RFP 2018-4

Request for Proposals (RFP)

Rodent Research Reference Mission-1: Applications for Spaceflight Biospecimens

The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) today announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) for investigators seeking to access biological specimens from its Rodent Research Reference Mission-1, Applications for Spaceflight Biospecimens, to support fundamental biomedical inquiries sponsored by the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory

NLRA / NSF Solicitation #:
RFP CASIS 2018-4

NLRA Open Period:
9/11/2018 – 10/19/2018

Strategic Focus:
Fundamental Science

Research Area:
Tissue Engineering

Watch the webinar to learn about this opportunity

Expedition 43 Commander Terry Virts and Flight Engineer Scott Kelly perform operations for Rodent Research-3

Expedition 43 Commander Terry Virts and Flight Engineer Scott Kelly perform operations for Rodent Research-3

Media Credit: NASA

Purpose

Proposals requesting biospecimens should be responsive to one of the two emphasis areas described below (or should include in the technical description of the proposal the hypothesis-driven science justifying use of the biospecimens):

  • Spaceflight induces profound changes in the human body that may be replicated in animal models of disease. The responses of humans and model organisms to spaceflight may, in some cases, mimic the onset and progression of health-related outcomes associated with cellular senescence and aging. Proposers are encouraged to submit concepts focused on enhancing disease modeling through rodent research as models of human disease.
  • Spaceflight has also been observed to affect cellular and molecular pathways involving, for example, epigenetic regulation, oxidative stress, protein synthesis, mitochondrial function, and telomere length homeostasis. Spaceflight provides researchers an opportunity for the analysis of these cumulative, exposure-dependent physiological changes in animal models and in an accelerated model of disease.

Steps to Applying for This Research Opportunity

The ISS National Laboratory encourages applicants to read the entire solicitation description and proposal instructions carefully before submitting proposed projects to ensure compliance with content and submission guidelines.

** Please verify that none of the information submitted is subject to the export control laws of the United States, such as the EAR or the ITAR; if any information is subject to such laws, please mark all pages containing such information and identify the appropriate export control jurisdiction and classification. **

Thank you for your interest in conducting research leveraging the ISS National Lab! For questions regarding this research announcement, please contact info@ISSNationalLab.org and reference NLRA2018-4 in the subject line.