National Research Council Review of the NASA Astrobiology Institute Carl B' Pilcher Director, NAI NA

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National Research CouncilReview of the NASA
Astrobiology InstituteCarl B. PilcherDirector,
NAINASA Ames Research CenterJuly 25, 2007
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
www.nasa.gov
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Presentation outline

• Overview
• NAIs contributions to science and missions
• Case studies
• Mission involvement overview
• Building the community
• Training the next generation
• Creating a community/growing a field
• Education and public outreach
• Communication and Collaboration
• Collaborative tools
• Website
• Balance
• Investments and Outcomes
• NAI and wider community

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• Overview

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NAI Mission

• Carry out, support and catalyze collaborative,
  interdisciplinary research
• Train the next generation of astrobiology
  researchers
• Provide scientific and technical leadership on
  astrobiology investigations for current and
  future space missions
• Explore new approaches using modern information
  technology to conduct interdisciplinary and
  collaborative research amongst widely-distributed
  investigators
• Support outreach by providing scientific content
  for K-12 education programs, teaching
  undergraduate classes, and communicating directly
  with the public

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NAI Overview

• Virtual distributed institute without walls
• 16 competitively-selected multidisciplinary teams
• 700 members at 150 participating institutions
• 450 senior scientists
• 250 postdocs and students
• 17 members of the National Academy of Sciences
• Funded through Cooperative Agreements
• Managed by a central office at NASA Ames Research
  Center
• 650 papers supported by NAI published in Year 8
  (July 2005 June 2006)
• 41 publications in Science, Nature, PNAS
• Website http//nai.nasa.gov/

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Map of NAI Teams
Alumni Teams Michigan State University Arizona
State UniversityUniversity of Rhode
Island University of Washington Harvard
University Johnson Space Center Jet Propulsion
Laboratory Scripps Research Institute

• International Associates
• Centro de Astrobiologia (Spain)
• Australian Centre for Astrobiology
• International Affiliates
• Astrobiology Society of Britain
• Groupement de Recherche en Exobiologie
• European Exo/Astrobiology Network Association
• Russian Astrobiology Center

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A Decade of NAI Teams
CAN-1
CAN-2
CAN-3
CAN-4
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NAI Executive Council

• NAI Executive Council consists of
• NAI Team PIs
• NAI Director, Deputy Director
• Executive Council roles
• Raise, discuss, and provide advice on issues
  such as Institute wide research objectives,
  astrobiology mission opportunities, and
  priorities for technological development
• Consider and recommend action on proposals to
  form NAI Focus Groups and other similar bodies
• Consider and provide advice on proposals for
  external partnerships (e.g., international,
  interagency, or corporate)
• Comment on the conduct of the Institute and
  consider and recommend metrics and evaluative
  approaches aimed at assessing the progress of the
  NAI
• Consider and provide advice on other issues at
  the request of the Director.
• Regular communication via
• Monthly videoconferences
• In-person meetings several times per year (held
  at team sites)

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NAI Focus Groups

• NAIs Focus Groups are designed to mobilize
  expertise from across the Institute and the wider
  scientific community towards the rapid
  advancement of a defined area of research,
  mission planning, or other activity of particular
  importance to astrobiology.

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Cooperative Agreement Notice (Cycle-4)
Proposals should clearly articulate the
innovative, interdisciplinary, astrobiology
research program to be pursued, its relevance to
the Astrobiology Roadmap, the associated costs
and institutional commitment offered, the
relevance of the Teams research program and
associated approach to the nature of the NAI
consortium, and the specific areas in which the
Teams activities will contribute to supporting
and developing the field of astrobiology.
Evaluation Criteria Science and Technical
Research (50) addresses the scientific and
technical merit of the proposed astrobiology
research program, including innovative and
interdisciplinary approaches to fulfill the
research objectives. Plan to Support Other
Institute Objectives (30) addresses the merits
of the proposed activities, that will contribute
to the objectives of the NAI as a collaborative
consortium with recognized responsibilities to
the astrobiology community. Every Team and every
Member of the NAI is expected to be an active
participant in the Institutes cooperative
endeavors. In evaluating the elements
specifically advanced to address this section,
reviewers will assess the degree to which the
proposers understand the demands of NAI
citizenship and are prepared to meet them.
Relevance (20) of the overall, integrated
proposal to the Astrobiology Roadmap, to the
interdisciplinary and collaborative character of
the NAI, and to the Vision for Space Exploration.
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NAI CentralEnabling an integrated organization

• Unifies the Institute as a community, by
• Setting long-term strategic directions for the
  Institute, in collaboration with NASA HQs
• Encouraging and enabling cross-team and external
  collaboration
• Developing and managing budget and funding
  opportunities including
• Cooperative Agreements, Director's Discretionary
  Fund, NAI Postdoctoral program, Minority
  Institution Research Support, Lewis and Clark
  Fund, Conference and Workshop Fund
• Organizing the NAI Director's Seminar Series, NAI
  Annual Reports, NAI General Meetings, Executive
  Council meetings, special planning sessions such
  as the 2007 NAI Strategic Impact Workshop
• Supporting Focus Groups, conferences and
  workshops, etc.
• Providing a communications hub for connecting
  people and projects, internal and external to NAI
• Providing collaborative tools for its members and
  the community
• Videoconferencing capability, WebEx, NX, secure
  work groups
• Communicating NAI accomplishments and activities
  to the public and its membership
• NAI website, newsletter, coordinated press
  releases, research archive
• Coordinating Education and Public Outreach
  activities across the teams

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NAI Budget and Membership History
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• NAI Contributions to
• Science and Missions

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How does the NAI contribute?

