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April 15, 2008-April 17, 2008
Astrobiology is the study of the origins, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe. AbSciCon 2008 will convene the global community of scholars engaged in this interdisciplinary effort. Interested scientists and educators are invited to participate.
The meeting will combine plenary events with focused topical sessions that broadly relate to the major scientific themes:
* The Astronomical and Planetary Context for Life
* The Origin and Evolution of Life
* The Search for Life in our Solar System and Beyond
More Information: http://abscicon.seti.org/
August 28, 2007-August 30, 2007
NASA has developed this course on planetary protection policies and practices to familiarize current and future practitioners with NASA and COSPAR planetary protection programs. The course provides a comprehensive review of all applicable policies, practices and procedures necessary to implement a successful planetary protection program, emphasizing integration of managerial, administrative, and laboratory aspects of planetary protection.
Registration Deadline: July 27, 2007
Brochure
Registration form
July 23, 2007-July 27, 2007
Applications are due May 15, 2007, for NASA's 19th Annual Planetary Science Summer School, which will hold two sessions this summer, July 23-27 and August 6-10, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.
Science and engineering post-doctoral and doctoral students with a strong interest in careers in planetary exploration are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or resident aliens ("green card" holders) and must be living within the U.S. at the time of application.
The student teams will develop the equivalent of an early concept study responsive to a typical NASA Announcement of Opportunity for robotic missions, prepare a presentation for a proposal authorization review, present it to a review board, and receive feedback. At the end of the week, students will have a clearer understanding of the relationships among mission design, cost, and schedule, and the trade-offs necessary to stay within cost and schedule while preserving the opportunity to acquire high-quality science. They will also understand the lifecycle of a robotic space mission.
Partial financial support is available to a limited number of individuals to help defray the expense of travel and lodging only. Applications are to be submitted electronically by May 15, 2007.
For further information and to fill out an application, visit http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/pscischool/ or contact Ms. Anita M. Sohus, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, M/S 111-B29,4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109; phone 818-354-6613; e-mail Anita.M.Sohus@jpl.nasa.gov.
July 16, 2007-July 20, 2007
Bioastronomy 2007: Molecules, Microbes and Extraterrestrial Life will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico from July 16-20, 2007, and will be the only major international astrobiology meeting in 2007. This meeting will serve to bring together an international interdisciplinary group of researchers to share and discuss the latest findings related to origins of solar systems, space resources and exploration for life, topics highly relevant to the new NASA Exploration vision. As an outcome of this meeting we expect to produce a refereed Conference Volume. In addition to the oral and poster sessions, AbGradCon will be meeting at the same venue on July 14 and 15 and there are a variety of Education programs and public events offered in conjunction with the meeting.
For more information: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/UHNAI/bioast07.htm
July 02, 2007-July 06, 2007
The International Summer School is co-sponsored by NAI and the Centro de Astrobiologia. It's held in Santander, Spain each summer. More info: http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/uimp/marsexpl/
November 14, 2006-November 16, 2006
Space Life Sciences Laboratory
Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
Registration Form
Brochure
Registration Deadline: October 27, 2006
NASA has developed this course on planetary protection policies and practices to familiarize current and future practitioners with NASA and COSPAR planetary protection programs. The course provides a comprehensive review of all applicable policies, practices and procedures necessary to implement a successful planetary protection program, emphasizing integration of managerial, administrative, and laboratory aspects of planetary protection.
September 18, 2006-September 20, 2006
Pale Blue Dot III will be held at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum and will offer a venue for the development of ideas and methods that may be used for the detection of life at the planetary scale beyond Earth. http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/pale_blue_dot/index.shtml
July 24, 2006-August 11, 2006
Honolulu, Hawaii
The University of Hawaii Astrobiology Institute (UH-NAI) is hosting the Computational Astrobiology Summer School from July 24 until August 11, 2006. This is an excellent opportunity for graduate students in computer science and related areas to learn about astrobiology, and to carry out substantial projects related to the field.
