"What is the new planet that is like Earth called thats in the Goldy lox galaxy"
Welcome to the NAI Newsletter! The Newsletter is a compendium of announcements, events, updates, and news items related to the NAI and its research. If you have news items or suggestions you can send them to the editor, Marco Boldt at: Marco.Boldt@nasa.gov.
Newsletter for March 3, 2009
- 2009 Soffen Fund Travel Grant
- AbGradCon 2009
- 2009 Santander Summer School: Earth's Extremophiles and Extraterrestrial Habitability
NAI Team Overview Seminars Continue in March
Starting on February 23rd, 2009, each of the NAI teams began giving one hour overview seminars that describe the work they will be performing as members of the NAI. These seminars, which are broadcast via videoconference and web, provide an opportunity to find out more about the science, EPO and other activities being performed by the NAI teams. These seminars take place at 11am Pacific time. The schedule of the remaining talks follow.
Monday, March 9: Isik Kanik, NASA JPL - Icy Worlds
Wednesday, March 11: Mark Allen, NASA JPL - Titan
Monday, March 16: Ariel Anbar, Arizona State University
Wednesday, March 18: Clark Johnson, University of Wisconsin
Monday, March 30: John Peters, Montana State University
Wednesday, April 1: Loren Williams, Georgia Institute of Technology
Monday, April 6: Chris House, Penn State University
Wednesday, April 8: Doug Whittet, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Monday, April 13: Vikki Meadows, VPL at University of Washington
Wednesday, April 15: Mike Mumma, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Monday, April 20: Roger Summons, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Wednesday, April 22: Karen Meech, University of Hawaii
For more information about these seminars, podcasts of previous seminars and participation information, please visit http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/
Recently Published Research from the NAI
Evolution of the Modern Nitrogen Cycle
NAI’s Deep Time Drilling Project supported the drilling of several pristine cores from ancient rocks in Western Australia in 2004, and a new paper in Science, led by University of Washington astrobiologists, outlines results from the analysis of these cores. The nitrogen isotope values in the core from the 2.5-billion-year-old Mount McRae Shale vary over 30 meters, evidently recording a temporary change from an anaerobic to an aerobic nitrogen cycle, and back again to anaerobic. Other data suggest that nitrification occurred in response to a small increase in surface-ocean oxygenation. The data imply that nitrifying and denitrifying microbes had already evolved by the late Archean and were present before oxygen first began to accumulate in the atmosphere.
For Students and Young Investigators
2009 Soffen Fund Travel Grant
The Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund is pleased to announce the first of two 2009 Travel Grant application opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing studies in the fields of space science and engineering.
The Travel Grants, in the amount of $500, enable student recipients to attend professional meetings to present their research. The first 2009 Travel Grant application deadline is April 1, 2009. Jerry Soffen, a biologist by training, led a distinguished career at NASA, including serving as the Project Scientist for Viking and as an architect for the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The Travel Grant continues Jerry’s dedication to educating and involving future generations in space science and engineering pursuits. The electronic application materials and instructions are located on the Soffen Fund website:
http://nasa-academy.org/soffen/travelgrant/
Questions regarding the application or application process may be sent to:
travelgrant@nasa-academy.org
AbGradCon 2009
The next Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon) will be held July 17 – 20 2009 at the University of Washington in Seattle. The primary objective of AbGradCon is to bring together, in a unique setting, the early-career astrobiologists (graduate students and post-doctoral fellows within 2 years of finishing their Ph.D.) who will lead astrobiology research in the years to come. The conference is unique in that it is a student-led meeting, from the organization, to the presentations. AbGradCon strives to remove the "pressures" of typical scientific meetings, by providing a relaxed atmosphere in which presentations and round-table discussions are fostered, along with numerous social activities. AbGradCon will also be hosted in the virtual world of Second Life at the NASA CoLab Sun Amphitheater.
Abstract submission deadline is March 15 2009: http://tinyurl.com/abgradconAPPLY
For more information: http://tinyurl.com/abgradcon09
2009 Santander Summer School: Earth's Extremophiles and Extraterrestrial Habitability
Location: Palacio de Magdalena, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Dates: June 22-26, 2009
The seventh annual summer school in Astrobiology, organized jointly by the Spanish Centro de Astrobiología and the NASA Astrobiology Institute will be held at the Santander campus of Spain's national university, Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo (UIMP).