• Scientific Research and Mission Support
• NAI requires the formation of broad
  interdisciplinary teams to address questions in
  astrobiology requiring collaboration between
  diverse disciplines and resources beyond those
  typical of most grant programs
• Research ranges, for example, from basic research
  about life on Earth to research focused on
  supporting space flight missions
• 5-year research plans
• NAI further integrates these teams with each
  other and the community to address timely issues
  in astrobiology emerging from current research
  and space flight mission planning (complements
  and broadens 5-year research programs)
• Workshops (at a distance by means of IT and in
  person)
• Focus Groups
• Directors Discretionary Fund
• Other collaborative funding opportunities
• General meeting
• NAI thereby also creates a broad
  interdisciplinary forum in which individual
  researchers can consider the Big Picture, and
  take this perspective to their individual
  research and mission planning activities

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Case Study 1 Microbiology, Extrasolar Planets,
and the Mars Science Orbiter (MSO)

• MSO is a NASA mission currently planned for
  launch in 2013
• Mid-late 1990s JPL/Caltech community develops
  concept for studying Mars atmospheric
  photochemistry using ATMOS solar occultation
  FTIR instrument on Mars orbiter
• Leading member of that community (atmospheric
  chemist Mark Allen of JPL) is also a member of
  both the first NAI JPL team (PI Ken Nealson) and
  the second (Virtual Planetary Laboratory VPL
  PI Vikki Meadows)
• Allen connects ATMOS FTIR concept for studying
  Martian photochemistry and extrasolar planet
  biosignature search (VPL) with potential for
  detecting extant life on Mars through trace
  atmospheric gas detection
• Allen develops Mars Scout proposal (Marvel)
  incorporating solar occultation FTIR to focus on
  subsurface active processes and unusual gas
  release to atmosphere 2002
• Proposal rated Category 1, low risk
• One of four selected for Phase A study
• Phoenix lander selected for development and
  launch
• Proposal called attention to value of Mars
  orbiter post-MRO

Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer flown on
Space Shuttle Mars Volcanic Emission and Life
Scout
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Case Study 1 (cont)Microbiology, Extrasolar
Planets, and the Mars Science Orbiter (MSO)

• NAI GSFC team led by PI Mike Mumma, one other
  ground-based astronomical research group, and a
  spacecraft team (Mars Express Planetary Fourier
  Spectrometer) report detection of methane on Mars
  2003-04
• NAI holds distributed workshop Methane on Mars
  (May 2005) linking teams at ARC and GSFC with
  international partners Australian Center for
  Astrobiology and Centro de Astrobiologia in
  Spain.
• Sources of methane and methods for distinguishing
  biogenic from abiotic production considered in
  detail
• Report published (M. Allen et al., EOS, Vol. 87,
  No. 41, 10 October 2006)
• Marvel science objectives (measurements of
  biogeochemical gases) and payload included in
  first Mars Science Orbiter (MSO) MEPAG Science
  Analysis Group (SAG-1) report 2006 Allen and
  NAI VPL PSU member J. Kasting on SAG

Methane on Mars Workshop
Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group formed
by NASA
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Case Study 1 (cont) Microbiology, Extrasolar
Planets, and the Mars Science Orbiter (MSO)

• Marvel re-proposed to second Mars Scout
  competition 2006
• Again rated Category 1, low risk
• Two aeronomy missions (MAVEN team led by NAI PI
  Bruce Jakosky and The Great Escape) chosen for
  Phase A study
• New SAG formed to reconsider MSO mission
  objectives with aeronomy off the table
• Allen chairs atmospheric subgroup, advocates
  paradigm challenging science
• SAG develops 3 options
• Plan A Atmospheric signatures and near-surface
  change
• Plan P Polar and climate processes
• Plan G Geological and geophysical exploration
• NASA HQ selects Plan A! 2007

Artist's concept of Mars Volcanic Emission and
Life Scout
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Case Study 2 Microbial Ecology, Atmospheric
Oxidation, and Extrasolar Planet Biosignatures

• 1980s study of Guerrero Negro (Baja California)
  hypersaline microbial mats resumed in 1998 under
  NAI auspices
• NAI funding enables interdisciplinary team field
  expeditions to study microbial mat ecology
• Links biogeochemical processes, community
  composition (molecular methods), and
  biosignatures
• Study includes gas production and consequences
  for atmospheric composition
• Surprising net production of reduced gases by
  cyanobacteria dominated mats found
• H2, CH4 nocturnal fluxes comparable to other
  major terrestrial reduced gas sources
• Fluxes large enough to have contributed to net
  long-term atmospheric oxidation (Hoehler, Bebout
  and Des Marais, 2001, Nature 412, 324).
• Mat greenhouse developed at ARC to extend
  measurement capabilities and enable environmental
  simulations, e.g., early Earth
• ASU team performs molecular analysis
  demonstrating greenhouse mats retain original
  field microbial populations

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Case Study 2 (cont)Microbial Ecology,
Atmospheric Oxidation, and Extrasolar Planet
Biosignatures

• Dave Des Marais asked to chair Biomarker Subgroup
  of the Terrestrial Planet Finder Science Working
  Group
• Subgroup develops analysis of planetary
  properties and atmospheric biosignatures on
  extrasolar planets informed by microbial ecology
  studies (Des Marais et al., 2002, Astrobiology 2,
  153-181)
• Establishes visible-near infrared TPF
  implementation as of equal and complementary
  importance to thermal infrared implementation
• Subgroup includes NAI member J. Kasting (VPL
  PSU)
• Culture independent molecular assay of mat
  populations by Univ. Colorado (N. Pace) and MBL
  (PI M. Sogin) teams demonstrates unexpected and
  unprecedented microbial diversity
• Suggests positive feedback between mat chemical
  complexity and biological diversity
• Spear et al., 2003, Biol. Bull. 204, 168-173 Ley
  et al., 2006, Appl. Environ. Microbio. 72,
  3685-3695
• Current research Greenhouse mat long-term
  incubation in low-sulfate brines (early Earth
  simulation) to assess impact on populations,
  processes, and products
• As much as 10 x increase in net methane
  production observed
• Sulfate reduction reduced only 3-fold for
  350-fold reduction in sulfate concentration
• Bebout et al., 2004, Geobiology 2, 87-96

