NASA Call for Applications: STAR (Spaceflight Technologies, Application, and Research)

Call for Applications: STAR (Spaceflight Technologies, Application, and Research)

Solicitation Number: NNH20ZTT002L

Release Date: March 10, 2020

Response Due Date: May 29, 2020

NASA has noted a lack of dedicated courses or training available for new researchers entering the field of space biosciences or preparing to submit proposals for analog or spaceflight experiments. The opportunities and limitations of using spacecraft as a research laboratory are specific, complex, and frequently require prior knowledge, so they may present a major hurdle for academic and industry researchers who would otherwise be able to apply their expertise to space biology. 

To address these issues, NASA has developed this inaugural STAR course, which provides a one-week intensive training session and encourages networking and collaborations in spaceflight technologies, applications, and research. This course targets principal investigators (PIs), senior research scientists, and postdoctoral scholars and aims to facilitate their entry to space biology and preparation for spaceflight experiments using NASA and commercial platforms.  NASA will sponsor the course to take place at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) during the week of August 10-14, 2020. The STAR course will cover both fundamental and applied aspects of the field of biology, as well as practical aspects of preparing for, conducting, and analyzing the results of spaceflight experiments. This call is specifically to collect applications for the STAR Course.

This document is being released as an RFI response type in NSPIRES. The full text of the RFI and response instructions can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/NASASTARAPP. Responses must be submitted electronically using the NSPIRES web site and require only your CV and a personal statement (mentor statement must also be included for postdoctoral applicants). This RFI is open to responses from all individuals with a doctoral degree and who are US citizens or permanent residents, including those from commercial entities, academia, NASA Centers, and other government agencies.

The information obtained will be used by NASA for STAR course planning and attendance. NASA will use the information obtained as a result of this RFI only for the purposes of gauging interest in the STAR course for planning and attendance purposes. No information received will be posted to any website or public access location. Questions and answers regarding this RFI may be posted to the NSPIRES website in the form of an FAQ. While course participants will be drawn from applicants, replying to this Call for Applications does not guarantee a spot in the course. NASA may plan to respond to the individual responses.  The Government does not intend to award an award on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited.