FLC | NSF-CASIS solicitation seeks proposals for ISS research on tissue engineering

NSF-CASIS solicitation seeks proposals for ISS research on tissue engineering

December 8, 2021

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) are soliciting proposals for $1.2 million in funding for tissue engineering and mechanobiology research to be conducted on the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory. The first deadline for this solicitation is January 7.

CASIS is the organization responsible for management of the orbiting research platform through a Cooperative Agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

This is the fifth annual NSF/CASIS joint solicitation focused on tissue engineering and mechanobiology to further drug discovery and therapeutic development through space-based research. Microgravity affects organisms—from bacteria to humans, inducing changes such as altered gene expression and DNA regulation, changes in cellular function and physiology, and 3D aggregation of cells. Research leveraging these effects can drive advances in pharmaceutical development, disease modeling, regenerative medicine, and many other areas within the life sciences.

For example, a recently launched tissue engineering investigation awarded through a previous NSF-CASIS solicitation utilized microgravity conditions to develop a tissue-engineered model of sarcopenia, the age-related deterioration of skeletal muscle. The project is from a research team at Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research and Stanford University. If validated, the team’s model could be used to study the progression of muscle deterioration. It could also serve as a valuable platform for testing potential treatments for sarcopenia and related muscle disease.

For this current solicitation, prior to submitting a full proposal to NSF, interested investigators must first submit a Feasibility Review Form to CASIS. The information provided in this form is used to evaluate the operational feasibility of the proposed research to be conducted on the orbiting laboratory. The deadline to submit a Feasibility Review Form is January 7, 2022. Only those with projects that pass the ISS National Lab Feasibility Review will be invited to submit a full proposal to NSF. The notification of a passing score must be included in the full proposal submission. NSF will close this solicitation on March 8, 2022.

NSF supports transformative research to help drive the U.S. economy, enhance national security, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation. Fundamental science and government agency-sponsored research is a strategic area of focus for the ISS National Lab. Knowledge gained from such research could have profound impacts on future research and technology development that brings value to our nation and drives a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit.

Read the full solicitation: https://www.issnationallab.org/iss360/nsf-casis-solicitation-tissue-engi...