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Case Study 3Marine Biological Laboratory

• Selection of MBL (PI M. Sogin) as NAI node leads
  to major new directions in team research
• Characterization of protist populations in Rio
  Tinto and other collaborations with Spanish
  partner Centro de Astrobiologia (Amaral-Zettler
  of MBL with Recardo Amils of CAB)
• Characterization of protist, bacterial and
  archael populations in hydrothermal heated
  sediments of Guaymas Basin (Edgcomb and Sogin)
• Use of high throughput sequencing technology to
  explore evolution of genes for ancient
  metabolisms links microbial diversity with
  ecosystem function in Guaymas Basin
• Jackson Hole Executive Council retreat (Oct. 03)
  leads to identification of Microbial Systems
  Exploration Initiative (MSEI) as one of four
  cross-cutting Institute scientific themes Others
  three themes are Mission to Ancient Earth,
  Terrestrial to Astronomical Biosignatures, and
  Protoplanetary Disk Evolution
• Sogin proposes formation of MSEI at Boulder (Oct
  04) meeting of the NAI Executive Council
• MSEI seeks to establish a systems biology
  approach to microbiological investigations that
  will influence NASAs planetary exploration
  program.
• One day meeting of oversight committee (NAI PIs
  Jill Banfield, Berkeley David Des Marais, NASA
  Ames Bruce Jakosky, Boulder Steve D'Hondt
  (URI) Tullis Onstott, Princeton and Mitch
  Sogin, MBL) identified key questions and goals
  for the MSEI.

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Case Study 3 (cont)Marine Biological Laboratory

• MSEI workshop held in Chicago, Nov. 18-20, 2005 -
  Chaired by Jody Deming (University of Washington)
  and Lisa Pratt (Indiana) - 30 attendees.
• MSEI workshop identified intersections between
  Habitability, Biosignatures, and Microbial
  Ecological Genomics.
• Developed experimental paradigms for exploring
  how redundancy in community genomes affects
  evolution of microbial community structures
• Identified experimental programs that could study
  the habitable limits of life in a given
  geochemical context by considering the minimal
  biological requirements for reductants and
  oxidants, and how they flow through the system.
  This gave rise to the concept that in addition to
  the mantra follow the water, future exploration
  missions should follow the energy when seeking
  evidence of past or present life on
  extraterrestrial solar system objects.
• Established the importance of being able to
  differentiate between biotic and abiotic origins
  of putative biosignatures
• A key conclusion from the MSEI workshop is that
  episodic events over geological time scales must
  be countered by a microbial communitys ability
  to adapt and survive more hostile environments.
• Genomics provides a tool to explore how gene flow
  through the community might shape the response of
  individual microbial populations to major
  environmental change.
• Led to the hypothesis that although low abundance
  organisms may not serve major roles in the
  composite metabolic and biogeochemical activities
  of a community, these organisms have the
  potential to completely reshape the metabolic
  properties of a microbial community.

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Case Study 3 (cont)Marine Biological Laboratory

• The MBL team developed novel technology that
  allows for the detection and enumeration of
  almost all members in a microbial community.
• Led to the discovery of microbial diversity that
  is at least one or two orders of magnitude
  greater than what has been possible with more
  traditional cloning and sequencing surveys.
• MBL team discovers the rare biosphere which has
  the potential to reshape microbial community
  structures and metabolic capabilities in response
  to environmental change.
• Techniques to characterize low abundance
  populations now being applied in areas as diverse
  as gut microbial ecology and planetary
  protection.

Diverse community of bacteria from a water
sample. (Photo credit Bob Morris. Courtesy of
microscope)
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Case Study 3 (cont)Marine Biological Laboratory
Earths Rare Biosphere
Mitchell L. Sogin, Hilary G. Morrison, Julie A.
Huber, David Mark Welch, Susan M. Huse, Phillip
R. Neal, Jesus M. Arrieta, and Gerhard J. Herndl
(2006) Microbial diversity in the deep sea and
the underexplored rare biosphere. Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, 103
12115-12120.
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Case Study 3 (cont)Marine Biological Laboratory
Earths Rare Biosphere
Thioploca araucae, found in seven of eight
samples but at very low concentrations

• Using 454 tag sequencing, which requires only
  small snippets of genetic code to identify an
  organism
• Discovered more than 20,000 types of microbe in
  a single liter of seawater, having expected just
  1,000 to 3,000
• Rare gene pool could serve as reserve of
  genetic diversity for repopulation of a habitat
  should environmental conditions change (Global
  Climate Change), with connections to NASAs Earth
  Science Program

Marine microbial diversity may be some 10 to 100
times higher than expected, and the vast majority
are previously unknown
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Case Study 3 (cont)Marine Biological Laboratory

• Led to funding from
• The W.M. Keck Foundation (PI Sogin, MBL) to
  explore the full extent of microbial diversity
  throughout the worlds oceans and its sediments,
  including extreme environments. Many of the
  participants are members of NAI teams.
• The NSF to study microbial diversity in 14 of the
  LTER sites (PI Amaral-Zettler, MBL)
• The NSF to study microbial diversity and
  establish ties between microbial populations in
  diverse soil samples (PI Schmidt, MSU, and Co-PI,
  Sogin, MBL)
• 2007 DDF New Paradigms for Remote Sensing and
  Monitoring of Microbial Ecosystems (Co-PIs, M.L.
  Sogin, MBL N.R. Pace, Boulder M. Mumma,
  Goddard).
• Led to funding by the Planetary Protection Office
  to develop new technology for studying bio-burden
  on spacecraft bound for Europa and Mars.
• Biogeochemical Forensics of Fe-based Microbial
  Systems Defining Mission Targets and Tactics for
  Life Detection on Mars (PI Eric Roden, UC
  Berkeley, Co-PIs Jill Banfield, UC Berkeley
  Jennifer Eigenbrode, NASA Goddard David Emerson
  (ATCC)-UC Berkeley Marilyn Fogel, CIW George
  Luther, University of Delaware-UC Berkeley
  Mitchell Sogin, MBL
• Sogins NAI participation leads to membership on
  Europa Science Definition Team and the NRC Study
  Group for Planetary protection study of future
  missions to Mars.

Long Term Ecological Research American Type
Culture Collection
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Case Study 4 Virtual Planetary Laboratory
How can we know if this extrasolar planet has
life?
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Case Study 4 Virtual Planetary Laboratory
How can we know if this extrasolar planet has
life?
With just one pixel!
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Case Study 4 Virtual Planetary Laboratory
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Case Study 4 (cont)Virtual Planetary Laboratory
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Case Study 4 (cont)Virtual Planetary Laboratory

• Multidisciplinary team provides integrated
  perspective required for comprehensive models
• Collaborated with CIW team (Seager) and the NAI
  Astronomy Focus Group to co-organize an NAI
  virtual workshop on Global Biosignatures
  (2004) a successful demonstration of a
  bi-coastal workshop linked by videoconference
  connection and Webex presentations
• VPL Team has trained several NAI Postdoctoral
  Fellows - Giovanna Tinetti, first detection of
  water vapor in atmosphere of extrasolar planet
• Co-organized Pale Blue Dot III, in partnership
  with the Adler Planetarium and Brinson Foundation
  (Chicago, Sept., 2006)
• NAI provides curation of VPL model, providing
  online tools to allow community access to the VPL
  (at Weber State University)

• Nature July, 2007

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Case Study 5 New Strategic Directions

• Sept. 06 At in-person EC meeting, teams agree
  to 30 budget reduction
• Team funding reductions necessitated by overall
  NAI budget cut
• PIs express hope team cuts will free up funds for
  Directors Discretionary Fund and CAN-4
  selections
• Boulder workshop scheduled for January to develop
  strategic (high impact) future directions
• Oct.- Dec. 06 Concept for Strategic Impact
  Workshop developed with PIs
• Teams provide short strategic concept write-ups
  (37 total) to initialize workshop
• Workshop preparation supported by half-day set of
  briefings on SMD missions/programs by senior HQ
  managers
• Virtual meeting linking teams, NAI Central, HQ
• Briefings archived for later viewing
• Jan. 07 Strategic Impact Workshop attended by
  45 NAI investigators representing all teams
• 17 concepts developed into inter-team,
  interdisciplinary white papers
• White papers used to inform DDF call and identify
  other opportunities for NAI strategic
  contributions (e.g., Earth Science and
  Astrobiology from the Moon contribution to Lunar
  Science Workshop)

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2007 DirectorsDiscretionary Fund

• 1.8M awarded for investments that
• advance the science of astrobiology
• demonstrate impact to NASA's space flight
  programs or its broader science activities
• and/or contribute to NASA's role as a federal RD
  agency through the development of strategic
  partnerships (e.g., with other agencies, the
  private sector, etc.)
• Proposals were invited ranging from a few x 10K
  for smaller projects (e.g., a workshop) to
  200-300K for large research efforts
• Proposals involving multiple NAI teams were
  encouraged
• 18 proposals selected for full or partial funding
• The Lead Investigator for all proposals had to be
  an NAI member, but proposals could include
  participation by non-members
• A call for proposals was released on February 2,
  2007
• Proposals Submitted March 1, 2007
• Awards Announced April 19, 2007

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2007 DirectorsDiscretionary Fund
Research projects selected
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Workshops, conferences and field trips selected
2007 DirectorsDiscretionary Fund
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NAI Mission InvolvementBringing an astrobiology
perspective to missions
Examples of NAI members who are involved in
missions
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NAI Mission InvolvementBringing an astrobiology
perspective to mission planning

• Examples of NAI member involvement in mission
  planning
• Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG)
• Jack Mustard (MEPAG Chair) MBL team
• Bruce Jakosky (NAI PI, former MEPAG chair),
  Stephen Mojzsis PI CUB team
• Dave Des Marais (NAI PI), Chris McKay, Allan
  Treiman ARC team
• Paul Mahaffy GSFC team
• Andrew Steele, Nora Noffke CIW team
• Jeff Taylor UH team
• Jack Farmer Ron Greeley (former MEPAG chairs),
  Phillip Christensen, Jim Elser, Ferran
  Garcia-Pichel ASU alumni team
• John Baross University of Arizona team
• Chris House Penn State University team
• Ken Nealson MSU team
• Roger Summons (NAI PI) Massachusetts Institute
  of Technology team
• Jody Deming UW alumni team
• Mitch Sogin (NAI PI), James Head MBL team
• Thomas Kieft JSC alumni team
• Rocco Mancinelli PI SETI team

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NAI Mars Focus Group

• Developed landing site recommendations for the
  Mars rovers, which were presented by the MFG
  Chair at community-wide landing-site workshops
• Based on inputs from these workshops, the MER
  Landing Sites Steering Committee developed a
  shortlist of approximately 10 sites (from 40
  presented by the community)
• About half of the sites short-listed for MER were
  on the NAI MFG list of recommendations, and both
  of the final landing site selections (Meridiani
  Planum/Opportunity and Gusev Crater/Spirit) had
  been given a high priority for astrobiology by
  the NAI MFG
• As a part of the activities of the MEPAG
  Astrobiology Science Steering Group (SSG), joint
  MEPAG-NAI videocons also provided opportunities
  for NAI input in developing a set of Astrobiology
  SSG recommendations formally presented to the
  MEPAG in 2003
• On the question of landing site selection,
  interactions between the NAI and MEPAG were
  promoted through several NAI-sponsored
  videoconferences organized by the Mars Focus
  Group Chair.

