events have been studied in great detail (e.g., SN 1987A
or SN 1998bw), the global properties of the core-collapse SN population are
little known. However, in recent years, major drivers for change have emerged,
among them the verification of the connection between core-collapse SNe and
long-duration Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), the possible utility of some
core-collapse SNe (type II-P) as independent cosmological probes, and studies
of core-collapse SNe as high redshift targets for missions like SNAP and JWST.
The Caltech Core-Collapse Project (CCCP) is a large observational program using
the Hale 200'' and the robotic 60'' telescopes at Palomar observatory to obtain
optical photometry, spectroscopy and IR photometry of ~50 nearby core-collapse
SNe. The program is designed to provide a complete sample of core-collapse
events, with well-defined selection criteria and uniform, high-quality
optical/IR observations, as well as radio and X-ray light curves for some
events. We will use this sample to characterize the little-studied properties
of core-collapse SNe as a population. The sample will be used as a comparison
set for studies of SNe associated with Gamma-Ray Bursts, to promote and
calibrate the use of SNe II-P for cosmography, and to set the stage for
investigations of SNe at high-z using coming space missions such as SNAP and
JWST.
