KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida., December 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The US National Science Foundation released two research applications this week, with grants totaling up to $5.2 million, to leverage the National Laboratory of the International Space Station (ISS) to advance basic research in the physical and life sciences. The NSF, in partnership with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS), responsible for the ISS National Laboratory, seeks investigations focused on tissue engineering and the physical science field of transport phenomena .
Microgravity induces changes in organisms that are beneficial to several areas of research within the biomedical sciences. Additionally, many processes that affect fluid behaviors on Earth are absent in microgravity, so the persistent space environment aboard the ISS offers benefits for several areas of physical science. Knowledge gained from fundamental scientific studies in space could have profound implications for future research and technological development that bring value to humanity. Responsive proposals will describe how the proposed research will use the unique conditions available on the ISS to advance basic and translational research for the benefit of life on Earth. Below highlights each opportunity.
Creation of fabrics
In the first joint solicitation, CASIS and NSF are seeking projects that use the ISS National Laboratory to advance research in tissue engineering and mechanobiology. This solicitation, the sixth between CASIS and NSF focused on tissue engineering, aims to advance drug discovery and therapeutic development through space research. NSF will provide up to $1.6 million in funding for several projects to launch to the space station under the sponsorship of the ISS National Lab.
A project awarded under a joint NSF/CASIS solicitation in 2019 recently launched a resupply mission to the ISS. The investigation, since University of Michigan, examines a group of proteins and their effects on osteogenic cells, or osteoblasts, in microgravity. Findings from this project could help lead to new osteoporosis treatments for patients on Earth.
More information about the NSF solicitation on tissue engineering and mechanobiology research can be found on the ISS National Laboratory solicitation page.
Transport phenomena and fluid dynamics
In the second tender, NSF will provide up to $3.6 million for several projects aimed at advancing fundamental research in the fields of transport phenomena, including fluid dynamics, multiphase processes, thermal transport, combustion and fire systems, and nanoscale interactions. During a recent resupply mission, researchers from the University of California San Diego initiated a physical science investigation into the mudslides that was funded by a previous joint NSF/CASIS solicitation. The research team seeks to better predict, and possibly prevent, catastrophic landslides from wildfires by studying how burned soil reacts with air and water in microgravity.
For more information on this Transport Phenomena and Fluid Dynamics solicitation – the eighth joint CASIS and NSF physical science solicitation – see the ISS National Laboratory solicitation page.
Basic science is a strategic area for the ISS National Laboratory, and CASIS has established strong multi-year partnerships with government agencies such as the NSF to fund research at the in-orbit laboratory. The NSF supports transformative research to help boost America’s economy, strengthen national security, and maintain America’s position as a world leader in innovation.
Each solicitation follows a two-step submission process. All interested researchers must first submit an ISS National Laboratory Feasibility Review Form for the evaluation of the operational feasibility of the concept. The information provided in this form is used to assess the operational feasibility of the proposed research to be conducted on board the ISS. Only researchers whose concept passes the feasibility review form stage will be invited to submit a full proposal.
To learn more about past ISS National Lab and NSF research collaborations and additional opportunities to leverage the space station, please visit www.ISSNationalLab.org.
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Media contacts:
ISS National Laboratory
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org
NSF
703-292-7090
media@nsf.gov
About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technological development not possible on Earth. As a public service company, the ISS National Laboratory enables researchers to leverage this multi-user facility to improve life on Earth, evolve space business models, advance the science culture of the future workforce and develop a sustainable and scalable market in low earth orbit. Through this in-orbit National Laboratory, ISS research resources are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and educational initiatives of U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) operates the ISS National Laboratory, under a cooperative agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent research environment in microgravity, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit www.ISSNationalLab.org.
About the US National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States is an independent federal agency established by Congress in 1950 to promote the advancement of science, advance national health, prosperity, and welfare, and provide national defense. NSF supports basic science and engineering research to create knowledge that transforms the future. With a budget for fiscal year 2022 of $8.8 billion, the NSF provides support for approximately 25% of all federally funded basic research conducted by US colleges and universities. The NSF also invests in the equipment and infrastructure needed by scientists and engineers. Examples of such major research facilities include giant optical and radio telescopes, Antarctic research sites, high-end computing facilities, vessels for ocean research, sensitive detectors of subtle physical phenomena, and gravitational wave observatories. .
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SOURCE International Space Station National Laboratory
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