More information is available at http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/UHNAI/cass.htm
July 24, 2006-July 28, 2006
Session 1: July 24 - July 28, 2006 (18 participants)
Session 2: July 31 - August 4, 2006 (18 participants)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
Applications are due May 15, 2006, for NASA's 18th Annual Planetary Science Summer School, which will hold two sessions this summer, July 24-28 and July 31 -August 4, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Science and engineering post-doctoral and graduate students with a strong interest in careers in planetary exploration are encouraged to apply. Preference is given to U.S. citizens. The student teams will carry out the equivalent of an early concept study responsive to a selected NASA Announcement of Opportunity, prepare a proposal authorization review presentation, present it to a review board, and receive feedback. At the end of the week, students will have a clearer understanding of the relationships among mission design, cost, and schedule, and the trade-offs necessary to stay within cost and schedule while preserving the opportunity to acquire high-quality science. They will also understand the lifecycle of a space mission. Partial financial support is available to a limited number of individuals to help defray the expense of travel and lodging only. Applications are to be submitted electronically by May 15, 2006 at http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/pscischool/ .
For further information, visit http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/pscischool/ or contact
Ms. Anita M. Sohus
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
M/S 111-B29
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109
phone 818-354-6613
e-mail Anita.M.Sohus@jpl.nasa.gov
July 10, 2006-July 14, 2006
The International Summer School is co-sponsored by NAI and the Centro de Astrobiologia. It's held in Santander, Spain each summer. More info: http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/uimp/origins/
April 18-20, 2006
Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory
(Seymour Center)
100 Shaffer Road
Santa Cruz, California 95060
Registration Form
Brochure
Registration Deadline: March 31, 2006
This NASA-developed course is designed to familiarize current and future planetary protection practitioners with the NASA and COSPAR Planetary Protection Programs. The course will review all applicable policies, practices and procedures necessary to implement a successful planetary protection program and will emphasize integration of the managerial, administrative and laboratory components of planetary protection.
The Europa Focus Group Workshop will be held February 27-28, 2006 at NASA Ames Research Center. If you have any questions contact Ron Greeley greeley@asu.edu.
March 10-12, 2006
The Marine Biological Laboratory
Woods Hole, MA 02543
"Discover the Microbes Within!" is a 3-day workshop designed for high school and undergraduate educators. Participants will learn about the diverse ways that bacteria evolve and symbiotically interact with insects, in an environment that fosters close interactions with research scientists and other teachers. Basic topics and lesson plans cover insect collection, insect biodiversity, the mutualistic and parasitic bacteria (Wolbachia) that live within them, DNA extraction, and simple molecular biology and evolutionary analysis skills. For more information, please visit our website at http://jbpc.mbl.edu/microbial-workshop-2005.html
The Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2006 will be held March 26-30, 2006 in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Bookmark the AbScicon website at http://abscicon2006.arc.nasa.gov/ for your primary source of the latest AbSciCon2006 meeting information.
Astrobiology is a novel approach to the scientific study of the living universe. It seeks to understand the origin and evolution of life on Earth, to determine if life exists elsewhere in the universe, and to predict the future of life on Earth and in the rest of the universe. To this end it relies on the diversity of disciplines and has inspired new meta-disciplines. Abstracts are solicited on all topics that span the enormous range of astrobiological themes. The meeting format will include a limited number of plenary talks that will complement a larger number of oral presentations in parallel thematic sessions. As has always been the case at previous AbSciCon's, the poster sessions, including the NAI sponsored Student Poster Competition, will continue to be a particularly important and successful venue for the exchange of scientific ideas.
Symposia Selections
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Early Bird Registration Deadline: February 26, 2006
The Molecular Geomicrobiology Short Course sessions will be held at the University of California , Berkeley December 3-4, 2005. http://www.minsocam.org/msa/sc/MolGeoBio_descrp.html
This short course will review progress that has resulted recently from integrative molecular approaches applied to problems in environmental microbiology, geomicrobiology, and astrobiology; - and discuss areas of high potential for future research.
Senior undergraduate and graduate students are strongly encouraged to attend. The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) is providing funds for 20 students to participate in the short course and will cover their registration and accommodation costs (for non- Bay area students). In rare cases , transportation support may be available. To apply for these scholarships, please contact Javiera at: javiera@seismo.berkeley.edu
Please apply as soon as possible. Applications received after November 1, 2005 will be considered only if slots remain (and after November 1, on a first come basis).
In the application, please state your name, recent and/or current university affiliation(s), and areas of interest (one paragraph). Please explain briefly (few sentences) the basis for your request for financial support. If you request special consideration for travel support, please have a faculty member send a brief accompanying email confirming that no other support is available (if you are an undergraduate not yet enrolled in graduate studies, state this).
Dates : Short Course sessions are December 3 and 4, 2005 starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday and end early afternoon on Sunday so people can attend the American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco , CA that starts Monday, December 5. There is a reception Friday, December 2 from 7:00-10:00 pm.
Location : The sessions will be held at the University of California , International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave., Berkeley, CA 94720-2320 ; phone (510) 642-9490, (530) 757-3259; fax: (530) 757-7943.
Conveners : Jillian F. Banfield and Javiera Cervini-Silva, Kenneth Nealson
SHORT COURSE TOPICS:
- Molecular Geomicrobiology J. Banfield, J. Cervini-Silva, K. Nealson
- Catalysis and Prebiotic Synthesis: Montmorillonite-Catalyzed Synthesis of RNA oligomers J. Ferris
- Building the biomarker tree of life. J. Brocks and A. Pearson
- What genetics offers geobiology D. Newman and J. Gralnick
- Carbon and nitrogen cycling - a molecular history J. Raymond
- Metabolic and genomic evolution over Earth history K. Nelson
- Enzymology of electron transport: energy generation with geochemical consequences J. Fredrickson and T. Di Christina
- Siderophores S. Kraemer , A.Butler, P. Borer, J Cervini-Silva
- The microbe mineral interface G. DeStasio
- Size matters: nanocrystalline products of biomineralization B. Gilbert, J. Banfield
- Geomicrobiological cycling of iron (electron shuttling) A. Kappler & Kristina Straub
- Microbial population dynamics through the lens of extreme environments. R. Whitaker & J. Banfield
- Communities and the organization of metabolism. K. Nealson
The Life and Planets Astrobiology Center (LAPLACE) 2006 Astrobiology Graduate Winter School "Habitable Planets around Sun-Like Stars: Common or Rare" will be held at the University of Arizona January 4-9, 2006. http://www.laplace.arizona.edu/
The School will provide graduate students from all disciplines related to astrobiology an opportunity to research and develop their own ideas about the likelihood of habitable planets surrounding sun-like stars. The school will emphasize hands-on learning techniques including day and night-time observing on research telescopes at Kitt Peak Observatory, tours of the University of Arizona's Mirror Lab and Tree Ring Lab and activities in the Arizona Radio Observatories' Astrochemistry Lab. Students will also have chances to explore some of the unique aspects of the Tucson area including its unique geology and clear dark skies.
November 15-17, 2005
The Center of Marine Biotechnology (COMB)
701 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Registration Form
Brochure
Registration Deadline: October 31, 2005
This NASA-developed course is designed to familiarize current and future planetary protection practitioners with the NASA and COSPAR Planetary Protection Programs. The course will review all applicable policies, practices and procedures necessary to implement a successful planetary protection program and will emphasize integration of the managerial, administrative and laboratory components of planetary protection.
PP-V will be held at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawaii on October 24-28, 2005. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/ppv2005/ppv2005.infopage.html
The goals of the meeting are four-fold: to present an overview of the major areas of progress since PP- IV; to bring researchers together for discussions and exchanges of ideas; to strengthen future interdisciplinary research in these areas; and to encourage the participation of young researchers and advanced students in these fields of research.
Second Astrobiology Graduate Conference
August 17-21, 2005
Since the birth of the Astrobiology discipline, there has been a need for a forum where graduate students and young researchers can present their research and discuss the field of astrobiology among peers. This conference hopes to provide that forum and meet the following goals:
- Provide a forum where graduate students can give scientific lectures to their peers
- Introduce students to astrobiology science in disciplines other than their own.
- Train the next leaders in astrobiology research
- Provide a situation where a student can enhance their own network of possible collaborators, contacts and resources.
- Provide the opportunity for graduate students to come together and create/foster new interdisciplinary collaborative research and friendships.
NASA Planetary Science Summer School
NASA's 17th Annual Planetary Science Summer School will hold two sessions this summer, July 25-29 and August 1-5, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Applications are due June 3, 2005. Science and engineering post-doctoral and graduate students with a strong interest in careers in planetary exploration are encouraged to apply. Preference is given to U.S. citizens.
The student teams will carry out the equivalent of an early concept study responsive to a selected NASA Announcement of Opportunity, prepare a proposal authorization review presentation, present it to a review board, and receive feedback. At the end of the week, students will have a clearer understanding of the relationships among mission design, cost, and schedule, and the trade-offs necessary to stay within cost and schedule while preserving the opportunity to acquire high-quality science. They will also understand the lifecycle of a space mission. Partial financial support is available to a limited number of individuals to help defray the expense of travel and lodging only. Applications are to be submitted electronically by June 3, 2005 at http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/pscischool/ .
