-- Announcements --
New NAI Team Pages go live!
The NAI is excited to announce the release of this year’s NAI Annual Report data displayed in new “Team Pages”! These new pages bring you the current and previous year’s reports on the research and activities from each NAI Team. The pages include an executive summary, the members of the Team, project reports, Education and Public Outreach (EPO) reports, NASA Missions and field work, reports from the NAI/NRC Postdoctoral Fellows, and publications for each reporting year.
To access all this data go to http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/team/index.cfm
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Fellowship and Funding Opportunities Available Through the NASA Astrobiology Institute
The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) provides a suite of funding opportunities to support graduate student and postdoctoral training, collaboration amongst its Teams, travel for field expeditions, seed funding for new innovative research, and the support of meetings, courses, conferences and workshops.
The NAI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, administered in partnership with Oak Ridge Associated Universities (previously through the National Research Council program), was established to support a highly select group of Institute-wide postdoctoral fellows. These NAI Fellows are encouraged to interact across the entire Institute, and participate fully in the NAI’s activities and programs. The award is initially for one year, and potentially renewable up to a maximum of two years total tenure. There are two review cycles per year, with application deadlines of February 1 and August 1.
The NAI Research Scholarship (NRS) Program offers stipends and research-related travel expenses to enable students (graduate or early postdoctoral) to circulate among two or more of the Teams. The program also supports travel to field-sites and meetings when required for the progress of the student's research. The maximum award is $5,000. Application deadlines are February 1, June 1, and October 1 of each year.
Through the NAI Conference and Workshop Fund, and with the participation of the NAI Members, the NAI will continue to coordinate the NAI presence at astrobiology-related professional conferences and present the public with information on NAI and Astrobiology. We are open to requests for sponsorship of special sessions at national and international professional meetings, as well as requests for support to organize a separate meeting or workshop focused in areas relevant to astrobiology. Participation by NAI Members is expected, but the activities should also be open to the broader science community.
The NAI Directed Discretionary Fund (DDF) is a critical component of the NAI’s funding portfolio. It is aimed at supporting opportunistic requests requiring a timely response; including activities such as small research projects, workshops and conferences, equipment purchase, and field expeditions. Note that the NAI encourages collaboration amongst its Team, and therefore the DDF is also available to support the travel of its members within and between teams when it is necessary for the success its members work. The maximum request which can be supported through the DDF is $50K.
For more information on these opportunities, and how to apply, see the NAI website at http://nai.arc.nasa.gov, and click on Funding.
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October 2005 NAI Research Scholarship (NRS) Awards
Vyllinniskii Cameron (PSU) is proposing novel work to study nickle stable isotope biogeochemistry in collaboration with Dr. Derek Vance at the University of Bristol, UK.
Avi Mandell (PSU) is currently in residence at GSFC. The scholarship will support three trips in 2006 to Hawaii to conduct observations at Keck and NASA-IRTF.
Dana Rogoff (ARC) is proposing a two-month trip to Australia, primarily to do field work at the Paralana Hot Spring. This will be part of a larger collaborative project that will compare and contrast archaea found at two early Earth analogues, Paralana Hot Spring and Licancabur.
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ROSES-2005 Amendment
With this amendment to ROSES-2005, NASA announces a new due date for Notices of Intent to propose (NOIs) to the Astrobiology Science and Technology Instrument Development and Mission Concept Studies (ASTID) program. The deadline for submitting or modifying a Notice of Intent (NOI) has been extended to November 9, 2005 and the due date for proposals remains December 9, 2005.
Further information about the ASTID Program Element is available from Dr. Michael New, Solar System Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; Telephone: (202) 358-1766; E-mail: Michael.H.New@nasa.gov.
If you have submitted a Notice of Intent to propose (NOIs) to the Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) program the due date for proposals remains November 30, 2005.
