Life Sciences in the Space Program 



NASA to become involved in biomedical research at the Agency; the Announce- 

 ments of Opportunity and Requests for Proposals are not well placed; the peer- 

 review process and external grant programs are not well understood bv non- 

 NASA investigators and the larger scientific community For these and other 

 reasons, NASA is not perceived as a place for young talent in the biomedical 

 sciences to develop a research career. These factors also discourage senior scientists 

 from seeking a place at the Agency. NASA needs to recruit and hire world-class 

 scientists for its research programs. 



Valuation of Biomedical Research at NASA 

 and Other Organizations 



Although biomedical research is not expected to be the prime mission of NASA, 

 there seems to be only limited understanding of the essential role biomedical 

 research will play in achieving a permanent human presence in space. The space 

 flight missions of NASA and prolonged human space dwelling (0.5-3.0 years) 

 cannot be achieved without a significant bioscience program in human and clinical 

 research. 



Biomedical research is not supported sufficiently by NASA. With a total budget in 

 the Life Sciences Division never exceeding $70 million per year in the face of a $10 

 billion total NASA budget, it is difficult to believe that biomedicine and the other 

 areas within the Division are a valued Agency component. But before one makes 

 a plea for an increase in the budget, a focused and valued program must be 

 endorsed and receive appropriate priority' within NASA itself. It has also been 

 suggested that given the previous funding levels, the expectations of biomedical 

 research from NASA have been too great and the concerns for health safety 

 advanced by biomedical researchers have been too cautious. 



The need for a strong biomedical research program at NASA is also not clear to 

 other agencies or organizations. NASA has done moderately well at advertising its 

 technical accomplishments in engineering, but its accomplishments in the life 

 sciences are not as well disseminated. A good mechanism does not exist for 

 routinely determining the potential applications of this research at NASA to 

 terrestrial-based problems or clinical medicine. Whereas most extramural 

 researchers funded by the National Science Foundation are aware of NASA 

 research, too tew university and hospitai-based biomedical researchers traditionally 

 funded by the National Institutes of Health are familiar with NASA programs in 

 biomedical research. It is possible that space-based research can advance terrestrial 

 clinical science, but this likelihood is not well appreciated bv life scientists 

 unfamiliar with biomedical research at NASA. 



Recommendations 



Cardiovascular Physiology 



Adequate numbers, verification, and control of experiments must be 

 jchieved if recommendations for countermeasures are to be made according 

 to scientific merit. 