For further information, visit http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/pscischool/ or contact Ms. Anita M. Sohus, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, M/S 311-100, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109; phone 818-354-6613; e-mail Anita.M.Sohus@jpl.nasa.gov .
Josep Comas i Solà International Summer School in Astrobiology
July 10-15 , 2005
Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo
Palacio de Magdalena, Santander, Cantabria (Spain)
Earth System Processes 2
The Earth System Processes 2 meeting, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada August 8-11, will be an interdisciplinary, integrative scientific meeting exploring the interactions among Earth's lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and biota. The meeting is being co-sponsored by the Geological Society of America and Geological Association of Canada, with support from the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and the NASA Astrobiology Institute.
Sessions for the meeting have been organized around three basic themes: Ancient Earth Systems, Modern Earth System Processes, and Earth System Futures. For more information go to the meeting website at http://geosociety.org/meetings/esp2/prog.htm .
Those who have an interest in Planetary and Solar System Exploration look for the Session Titled: The Future of Solar System Exploration
Organizer: Jack Farmer ( jfarmer@asu.edu ; 480-965-6748)
Description: The next two decades of Solar System exploration promises to be both vigorous and exciting, driven by a continuing search for habitable environments and life and supported by government initiatives that will provide for the development of new technologies that will broaden our access to space and enable human missions to the Moon and Mars. "The Future of Solar System Exploration" will present an integrated overview of the future of exploration in our Solar System, with an emphasis on the search for extraterrestrial habitable environments and life via methods of robotic and human exploration. The session will include a variety of topics, including astrobiological missions to explore for potentially habitable planets and moons in our Solar System; sample return missions and attending issues of planetary protection; efforts to prepare for the human exploration and colonization of the Moon and Mars, as well as advances in technology needed to support advanced propulsion systems, surface exploration and habitation; methods and technologies for the prediction and mitigation of terrestrial impact hazards; and related topics.
If you have any questions about the meeting or Special Session, please feel free to contact Jack Farmer at jfarmer@asu.edu .
Planetary Protection: Policies and Practices
April 19-21, 2005
Seymour Center, Long Marine Laboratory
Santa Cruz, CA
April 2005 Registration Form and Brochure (114 KB)
Registration Deadline: April 1, 2005
This NASA-developed course is designed to familiarize current and future planetary protection practitioners with the NASA and COSPAR Planetary Protection Programs. The course will review all applicable policies, practices and procedures necessary to implement a successful planetary protection program and will emphasize integration of the managerial, administrative and laboratory components of planetary protection.
Planetary Protection: Policies and Practices
October 27-29, 2004
Colorado Springs, CO
Registration Deadline: October 8, 2004
This NASA-developed course is designed to familiarize current and future planetary protection practitioners with the NASA and COSPAR Planetary Protection Programs. The course will review all applicable policies, practices and procedures necessary to implement a successful planetary protection program and will emphasize integration of the managerial, administrative and laboratory components of planetary protection.
NAI Insight Courses
Are you an astronomer or geologist who would like to know more about biology? Or, perhaps you're a biologist or a chemist who would like to know more about planetary processes? If so, you may be interested in attending an Astrobiology Insight Course offered by the NASA Astrobiology Institute.
NAI/CIAR Workshop: Lateral Gene Transfer and the Origins of Eukaryotes
May 6-8, 2004
This workshop is being sponsored jointly by the NASA Astrobiology Institute and the Evolutionary Biology Program of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and gives formal recognition to their shared interests. Its purposes are to assess the extent and significance of lateral gene transfer in the evolution of eukaryotic genomes, to present and debate chimeric models for the origin of eukaryotes, and to attempt an integration of such models, often based only on molecular data, with the geological record. The venue and schedule will optimize frank and open discussion.
Josep Comas i Solà International Summer School in Astrobiology
Mars exploration is central to astrobiology. By studying Mars, we learn about the planetary evolution of Mars and the conditions that may have supported life in the past or might enable life to exist there today. For this reason, in this year when so much new information on Mars has become available, we chose to devote the Josep Comas i Solà Summer School in Astrobiology to the red planet.
ABGRADCON 2004
The purpose of this conference is to bring together graduate students from many areas of expertise (astronomy, oceanography, planetary science, chemistry, climatology, astrogeopaleobiochemistry, etc) to discuss their work and how it relates to the fundamental questions regarding life in the universe.
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