Since 1999, NAI Members have served as 4 of the 5
Chairs of MEPAG
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International Collaboration

• NAI Expedition to Klyuchevsky Volcano, Kamchatka
  (2006) Jake
  Maule et al., Carnegie Institution of Washington
  
  Anatoly Pavlov, David Gilichinsky Andrey
  Abramov Russian Astrobiology Center
  Malcolm Walter Roberto Anitori Australian
  Center for Astrobiology
• Rio Tinto of Southwestern Spain, Analogue Site
  for Habitable Zones on Early Mars MBL Team, JSC
  Alumni Team, Harvard Alumni Team and others in
  collaboration with Ricardo Amils of the Centro de
  Astrobiologia / Universidad Automa de Madrid
  Spain
• NAI Astrobiology Drilling Program (Deep Time
  Drilling Project-Pilbara, Archean Biosphere
  Drilling Project)
  Malcolm Walter,
  Australian Center for Astrobiology (Macquarie
  University) Arthur Hickman, Geological
  Survey of Western Australia
• Josep Comas i Sol! International Summer School in
  Astrobiology, organized jointly with the Spanish
  Centro de Astrobiologia and the Universidad
  Internacional Menéndez Pelayo Palacio de
  Magdalena, Santander (Spain)
• Establishment of the Federation of Astrobiology
  Organizations - encompassing an ever widening set
  of individual astrobiology networks,
  associations, institutes, research groups, and
  societies linking them together to assist the
  implementation of cooperative international
  activities.

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A closing comment

• From the Carnegie perspective, and perhaps
  especially the Geophysical Lab perspective, the
  influence of NAI has been profound.
• Prior to NAI the Geophysical Lab focus was
  primarily mineral physics, with a modest
  biogeochemistry program. We are now dramatically
  more interdisciplinary, with notable staff hires
  in biology (Andrew Steele, James Scott) and new
  productive collaborative ties to biologists and
  biochemists at UW, NASA, Harvard, Princeton,
  Santa Cruz, and other institutions.
• Our research efforts in origin of life,
  mineral-molecule interactions, deep biosphere,
  molecular and isotopic biomarkers, life detection
  on Mars and more are direct results of the
  support for interdisciplinary research fostered
  by NAI.
• I could probably list 20 of my own papers from
  the past few years that
• would not have happened without NAI.
• Robert Hazen, CIW GRL

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• Building the Community
• Training the next generation of astrobiologists

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Building the communityTraining the next
generationof astrobiologists

• NAI Central supports a comprehensive suite of
  programs to recruit students into the field of
  astrobiology, train them in the interdisciplinary
  nature of the research, and support them through
  their early professional career
• NAI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (41 Fellows
  to date)
• Competitively selected to work with one or more
  NAI teams on research of mutual interest
• The 16 teams included 90 postdocs, 140 graduate
  students, and 35 undergraduates in 2005-06
• Travel support for graduate students
• Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field
  Research in Astrobiology
• Partnership with American Philosophical Society
• 12 scholars to date
• NAI Research Scholarship Program for students in
  astrobiology
• Offers research-related travel support to enable
  graduate or postdoctoral students to circulate
  among two or more NAI Teams or participating
  institutions of the NAI
• NAI Workshop and Conference Fund
• Funds used, in part, to support student
  attendance at meetings
• Travel support for student attendance at Focus
  Group meetings (14 students received funds in
  2006)

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Building the communityNAI Postdoctoral Program
41 Postdoctoral Fellows have been funded through
the NAI NPP Program Many more are members of NAI
Teams
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Building the communityNAI Postdoctoral Program
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Building the communityTraining the next
generationof astrobiologists

• Astrobiology Graduate Student Conferences
  (AbGradCon)
• NAI provided funding for conference, student
  travel, technical support (Webcasting)
• 2004 Conference at University of Arizona, 76
  participants led by Maggie Turnbull
• 2005 Conference at Scripps Institution of
  Oceanography, 40 participants led by Brad Bailey
• 2006 Informal meetings part of AbSciCon in DC,
  led by Sean Raymond
• 2007 Conference at Bioastronomy in Puerto Rico
  (led by Avi Mandell, Shawn Goldman, Fabia
  Battistuzzi, Melissa Trainer)
• Josep Comas i Solà International Summer School in
  Astrobiology
• Co-sponsored by NAI and CAB Held every summer
  since 2003 in Santander, Spain
• 40-50 students from around the world each year,
  faculty includes NAI scientists
• 2003 - Search for Life on Mars
• 2004 - Planet Mars
• 2005 - Titan Prebiotic Chemistry Origin of
  Life
• 2006 - Origins Big Bang to Life
• 2007 - Exploring Mars The Next Ten Years

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Building the communityTraining the next
generationof astrobiologists

• NAI teams have implemented a variety of
  activities toward the goal of training the next
  generation
• Mentoring Undergraduate Students
• NAI scientists serve as mentors for NSFs
  Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
  program
• Several teams have them REU mentors, including
  IPTAI, UH, PSU
• SETI Institute team is the first to have an REU
  exclusively in astrobiology
• NAI Central support expanded SETI program in 2007
  to include 4 additional students
• Team undergraduate internship programs (CIW,
  GSFC)
• Incorporating Astrobiology into Academic
  Departments and Coursework
• New academic courses at almost every team
• PSU Dual Title Ph.D. Program in Astrobiology
• as of 2006, there are 13 graduate students in the
  program
• PSU Undergraduate Minor Program in Astrobiology
• as of 2006, over 1500 students per year are
  enrolled in the 13 classes that are part of the
  Minor program

47
Building the communityTraining the next
generationof astrobiologists

• UW Astrobiology Graduate Department
• Offers Certificate in Astrobiology innovative
  program elements such as research rotation
  quarters, weekly seminars, annual workshops, grad
  students TA for undergraduate, introductory
  course for non-majors
• 2005 UA/UW Graduate Student Exchange
  implemented the annual workshop as a cross team
  collaboration
• Working on joint Astrobiology program with the
  International University of Bremen, Germany
• Graduate textbook called Planets and Life grew
  from UWs 2001 Crystal Mountain Conference on
  Astrobiology
• Special Programs
• Graduate Winter Schools in Astrobiology
• 2005 - UH team Water on Earth and Space
  getting more info from Mary at UH
• 2006 - UA team 29 grad students from US, Spain,
  Australia, and the Netherlands
• Scientific Writing Seminar Death Valley (UH grad
  students produce review article on
  interdisciplinary topic)