Further information about the ASTEP Program Element is available from Dr. Carl Pilcher, Solar System Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; Telephone: (202) 358-0291; E-mail: Carl.B.Pilcher@nasa.gov.
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Recently Published Research from the NAI
The following new papers have been published recently by NAI members. These and other recent NAI funded research are presented on the NAI member portal and collected in the NAI Research Highlights Archive – http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/research/. In this archive, you can link to the papers and any press materials that may have been generated about them.
If you have an upcoming or recent publication, please tell us about it as soon as possible. We will work with your institution to produce press releases, publicize the paper on the NAI website, and pre-populate your team's annual report with your publication. Please send any information to Krisstina Wilmoth krisstina.l.wilmoth@nasa.gov
Planets for Brown Dwarfs?
Scientists from NAI's University of Arizona Team have used the NASA Spitzer Space Telescope to observe the very beginnings of what might become planets around brown dwarfs. They publish their results in Science.
Mapping Compositional Diversity on the Surface of Mars
Scientists from the University of Colorado, Boulder Team have published a paper in the Journal of Geophysical Research presenting the Spectral Variance Index (SVI), a method to detect regions of large surface materials diversity compared to the average of the planet.
More on the Rise of Earth's Oxygen Levels
A new paper in Earth and Planetary Science Letters from NAI's Carnegie Institution of Washington Team and NAI's International Partner, the Australian Centre for Astrobiology, explores environmental changes during the rise of atmospheric oxygen and the relationship between tectonics, atmospheric oxygen, and climatic changes.
The Origin of Planetary Impactors in the Inner Solar System
Scientists from NAI's University of Arizona and University of Washington Teams recently published a paper in Science concerning this history of the Solar System. Their paper looks at differences in the size distrubutions of asteroid populations during and after the heavy bombardment period ~ 3.8 billion years ago.
Rise in Earth's Oxygen Levels
David Des Marais from NAI's NASA Ames Research Center Team recently published a News and Views article in Nature. In it, he discusses a microbial "footprint" which bolsters geological data explaining the long-term rise in Earth's oxygen levels two billion years ago.
Astrobiology EPO, Undergrads, Grads, Postdocs
AbGradCon 2006
The 3rd Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) will be held on the University Park Capmus of the Pennsylvania State University from May 31st - June 3rd, 2006. The purpose of AbGradCon is to enhance communication amongst up and coming scientists in the field of astrobiology. Incoming graduate students will observe talks at a relatively introductory level, while exposing them to the diversity of topics relevant to Astrobiology. Advanced graduate students will gain experience in presenting their research to a multidisciplinary audience while building bridges towards future collaborations. This conference will also feature a forum for graduate students to discuss education, resources, and career opportunities in astrobiology. AbGradCon is a student-run conference whose target audience is advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and recently graduated postdocs interested in astrobiology research. Partial funding will be available for students whose abstracts are selected for presentation. More information and a conference URL will be available in the future - please stay tuned to the NAI Newsletter for details.
If you have questions about the conference, please contact the organizing committee:
Shawn D. Goldman (sgoldman@geosc.psu.edu)
Vyllinniskii Cameron (cvyllinn@geosc.psu.edu)
Tony Riccardi (ariccard@geosc.psu.edu)
Fabia Battistuzzi (fxb142@psu.edu)
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Princeton Astrobiology Club
Since teaching our first Astrobiology course to sophomores - GEO/AST/EEB/CH255 where we took students for a week-long trip to Yellowstone NP, the students have formed a club, PABC, Princeton Astrobiology Club. After receiving endorsement from the University, P-ABC has grown in size and function, promoting interest in astrobiology and space exploration at Princeton and beyond. Now, over 200 undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty members alike participate in discussions, lecture events, field trips, and other space happenings on campus. Following the success of the Mars Exploration Rovers, in April 2005, P-ABC invited Dr. Charles Elachi of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to Princeton. His presentation had a powerful impact on the audience -- we know that a manned spaceflight discussion will have similar reverberations. Watch for more updates from this group in future newsletters. For more information about the club contact David Jones at (djsone@Princeton.edu)
International Space University (ISU) 10th Annual International Symposium
The Symposium entitled "Space Exploration: Who, What, When, Where, Why?" will be held in Strasbourg from Wednesday November 30 to Friday December 2, 2005. The Preliminary Program is online, linked to the Symposium page at http://www.isunet.edu/EN/191. Register before November 4, 2005 to benefit from the 'early-bird' fee.
