This amendment alters the due date for proposal submission to 11:59 pm EST Dec 17, 2010, specifies that the data proprietary periods will be 12 months for all quarters of cycle 3, and makes some other small changes to the text.

Table 2 and 3 of the Summary of Solicitation for this NRA, and the text of Appendix D.5 have been updated to reflect this change in due date.

This Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2010" (NNH10ZDA001N) is posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select "Solicitations" then "Open Solicitations" then "NNH10ZDA001N"). You can now track amendments, clarifications and corrections to ROSES and subscribe to an RSS feed at: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2010

Questions regarding the Kepler GO Program may be addressed to Dr. Douglas Hudgins, Astrophysics Division (Mail Code 3Y28), Science Missions Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington Dc 20546-0001; Telephone (202) 358-0988, Email: douglas.m.hudgins@nasa.gov

Source: NAI Newsletter

This amendment delays the proposal due date for C.16 Planetary Instrument Definition and Development (PIDD) Program. Programmatic schedule conflicts at NASA Headquarters have postponed the PIDD peer review and hence the date when SMD must have proposals. A corresponding deferral of the PIDD due date will provide the community additional time to prepare proposals. The proposal due date for PIDD has been changed to Friday, September 17, 2010. Table 2 and Table 3 of the Summary of Solicitation for this NRA have been updated to reflect this change.

This Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2010" (NNH10ZDA001N) isposted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select "Solicitations" then "Open Solicitations" then "NNH10ZDA001N"). You can now track amendments, clarifications and corrections to ROSES and subscribe to an RSS feed at: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2010

Questions concerning PIDD may be addressed to Janice Buckner, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; Telephone: (202) 358-0183; Email: janice.l.buckner@nasa.gov.

Source: NAI Newsletter

For the purposes of this award, public engagement activities are defined as the individual's active participation in efforts to engage with the public on science- and technology-related issues and promote meaningful dialogue between science and society.

The award will be given at the AAAS Annual Meeting.

For more information: http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/awards/public_engagement/

Source: NAI Newsletter

The following is a list of some of the astrobiology-related sessions that will be held at the 2010 AGU fall meeting. For more information and to submit an abstract: http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm10/program/abstract_submissions.php

Solicitation Number: NNH10ZDA010L
Release Date: July 30, 2010
Response Date: October 29, 2010
Classification Code: A -- Research and Development

The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is soliciting information on connections and synergies between the research goals of the NASA Astrobiology Program and those of the NASA Earth Science Division. The Earth Science Division supports research activities that address the fundamental questions: How is the Earth changing and what are the consequences for life on Earth? It does so by supporting research into: the variability of the Earth system, the forcings of this variability, the response of the Earth system to change, the consequences of changes in the Earth system, and how we might improve our ability to predict future changes. NASA's Astrobiology Program is dedicated to addressing three fundamental questions: "How does life begin and evolve?" "Does life exist elsewhere in the universe?" "What is the future of life on Earth and beyond?" The two programs thus share a focus on life in the Earth system, including the conditions on Earth that allow an abundance and diversity of life to flourish, interactions between the biosphere and its planetary environment, and the future of life on Earth. This request seeks the broadest level of community input on areas in which research addressing the goals of one program has potential impact on achieving the goals of the other.

Responses to this Request for Information (RFI) will be used by NASA program managers in both the Earth Science Division and Astrobiology Program to consider possible joint research topics, scoping workshops or other joint program activities. However, the issuance of this RFI does not imply a new NASA commitment of funding by either program.

For more information: http://bit.ly/dzRxTQ

Source: NAI Newsletter

Studies on organic matter with a potentially prebiotic interest : from the Interstellar Medium to the Solar Nebula and the Oceans on Primitive Earth

The goal of this thesis is to compare the soluble organic phase from various meteorites and compare their compositions with our organic residues from the laboratory. Thus traditional contamination problems arising from weathering and poor manipulations will be greatly reduced. The main goal can be divided into three items (1) to analyze the soluble organic matter of meteorites according to their classification, (2) to evaluate once and for all if ice photo and thermo chemistry is important not only in ISM objects but also in the ecosphere of the Solar Nebula and on primitive telluric planets and finally (3) to propose to more specialized chemists a more realistic prebiotic "soup" possibly leading to the first autocatalytic molecules. Emphasis will be given to scenarios that are relevant to our knowledge of primitive Solar System and planetary evolution as IAS has an important scientific activity in these fields.

