National Science Foundation and CASIS Announce Fourth Annual Solicitation in Tissue Engineering and Mechanobiology to Utilize the International Space Station
iss060e020090 (July 31, 2019) --- Expedition 60 Flight Engineer Christina Koch of NASA works with the BioFabrication Facility that will soon be tested for its ability to print organ-like tissues and begin proving viability for human organ fabrication in space.
Media Credit: NASA
November 16, 2020
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), November 16, 2020 – The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS(Abbreviation: CASIS™) The nonprofit organization that manages the ISS National Lab, which receives at least 50 percent of the U.S. research allocation on the International Space Station to facilitate research that benefits humanity (NASA manages the other 50% and focuses on research for space exploration purposes).) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced their fourth annual joint solicitation for investigators to leverage the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) for research in the fields of tissue engineering and mechanobiology. Up to $1.6 million will be awarded for multiple research investigations to support flight projects under the sponsorship of the ISS U.S. National Laboratory. An additional $450,000 may be available to support hardware and Implementation Partner(Abbreviation: IP) Commercial companies that work with the ISS National Lab to provide services related to payload development, including the translation of ground-based science to a space-based platform. costs for each awarded proposal. CASIS is the nonprofit responsible for management of the ISS National Lab through a Cooperative AgreementA cooperative agreement is Federal assistance that establishes a relationship between the U.S. Government and a recipient in which the principal purpose of the relationship is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation. Since 2011, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) has managed the National Laboratory® through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. with NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The purpose of this solicitation is to attract proposals that make use of the ISS National Lab for research projects in the fields of tissue engineering and mechanobiology. Responsive proposals will describe how the proposed research will utilize the ISS National Lab and its unique environment to develop novel ideas in either fundamental or translational research programs that integrate engineering and life sciences. This solicitation comes on the heels of a recent announcement wherein three projects were selected by NSF to leverage the ISS National Lab for tissue engineering and mechanobiology research as a result of the 2019 solicitation.
MicrogravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment. affects organisms—from viruses and bacteria to humans, inducing changes such as altered gene expression and DNA regulation, changes in cellular function and physiology, and 3D aggregation of cells. Spaceflight is advancing research in the areas of pharmaceutical development, disease modeling, regenerative medicine, and many other areas within the life sciences.
Through this partnership, CASIS will facilitate hardware implementation and in-orbit access to the ISS National Lab, and NSF will fund the selected projects to advance fundamental science and biomedical engineering knowledge. NSF supports transformative research to help drive the U.S. economy, enhance national security, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation. Fundamental science and government agency sponsored research is an important line of business for the ISS National Lab, and knowledge gained from such research could have profound impacts on future inquiries that bring value to our nation and drive a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles..
Prior to submitting a full proposal to NSF for this solicitation, all interested parties are requested to submit a Feasibility Review Form to the ISS National Lab for an evaluation on the operational feasibility of the proposed work to be conducted on the orbiting laboratory. The deadline to submit a Feasibility Review Form is January 4, 2021. Only projects that pass the ISS National Lab Feasibility Review will be invited to submit a full proposal to NSF. The notification of a passing score must be included in the full proposal submission. NSF will close this grant solicitation on March 1, 2021.
To view the full solicitation, please see the NSF solicitation page. To learn more about the benefits of conducting research onboard the ISS National Lab, please visit issnationallab.org.
Media Contacts:
CASIS/ISS National Lab:
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org
NSF:
Media Affairs
703-292-7090
media@nsf.gov
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About the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory: In 2005, Congress designated the U.S. portion of the ISS as the nation’s newest national laboratory to optimize its use for improving quality of life on Earth, promoting collaboration among diverse users, and advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. This unique laboratory environment is available for use by non-NASA U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The ISS National Lab manages access to the permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space.
About the National Science Foundation: The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2020 budget of $8.3 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.
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