The Symposium will bring together experts from agencies, industry and academia around the world, plus ISU's Masters 06 class, students and enthusiasts from elsewhere with special interests in future space exploration beyond Earth's frontier, by both human and robotic means.
Molecular Geomicrobiology Short Course
The Molecular Geomicrobiology Short Course sessions will be held at the University of California, Berkeley December 2-4, 2005. NASA NAI STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE For information, please go to http://cips.berkeley.edu/biomars/events.html or email: javiera@seismo.berkeley.edu
This short course will review progress that has resulted recently from integrative molecular approaches applied to problems in environmental microbiology, geomicrobiology, and astrobiology; - and discuss areas of high potential for future research.
Senior undergraduate and graduate students are strongly encouraged to attend. The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) is providing funds for 20 students to participate in the short course and will cover their registration and accommodation costs (for non- Bay area students). Apply for these scholarships by emailing: javiera@seismo.berkeley.edu
LAPLACE 2006 Astrobiology Graduate Winter School
The Life and Planets Astrobiology Center (LAPLACE) 2006 Astrobiology Graduate Winter School “Habitable Planets around Sun-Like Stars: Common or Rare” will be held at the University of Arizona January 4-9, 2006. http://www.laplace.arizona.edu/
The School will provide graduate students from all disciplines related to astrobiology an opportunity to research and develop their own ideas about the likelihood of habitable planets surrounding sun-like stars. The school will emphasize hands-on learning techniques including day and night-time observing on research telescopes at Kitt Peak Observatory, tours of the University of Arizona’s Mirror Lab and Tree Ring Lab and activities in the Arizona Radio Observatories’ Astrochemistry Lab. Students will also have chances to explore some of the unique aspects of the Tucson area including its unique geology and clear dark skies.
European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2006
The EGU General Assembly will be held in Vienna, Austria, April 2-7, 2006.
Astrobiology and Mars: robotic Mars exploration and the search for evidence of life on Mars
Remarkable and sometimes astounding news from Mars continue to return to Earth from the NASA Mars Exploration Rovers and ESA’s Mars Express orbiter. Both these missions have contributed greatly to our current perception of what Mars must once have been like – a planet that was perfectly habitable in its early history and upon which simple life could have evolved and survived. As yet, no compelling data towards evidence of life on Mars has been presented, leading both ESA and NASA to devise strategies to explore the red planet for its possible biological history. In preparation for this technically and scientifically challenging endeavor, it is paramount that we rigorously test and hone the analytical instrumentation considered for solving the above question. This includes laboratory based testing and experimentation, field testing in terrestrial planetary analogue environments, or simulation experiments. With astrobiology missions planned for Mars exploration, planetary protection aspects will further play an important role in the mission design.
We therefore invite papers for this session from all aspects of astrobiological research relevant to the subjects of life on Mars and astrobiology Mars exploration. Papers covering aspects of analytical instrumentation for Mars exploration, testing of such instruments in the laboratory and field, laboratory and/or space experimentation, as well as contributions that deal with issues related to planetary protection and spacecraft sterilization procedures are encouraged. With this scheme we hope to facilitate the exchange of latest knowledge on research and development regarding astrobiology exploration of Mars, as well as to stimulate discussion on future planetary exploration strategies.
Abstract deadline:13th January 2006.
Support application deadline: 9th December 2005.
All other information: http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2006
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