The unique high quality and long duration microgravity environment on the ISS National Lab provides an extraordinary research platform for experiments in the biological and medical sciences. Microgravity induces a vast array of changes in individual cells and model organisms ranging from viruses and microorganisms to humans, including global alterations in gene expression and 3-dimensional aggregation of cells into biofilms or tissue-like architectures that recapitulate the structure and function of organs. Moreover, studies of astronauts reveal a variety of space flight-induced health conditions, many of which may serve as accelerated models of ground-based ailments such as aging and trauma. Research into these and other effects of the space environment may advance our fundamental understanding of cell and tissue function, effective disease diagnosis and /or treatment, or improved health care delivery.

The following constitute a partial list of the distinct and unique advantages for conducting research in space at the interface of engineering and biomedical sciences:

Effects of microgravity:

• Altered gene expression results in phenotypic consequence, including changes in cellular immune function and microbial growth and virulence;
• Cell cultures show altered processes of cell growth, cell differentiation and cell communication, including increased pluripotency of stem cells;
• Scaffold-free tissue cultures grown in three dimensions have advanced the field of tissue engineering by facilitating diffusion of nutrients and oxygen into spheroids and enhancing the aggregation of cells by induction of differential cellular signaling pathways, achieving constructs larger than those engineered in conventional bioreactors or 2D cultures;
• Changes in body systems result in bone loss, immune dysfunction, vision changes, viral reactivation and loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, among other systemic effects; and
• Advances in additive manufacturing and tissue engineering capabilities on orbit using biological and biocompatible materials to facilitate cellular self-organization and 3D tissue formation.

Radiation environment:

• Includes high energy protons and atomic nuclei of heavier elements.

Funding

To receive funding as an NSF-ISS-appropriate project, a flight experiment that utilizes the ISS National Lab should be proposed. If flight schedules change, investigators may modify proposed timelines, subject to review and approval by the CASIS Operations team.

This solicitation is not intended to be used for projects that can be accommodated within other NSF funding mechanisms. In addition, this solicitation is not intended to be used for projects that can be conducted in their entirety with ground-based research.

Collaborative proposals can also be submitted. In these cases, if the co-PIs are at different organizations and have complementary skills and facilities, then the use of the separately submitted collaborative proposal mechanism is allowed. See PAPPG Chapter II.D.3 for information about submission of a collaborative proposal from multiple organizations.

Prospective proposals will be subject to a feasibility review for operational feasibility, conducted by CASIS.

See the CASIS guidelines for further details on these reviews at https://www.iss-casis.org/research-on-the-iss/solicitations/NSF-CBET-CMMI. The solicitation seeks to increase use of the ISS National Lab for flight research projects in the field of biomedical engineering. Costs such as preparatory work, including but not limited to design of experimental prototypes and numerical simulations, data acquisition, and post-flight data analysis, can be included in the budget. Ideal proposals will describe a commercial, civil, or academic project to achieve research or technology development objectives that will directly impact fundamental studies on cellular engineering, tissue engineering, and models of physiological systems, including (but not limited to):

• Scaffolds/matrices
• Cell-cell, cell-matrix interactions
• Cellular immunotherapies
• Tissue biomanufacturing
• Hybrid systems for modeling of physiological or pathophysiological processes
• Computational models of physiological or pathophysiological systems that are validated based on experiments conducted on the ISS
• Mechanobiology related to phenotype expression

Prospective proposers should read the payload synopses and technical data on the CASIS website at https://www.iss-casis.org/research-on-the-iss/solicitations/NSF-CBET-CMMI to understand the basic capabilities of the offered payload facilities and instrumentation. NSF will offer grants to research proposals that develop fundamental and translational research and CASIS will assist grantees in translating ground-based experiments and technologies into the space-appropriate hardware offered in this solicitation where possible. An ideal proposal will demonstrate investigator’s knowledge of the significant challenges and importance of the proposed research and how ISS utilization will allow their research goals to be achieved. All proposers should read this online material to clearly understand the hardware platform and capabilities on the ISS.

CASIS also encourages prospective proposers to learn about the availability and capability of flight hardware and integration services by directly communicating with the implementation partner and the CASIS Operations team (NSFCASIS@iss-casis.org).

Prospective proposers also should read the CASIS guidelines at https://www.iss-casis.org/research-on-the-iss/solicitations/tissue-engineering-2017.

Proposals that do not follow the CASIS guidelines will be deemed non-responsive to this solicitation and subject to return without review (RWR).

Program Solicitation
NSF 19-509

https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2019/nsf19509/nsf19509.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click