History of the NAI-MIRS Program
The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) is a virtual institute that functions to facilitate the growth of the field of astrobiology. NAI has several core activities: supporting and motivating collaborative interdisciplinary research among the 16 NAI Teams, hosting bi-annual meetings, supporting focus groups, and providing financial support oversight and leadership to the Teams in both research and education/public outreach in astrobiology.
Since its inception, NAI has had an enormous impact as an innovator within NASA and the field of astrobiology. NAI has brought together geologists, astronomers, biologists and other collaborators to develop astrobiology as a legitimate interdisciplinary field of study. The Astrobiology Roadmap has been developed as a framework for professionals with common goals. This roadmap focuses on questions that are critical to understanding life on Earth and beyond and provides a significant research path for this diverse group of scientists.
NAI is at the cutting edge of technology used to increase scientific interaction. The Institute provides innovative technology that allows astrobiology seminars to be broadcast over the Internet and permits scientists from distant institutions to collaborate in a virtual community.
One of the programs created by the NAI is the Minority Institution Research Support (MIRS) program for astrobiology. This innovative program is designed to increase the participation of minority faculty and students in astrobiology research and education. The NAI-MIRS program provides support for astrobiology research sabbaticals, follow-up support, and travel for faculty and their students from minority institutions to attend astrobiology science conferences.
In the last five years NAI-MIRS has successfully facilitated the introduction of students and faculty from minority institutions into research in astrobiology. Some of the successes of the NAI-MIRS program include:
- Students from minority institutions are now involved in astrobiology at the University of Washington, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Centro de Astrobiologia in Madrid, Spain, NASA Goddard, and at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory.
- Faculty members who have participated in the NAI-MIRS program have successfully competed for external funding to support astrobiology research and educational programs.
In 2005, the NAI began collaborating with TSU to grow NAI-MIRS from within the minority community it serves. This partnership will strengthen the minority infrastructure and increase diversity at all levels of NAI activities.
This is just the beginning of the NAI-MIRS success story...