The NASA Astrobiology Program supports research that leads to a better understanding of how life emerged and evolved on Earth, what conditions make environments in our universe capable of supporting life, and what the distribution of habitable worlds and life beyond Earth might be. It is considered an important part of the Planetary Science Division’s Research Program. Several NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Research and Analysis (R&A) Programs solicit proposals for astrobiology research. The Astrobiology Program oversees and coordinates research funded by these programs, such as Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (ICAR), the Exobiology Program, and the Habitable Worlds (HW) Program. Results from these programs of funded projects guide the 2015 Astrobiology Strategy, inform NASA missions, and advance the quest to answer these fundamental questions: How does life begin and evolve? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? Where should we search for it?