48

• Building the Community
• Creating community growing a field

49
Building the communityDeveloping the field of
astrobiology

• NAIs solicitations for new teams have included
  an expectation for commitment to the emerging
  field of astrobiology, thus generating strong
  incentive (backed by funding) to contribute to
  the growth of the field
• In some cases, the writing of an NAI proposal
  alone is an opportunity for collaboration and
  team-building (whether or not the team is
  selected)
• The CAN-3 solicitation initiated a required
  proposal element called Strengthening the
  Community
• This element was worth 25 of the total score,
  included Professional Community, Training,
  Teaming with Minority Institutions, Linkage to
  Other Agencies
• NAI has supported growth of the field
  internationally (International Associates and
  Affliliates)
• International travel fund
• NAI has made available funds to support travel
  associated with collaborations between NAI
  Members and international colleagues in the field
  of astrobiology
• NAI support of conferences and meetings.
  Examples
• Methane on Mars half-day workshop three sites,
  25 participants
• Astronomy Focus Group two-day meeting three
  sites
• Biomarkers two-day workshop two sites, over 15
  participants
• M-stars in-person
• Pale Blue Dot 1, 2, and 3
• Jackson Hole Workshop
• 2007 Strategic Impact Workshop

50
Building the communityPromoting
cross-disciplinary exchange

• Strategic and topical workshops
• Astrobiology Primer Coursesat NAI General
  Meetings
• Astrobiology Primerpublication
• NAI Insight Courses
• NAI General meetings

NAI Insight Courses
51
Building the communityNAI General Meetings

• NAI General Meetings were held in 2001 (at CIW),
  2003 (at ASU), and 2005 (at U. Colorado)
• General meeting serve to
• Broaden perspectives of members
• Provide cross-disciplinary exposure
• NAI Central organizes the meetings to promote
  cross-disciplinary exchange
• Use of jargon is discouraged
• In 2005 few concurrent sessions to avoid
  polarization of audiences
• Primer sessions held to educate across
  disciplines
• Student participation
• 120 students attended in 2005

52

• Building the Community
• Education and public outreach (overview and
  example)

53
NAIs Education andPublic Outreach
ProgramOverview

• Structure of NAIs E/PO Program E/PO Leads
  NAI Central
• Each team has an E/PO Lead
• each team has a unique E/PO plan, and conducts a
  variety of types of outreach (teachers, museums,
  after school programs, etc.)
• NAI Central
• supports the teams by facilitating communication,
  coordinating activities, providing supplemental
  funding for projects, leveraging partnerships
• provides leadership and direction for the
  program, interfaces with and reports to NASA on
  team activities, serves as main POC for the
  Institute with the broader astrobiology
  community, and external partners
• Program Goals and Objectives Inspire, Engage,
  and Educate
• Raise awareness about astrobiology
  develop/distribute educational materials and
  provide training for their effective
  implementation ensure quality by incorporating
  scientists/expertise

54
Interpretative materials on astrobiology and
microbiology for Yellowstone National Park
E/PO Examples from the Ames Team

• Produced chapters in the 2004, 2005 and 2006
  editions of the Yellowstone Resources and Issues
  handbook, and financed it as a color publication
• Eight wayside exhibits (large porcelain signs)
  presenting microbiology and astrobiology
• Lectures for the formal education program of the
  Yellowstone Association Institute
• Training lectures to the Interpretive Rangers
• Park Kids Program (Astrobiology Educator Guide)
• Content for the YNP web site
• Consultation regarding the scope and content of
  exhibits for microbiology and astrobiology in the
  new Old Faithful Visitor and Education Center
  (OFVEC)

55
Wayside SignLocations

• "Travertine Occupants" and "Living Color" which
  focus on thermophiles at Mammoth Hot Springs
• "Roaring Mountain Living Landscape" and
  "Fumaroles" in the Roaring Mountain region
• Living Thermometer near Whirligig at Norris
  Geyser Basin
• "Buried Alive" at Excelsior Geyser
• "Making Mud" at Fountain Paint Pot
• "Life on the Edge" and "Prism of Light, Spectrum
  of Light" at Grand Prismatic Spring

56
old
57
Midway Geyser Basin, Excelsior Crater
new .
58
(No Transcript)
59
From the Park to Museums

• California Academy of Sciences planetarium,
  aquarium, natural history, research. Building
  new museum. Currently temporary exhibits on
  Howard Street.
• BioForum (lectures for teachers) Astrobiology
  search for life in the universe.
• 3-hour docent training tours on astrobiology for
  Earth and Space.
• Planetarium lecture series. Science Now exhibit
  panel on NAI research.
• Planetarium show.
• Science Now web page on NAI research.
• NY Hall of Science New York Citys only hands-on
  science and technology center. The Hall features
  more than 225 hands-on exhibits.
• Provide content development for the Search for
  Extraterrestrial Life exhibit.
• Participate in the design of the K-14 Discovery
  Center experience and hands-on activity stations.
• Develop a manual for investigations related to
  the activity stations that museum staff will use
  with the formal education student groups that
  frequent the museum.