This subject is thus largely interdisciplinary (chemistry, physical-chemistry and astrophysics). The candidate (M/F), must be in possession of a MsC in any domain related to this interdisciplinary activity. Special attention will be given to experience in physical-chemistry and/or analytical chemistry. In any case, the candidate should have an experimentalist profile, ready to devote much time in the laboratory. IAS is an institute of fundamental research with application to space instrumentation, running and exploiting space instruments. About 200 people work there (around 80 scientists), an average of 15 Ph.D. students and 15 post-docs. The scientific environment within the laboratory and the Orsay Campus, not far from Paris, is truly exceptional.

For more information, please contact:

Louis d'Hendecourt
Equipe " Astrochimie et Origines "
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale
Campus Universitaire d'Orsay
Bat 121 - 91405 Orsay Cedex
Tel : +33(0)1 69 85 86 40/+33(0)6 13 16 25 38
E-mail : Louis.DHendecourt@ias.u-psud.fr

or

Donia Baklouti
Equipe " Astrochimie et Origines "
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale
Campus Universitaire d'Orsay
Bat 121 - 91405 Orsay Cedex
Tel : +33(0)1 69 85 87 88
E-mail : donia.baklouti@ias.u-psud.fr

Source: NAI Newsletter

Source: NAI Newsletter

On July 9, 2010, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center released a Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) for the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) Minority Institution Research Support (MIRS) Program. The full text of the CAN solicitation is available at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/.

The NAI MIRS Program is intended to help train a new generation of researchers in astrobiology and to increase diversity within the astrobiology community. This solicitation seeks proposals to continue the process of recruiting and retaining underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by involving faculty and students from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in astrobiology research.

Under this CAN, NASA Ames is soliciting proposals from accredited US institutions of higher education, non-profit higher education professional organizations, and consortia of those types of organizations and institutions, to administer the MIRS program. Proposals from MSIs and non-profit organizations serving underrepresented students are strongly encouraged. Other organizations, including for-profit organizations with a demonstrable capability to engage minority populations, are also eligible to propose.

The period of performance for the award resulting from this solicitation is a maximum of four years. NASA expects to award one Cooperative Agreement to take effect in early 2011. The estimated total value of the award is projected to be $0.8M - $1.0M.

Source: NAI Newsletter

Source: NAI Newsletter

On July 9, 2010, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center released a Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) for the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) Minority Institution Research Support (MIRS) Program. The full text of the CAN solicitation is available at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/.

The NAI MIRS Program is intended to help train a new generation of researchers in astrobiology and to increase diversity within the astrobiology community. This solicitation seeks proposals to continue the process of recruiting and retaining underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by involving faculty and students from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in astrobiology research.

Under this CAN, NASA Ames is soliciting proposals from accredited US institutions of higher education, non-profit higher education professional organizations, and consortia of those types of organizations and institutions. Proposals from MSIs and non-profit organizations serving underrepresented students are strongly encouraged. Other organizations, including for-profit organizations, with a demonstrable capability to engage minority populations are also eligible to propose.

The period of performance for the award resulting from this solicitation is a maximum of four years. NASA expects to award one Cooperative Agreement to take effect on February 1, 2011. The estimated total value of the award is projected to be $0.8M - $1.0M.

2010 Geological Society of America National Meeting: T110, Mountain Formation and Landscape Evolution in the Solar System: Implications for the Origin of Life.

Organizers: Joseph Kula, Suzanne L. Baldwin

Session Summary: Terrestrial mountain formation in the solar system is related to thermal decay, tectonics, and impact events. The processes and timescales of landscape evolution will be explored with implications for the origin and search for life.

For more information: http://geosociety.org/meetings/2010/sessions/topical.asp?SponsorID=GSA+Planetary+Geology+Division