The summer school includes a week of lectures presented by internationally distinguished researchers, round-table discussions, astronomical observations, and a half-day field trip. Students completing the school receive a UIMP Diploma in Astrobiology. On-site accommodations and meals are provided at the summer campus of UIMP, the Palacio de la Magdalena, Santander (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_la_Magdalena).
Scholarships covering travel costs, school fees, accommodation and meals are provided by NAI for approximately 10 American students. Additional opportunities are available for students of other nationalities. Applications for NAI scholarships close March 31, 2009.
For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/UIMP/2009
Astrobiology Laboratory Institute for Instructors (ALI’I)
Investigating Astrobiology Research Topics Through Scientific Inquiry
July 6 - 11, 2009
Application Form: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/UHNAI/epo/alii-appform.cfm
Deadline - March 27, 2009
This workshop, designed for secondary science teachers, will emphasize lectures and activities led by scientists, state-of-the-art lab tours, and professional development with the use of learning cycles for concept development. Teachers will review and do activities from the Voyages Through Time curriculum, and other NASA materials aligned with 2061 Benchmarks. Registration fee is $50. Two University of Hawai’i graduate education credits will be offered for an administrative fee of only $110. A limited number of teachers from the continental US will receive a subsidy of $750 for room and board to defray expenses. Accepted Hawai’i teachers will be fully subsidized.
For the Astrobiology Community
NAI Minority Institution Research Support (MIRS) Program
The NAI-MIRS Program provides opportunities for researchers, from qualified minority serving institutions, to initiate joint partnerships with researchers in the field of astrobiology. The NAI-MIRS program provides support for 8 – 10 week sabbaticals, follow-up funding, and travel opportunities for faculty and students from minority institutions. The application deadline for 2009 is March 16th.
For more information, visit http://www.nai-mirs.org .
Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2009
NNH09ZDA001N, entitled "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences - 2009 (ROSES-2009)," was released on February 13, 2009. This NASA Research Announcement (NRA) solicits proposals for supporting basic and applied research and technology across a broad range of Earth and space science program elements relevant to one or more of the following NASA Research Programs: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Planetary Science, and Astrophysics. More information can be found by opening the NASA Research Opportunities homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ and then linking through the menu listings "Solicitations" to "Open Solicitations."
Bridging Laboratory and Astrophysics: From the Infrared to the Submm
A Meeting-in-a-Meeting to be held during the 214th Meeting of the AAS, June 7–11, 2009, Pasadena, California ( http://aas.org/meetings/aas214 )
Sponsored by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Working Group on Laboratory Astrophysics (WGLA) – ( http://www.aas.org/labastro/ )
Abstract Submission deadline: 2 March 2009
Late Abstract Submission deadline: 30 April 2009
This 3 day Meeting-in-a-Meeting will be devoted to the interplay between laboratory astrophysics and IR, FIR and Submm astronomy. The sessions will discuss current and future missions and facilities that operate in this domain and their laboratory astrophysics needs. Astronomy is an observational science detecting photons generated by atomic/molecular/chemical, and solid-state physics. The astrophysically motivated studies, which consist of both laboratory experiments and theoretical calculations, are collectively known as laboratory astrophysics. This Meeting-in-a-Meeting will consist of six sessions that will discuss the nature and evolution of molecules, dust and ices from stellar and planetary formation regions to circumstellar, planetary nebulae and diffuse ISM environments to comets and planets. The sessions map the sub areas of laboratory astrophysics in the IR, FIR and Submm domains and cover the study of molecules, dust and ices. Each session will include talks focusing on major mission projects and key data needs, related experimental and theoretical work, all illustrating the important role of laboratory astrophysics in support of current and future missions and facilities. There will be an associated poster session on astronomical observations and laboratory astrophysics of molecules, dust and ices in the IR - Submm. Student participation is particularly encouraged.
For more information: http://www.aas.org/labastro/PDFs/BridgingLabAstrophysicsIRmm.pdf