60

• Communication and Collaboration
• Collaborative tools

61
The Virtual InstituteA suite of toolswith many
uses

• Combine to run
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Large scale meetings
• Small group meetings
• One-to-one interaction
• Training
• Remote courses
• Journal clubs
• Public talks

• Collaboration tools
• Videoconferencing
• Telecons
• Email
• WebEx
• Shared online communities
• File sharing through the internet
• Web sites
• Discussion forums
• Blogs
• Video archives
• Podcasts

62
Virtual Seminars and Meetings
Videoconferencing WebEx have emerged as the
most powerful tools for virtual meetings
sometimes augmented by asynchronous tools for
online, shared communities

• Uses of videoconferencing WebEx
• Directors seminars
• Graduate student seminars
• UW seminars
• Executive Council meetings
• E/PO coordination meetings
• Virtual classrooms
• Virtual town hall meeting
• Special sessions (e.g. 06 SMD mission briefing)

63
WebExOnline meeting tool

• WebEx functions
• Display powerpoint
• OR
• Display entire desktop (not limited to common
  applications can show custom data for example)
• Virtual pointer
• List of attendees
• Can raise virtual hand to indicate desire to
  speak
• Chat function can chat privately or publicly to
  other participants
• Polling

64
Online sharedcommunities

• Available tools
• NX (NASA/Xerox)
• Secure Work Groups
• Used for
• File exchange
• Scheduling (e.g. calendar)
• Budgeting
• Proposal planning
• Mailing lists
• KM tools work best for small groups with a
  focused purpose (a field expedition, specific
  research project, proposal, etc)

65
Virtual Classroom

• Penn State graduate classes
• Weekly class meetings with participants from 3
  universities
• Presenters/slides accessible via Polycom
  vidoeconferencing and WebEx data sharing
• Live discussion via Polycom audio connection

66
NAI Information Management System (NIMS)
The NAI has a history of collecting, archiving,
and publishing information that provides insight
into the workings of the Institute
INPUT
OUTPUT

• Annual Reports
• For each project
• Progress
• roadmap goals identified
• cross-team collaborations
• Highlights
• field expeditions
• NASA mission involvement
• Team members
• Name, affiliation, email, photos
• Publications
• Education and Outreach Reports
• Focus Groups
• NAI Central projects reports
• Surveys
• Material entered by NAI Central
• Feature stories, research archive, events

• Products
• NAI website content
• NAI Annual Science Report
• NAI Photo Directory (Members)
• NAI email list
• NAI publications list
• Reports/presentations
• resource, e.g.
• - Projects related to roadmap
• - Number/type of students
• - Geographic distribution
• Interdisciplinarity studies
• Publications
• Teams

67

• Communication and Collaboration
• Website

68

• NAI Website
• http//nai.nasa.gov
• User base
• Science-interested public
• Educators/students
• NAI members and the broader science community

69
NAI WebsiteSupporting the virtual institute

• Elements of the virtual institute supported on
  the web
• Directors seminarslive via videocon/telecon/webe
  x, and archived including podcasts
• Member directory
• Annual reportsproject reports, publications,
  team members and more
• Newsletter
• NAI Executive Council
• Meeting support
• Research archive
• WebEx online meeting tool
• Knowledge management tools (such as NX and secure
  work groups)

70
NAI database website
INPUT from diverse sources
OUTPUTto the community via the web
Feature stories Newsletter Ask an
Astrobiologist RSS feeds Podcasts Research
Archive ...and more . .
.
Database Publications Feature articles Member
DirectoryProject Reports ...and more . . .
Web Crawler combs the web for stories and news
NAI Central staff posts (via online admin tool)
Annual Reports from NAI teams online, automated,
entry to the database

• Database helps to
• -Lower the cost
• - Keep content up-to-date
• Enable the submission of input from a variety of
  sources
• Produce a variety of other data summaries as
  needed

71

• Balance
• Investments and Outcomes

72
Balance
Are the research, training, and public
educational activities of the NAI appropriately
balanced in terms of investments and outcomes,
services to NAI members and external partners,
and activities that engage and support the wider
astrobiology community and the needs of young
professionals?
73
Astrobiology Program Budget History
74
NAI Budget
75
2007 survey on interdisciplinarity

• Survey distributed to 700 NAI current and
  alumni members (CAN 2,3, and 4 teams)
• 381 responses received
• Members asked to identify primary, secondary and
  tertiary disciplines

76
Publications studyon interdisciplinarity

• Coming Soon

77

• Balance
• NAI and the Wider Community

78
Engaging the wider community

• Flexible definition of membership
• PIs interpret the boundaries for their own
  teams thus membership is bottoms-up, through
  science projects and teams
• Growing body of alumni members is further
  blurring the distinction between members and
  non-members
• Boundaries are permeable through
• Focus groups, conferences, publication of annual
  reports, newsletters
• International associates/affiliates
• Travel support for students/ post docs
• Focus Groups
• Conferences

79
Distributed management

• Programs for which management is outsourced
• NAI Postdoctoral Program, managed by Oak Ridge
  Associated Universities (ORAU)
• Minority Institution Research Support (MIRS)
  managed by Todd Gary at TSU. Because Todd was
  the first MIRS fellow, and his center is situated
  at a Minority Institution, the programs ability
  to reach its goals is enhanced
• MIAC--Minority Institute Astrobiology
  Collaborative--was formed by Todd Gary MIAC
  develop contacts for MIRS, disseminates
  information to the minority institutions
• LewisClark is managed by American Philosophical
  Society (APS). The recruiting and management is
  done off-site with APS, and the cachet of the APS
  helps attract high quality applicants
• Benefits
• Unique contributions, perspectives, and expertise
  are brought to the programs
• Program leaders in touch with the needs of those
  whom the programs serve
• Increased community involvement
• Smaller NAI Central staff

80

• Future Directions

81
What other activities/roles not currently
undertaken by the NAI might be appropriate in the
future?
82
NAI future directions

• NAI can and should continue to broaden its role
  of service to and leadership of the astrobiology
  community as a whole
• Current activities include
• Science organization of the 2008 Astrobiology
  Science Conference
• Development of an integrated web presence and
  data collection/analysis capability for the
  entire NASA Astrobiology Program
• Astrobiology Drilling Program core sample
  curation
• Enhanced videoconference support to the community
  
• E/PO
• NAI could broaden its E/PO coordination
  activities to include Exobiology, ASTEP, and
  ASTID PIs ( assist in applying for supplemental
  E/PO funds coordinate and integrate their
  activities into existing astrobiology education
  projects and programs)
• Support mission concept studies
• NAI could conduct a DDF call for mission concept
  studies to help prepare the astrobiology
  community to propose future astrobiology
  missions, thereby providing more avenues for
  astrobiology to enter flight programs

