"What type of organisms might live on Mars? I've studied Archaea, but do scientist think there might be any other types of organisms?"
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NAI Conference and Workshop Fund
The NAI continues to coordinate the NAI presence at astrobiology-related professional conferences and, with the assistance of the NAI Members, to present the public with information about the research of the NAI and about advances in the field of astrobiology more generally.
The Institute is open to requests for sponsorship of special sessions at national and international professional meetings, or for support (full or partial) to organize a separate meeting or workshop focused in areas relevant to astrobiology. Participation by NAI Members is expected, but such activities should also be open to the broader science community.
This support of focused workshops, special sessions at national and international professional conferences, and stand-alone meetings, serves as an additional mechanism for expanding the overall community of astrobiology, attracting new students, and for advancing the specific strategic goals and objectives of the Institute. These activities provide a venue for future astrobiologists to present their work, to cultivate relationships with other international astrobiology organizations as well as with other scientific organizations (microbiologists, planetary scientists, geologists), and to advise NASA in its mission of exploration.
Recent activities supported by the NAI include the following sessions held as part of large, community-wide meetings.
- International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, August 2006, in Vienna , Austria . “Life in Extreme Environments and Astrobiology”, organized by Frank Robb.
- Geological Society of America, October 2006, in Philadelphia, PA, “Changes in Ocean and Atmospheric Redox State and the Evolution of Life”, organized by Andrey Bekker and Ganqing Jiang.
- 2006 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, 11-15 December, 2006, in San Francisco , CA “Biofilms in the Environment: Adaptive Roles, Microbe-mineral Interfaces, and Contributions to Global Biogeochemical Cycles”, Organized by D’Arcy Meyer-Dombard and Matt Schrenk.
- American Astronomical Society, January 2007, Seattle , WA , “Formation and Detection of Habitable Planets”, organized by Nader Haghighipour.
Requests for support should be sent to Edward Goolish, NAI Deputy Director ( edward.m.goolish@nasa.gov )
January 25, 2008
