Life Sciences in the Space Program 



Working Relationships Between NASA Life Sciences and 

 Other Groups Inside and Outside the Agency 



Findings 



• The life Sciences Division has had variable success working with other 

 domestic and international organizations involved in space life sciences 

 research. Too frequently, the progTam operated as an isolated effort, avoiding 

 relationships with other research groups. This isolation was expressed in terms 

 of its relationships with other scientists inside NASA, in other agencies, in the 

 broader university community, and in international activities. 



In the past, the Division had difficulty forging working relationships with 

 other offices at NASA Headquarters. The debate about an inflight variable- 

 gravity facility for the Space Station illustrated this problem. Lack of 

 coordination on such issues as life support systems and human factors 

 elements also was evidence of this difficulty. 



— Because of the nature of its programs, the Life Sciences Division has natu- 

 ral overlap with efforts under way in other Federal agencies. As noted 

 earlier, NASA has made efforts over the years to develop contact with 

 relevant research programs at the National Institutes of Health; recently, the 

 White House Office of Science and Technology Policy expressed concern 

 about the lack of coordination among these programs. Activities within the 

 Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, particularly the Air 

 Force, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation also 

 are relevant to Division efforts. 



In addition, the Life Sciences Division has had variable success in forging 

 relationships with universities and other research institutions essential to 

 the development of an ongoing research community. While some training 

 programs were in operation, they tended to be very small ad hoc efforts 

 that did not provide a mechanism to bring young investigators into the 

 system. Some NASA scientists were involved with neighboring universities 

 and research institutes, but these efforts were not systematically encour- 

 aged 



— Past cooperation between programs of the Life Sciences Division and 

 related international efforts has been more positive. However, at times these 

 efforts were not closely linked to other parts of the Division's activities. 



• The Division has adopted a strategy that attempts to increase the visibility of 



its programs and collaborative arrangements with other scientific groups. 



Within NASA, an agreement has been reached to work with OAST on 

 space human factors efforts. Similar agreements have been reached with 

 the Office ol Spa e station for the Health Maintenance Facility and 



environmental requirements for the Space station and with the Office of 

 Flight to manage missions from a medical perspective 



is; 