83
NAI future directions (cont)

• One potential future direction for NAI is to
  increase further the strategic component of NAI
  research and related activities
• Emphasize strategic criterion in CAN-5?
• Continue 2007 approach in future DDF
  competitions?
• Another possible future direction is to emphasize
  certain areas of research
• CAN-2 emphasized areas that were complementary to
  those of the original 11 teams

84
NAI future directions

• Information technology future directions
• Develop stronger ties with local Silicon Valley
  contacts
• Current example Dave DesMarais' Google Earth
  project, recently funded by Google
• NAI Central's proposal to Google for exploring
  virtual environments for science collaboration
  (not selected future proposal calls are
  expected)
• Collaboration with local companies on virtual
  world applications for science, social networking
  methods, other
• Continue "early adopter" role for emerging
  paradigms and tools
• Explore virtual conferencing using the latest
  tools and updated MCU capability for example,
  could a workshop like the recent Strategic
  Impacts Workshop be conducted online?
• Continue to develop partnerships
• Seek out research themes that NAI has in common
  with other funding sources
• Stimulate dialogues with other agencies to find
  ways to leverage funding

85
The Virtual InstituteLooking ahead

• Driving forces
• Democratization of the web
• Users are now also content providers.
• Examples Wikipedia, del.icio.us (shared
  bookmarks), Digg (community-prioritized news)
  and countless other user-driven sites
• Social networking (Facebook, LinkedIn, Nature
  Network) are ways to connect large communities
  virtually
• 3-D online environments virtual and mirror
  worlds
• Real-world-based, mirror environments such as
  Google Earth, NASA Worldwind
• Dave Des Marais recently awarded funds from
  Google competition, for Tracking Sea Level Rise
  and Climate Change
• Virtual worlds such as Second Life

virtual world International Spaceflight Museum
in Second Life
mirror world Phylogeny of Avian Influenza
86
The Virtual InstituteIdeas for the future

• Explore social networking possibilities for NAI
  and the broader astrobiology community
• customize a social network for astrobiologists (a
  science-focused Facebook or Nature Network)
• Explore the use of WIKI software for online
  collaboration
• Explore/exploit the improvements now being made
  in finding, sharing, and integrating information
  semantic technologies, interoperability and
  standards
• Explore data-sharing in mirror worlds.
• Environmental scientists and sensor-net
  researchers are already feeding live data on
  climate conditions and pollution into Google
  Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth, where the
  added spatial and geographical dimensions give
  extra context and help reveal hidden
  patterns.Reference Roush, W. (June/July 2007)
  Second Earth, MIT Technology Review,
  www.technologyreview.com
• Astrobiology Island in Second Life
• 8 Million residents currently in Second Life
  growing at a rate of about 1M per month
• NASA CoLab collaboratory is taking shape
• Venue for public engagement in astrobiology
• Explore the combination of new paradigms (social
  networks, virtual and mirror worlds), with
  existing tools (videoconferencing, WebEx) to
  conduct next generation virtual workshops and
  meetings. Could the recently held Strategic
  Impact Workshop, and others like it, be conducted
  virtually?

87
Backup Slides
88
Astrobiology Program

• NASA Astrobiology Institute (1998)
• Virtual institute central office at NASA Ames
  Research Center
• Members conduct interdisciplinary research as a
  community, yet are geographically dispersed
• Currently 16 Member-Institutions, plus NAI
  Central.
• Exobiology Evolutionary Biology (1965)
• Research centered on pathways leading to and from
  the origin of life
• Focused on the physical and biological forces
  that affect biological evolution and the
  interaction of life with its environment
• 140 research tasks at US universities, research
  institutions, Federal labs, and NASA Centers.
• Astrobiology Science Technology Instrument
  Development (1988, 2001)
• Life-centered instrument and technology
  development, from concept to brass-board
• Develops both in situ and remote-sensing
  instruments and concepts
• 49 instrument-development tasks at US
  universities, research institutions, Federal
  labs, and NASA Centers.
• Astrobiology Science Technology for Exploring
  Planets (2001)
• Science-driven field campaigns to extreme
  environments develop integrated systems, build
  exploration savvy, and demonstrate astrobiology
  capabilities for space exploration. Humans
  robots, together

89
2006 NAI Citations from Journals by Impact Factor

90
Top Journals by Number of Citations in 2006
Report
Alphabetical list of journals with five or more
citations in the 2006 NAI Annual Report.
91

92
NAI Astrobiology Drilling Program

• An international program, managed by the NAI,
  aimed at coordinating continental drilling
  projects of astrobiological significance
• The goals of the program are to assist in the
  identification of appropriate targets, the
  overseeing of procedures for sample distribution
  and curation, and the promotion of worthwhile
  proposals to potential funding agencies
• Objective is to access unweathered, unoxidized,
  and uncontaminated samples
• Targets include Earths oldest sedimentary
  successions, critical intervals in Earth
  history, and times when the biosphere was
  changing on a planetary scale

93
NAI Astrobiology Drilling Program
93
Mission to Early Earth Focus Group 1999 - 2003
94
NAI Astrobiology Drilling Program
Collaboration/Partnerships

• Archean Biosphere Drilling Project (ABDP)
• The ABDP, a joint project involving Kagoshima
  University, the Geological Survey of Western
  Australia, the University of Western Australia,
  and the Penn State Team of the NAI, initiated the
  ADP with six holes (total depth 1.4 km) drilled
  in the Archean of Western Australia in 2003.
• Deep Time Drilling Project (DTDP)
• The Hamersley Long Hole of the DTDP (University
  of Colorado and University of Washington NAI
  teams) was drilled early in the Austral Winter of
  2004. Two other holes (Coonterunah and Tumbiana)
  were drilled jointly by ABDP and DTDP as well.

95
NAI Astrobiology Drilling ProgramSample