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Executive Summary

Introduction
Our NAI investigators are members of the New York Center for Astrobiology (NYCA www.origins.rpi.edu), based at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in partnership with the University at Albany, Syracuse University, the University of Arizona, and the University of North Dakota. Our team joined the NAI in Spring 2009, following the selection of our CAN5 proposal “Setting the stage for life: From interstellar clouds to early Earth and Mars”. Prior to this, we had a long history of NASA-funded research at RPI in areas relevant to astrobiology, most notably as a NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training (NSCORT) in Origins of Life (1998-2006). Our current research as a member of the NAI is devoted to elucidating the origins of both life itself and of habitable planetary environments, in our own solar system and in planet-forming regions around other stars. We use a synthesis of astronomical observations, laboratory experiments and computational methods to develop cohesive models for the emergence of molecular complexity leading to life – in effect, we follow the “bottom-up” approach to the origin of life. Our research is grouped into seven projects that form a logical sequence, from interstellar precursors through protoplanetary disks to the surfaces of the early Earth and Mars. Several of these projects are developments of previous work supported by the NSCORT program, others (notably those concerned with the environment of the early Earth and preparation for Mars sample return) are recent initiatives. Our team has been greatly strengthened by the recruitment of 13 outstanding young researchers (postdocs and graduate students) during the first year of our NAI membership, and by the development of significant new collaborations.

As well as research, our team is strongly committed to delivering education in astrobiology of the highest quality and at all levels from K–12 through undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral training. We are motivated by the need identified in the National Research Council (2008) report on the progress of the NAI, which stated (p. 46) that “to grow properly into a new science discipline, astrobiology will require the establishment of formal educational and training programs to support the evolution and transformation of this nascent field.” To help fulfill this need, our Center is building upon educational courses and curricula already in place at RPI and partner campuses, as well as developing new initiatives, discussed in detail below and in the separate EPO sections of this report.

The First NAI Workshop Without Walls
A highlight of our year was the contribution of our team to the organization and scientific content of the first NAI Workshop Without Walls on “The Organic Continuum from the Interstellar Medium to the Early Solar System”, which occurred March 11-12, 2010. George Cody (CIW) and Doug Whittet (RPI) where joint scientific organizers responsible for designing the scope of the meeting, the call for abstracts, and the selection of speakers. The final program included 34 presentations (4 from the NYCA team). The meeting was “attended” by 180 participants representing 21 US states and 16 other countries (Figures 1 and 2). It appears to have been successful on several levels. It featured a coherent program of talks that spanned areas of relevant research from astrochemistry of the interstellar medium to studies of primitive solar system materials, it embraced a diversity of techniques from observational astronomy to laboratory analysis and mathematical modeling, and it included results from NASA missions such as Spitzer and Stardust. It is clear from feedback received that the Workshop had a positive effect, not only informing researchers of relevant research in fields beyond their own field of specialization, but also in some cases leading to opportunities for new collaboration.

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The Workshop was also highly successful as a demonstration of the feasibility of the technology for staging “virtual” meetings of this scale. Some technical problems were inevitable but any that occurred were quickly solved (thanks to the wizardry of Marco Boldt at NAI Central). Again, the feedback was largely positive. The advantage of easy access without need for travel, and the general excellence of the video and audio connections, outweighed disadvantages such as the lack of hallway conversations that are an important part of an in-person meeting. One of the keys to success was our decision to integrate substantial time for questions and discussions into each session, so that the Workshop functioned as a forum for live debate rather than a program of talks that simply conveyed information in one direction from speaker to listener. Adobe Connect provided an effective channel for questions from those not located in a video conference room. A review of the Workshop was presented (in-person!) by Doug Whittet at the session “Integrating Astrobiology Research Across and Beyond the Community” at the 2010 Astrobiology Science Conference. We are particularly pleased that the success of this Workshop is providing momentum for future NAI Workshops Without Walls.

Research
The progress of scientific discovery typically advances in incremental steps, individually small but with potential to become collectively more than the sum of their parts. This is especially true of a multidisciplinary science such as astrobiology, where connections between individual steps may be less obvious than in a single discipline. Our team has developed effective strategies to optimize integration. Several members of our team have a long history of working together in an interdisciplinary setting under the auspices of the NSCORT program, and our younger researchers have been inducted into this culture. Regular in-house research discussion meetings involving all members of the NYCA (with videocon links to our partner campuses) are the primary forum by which we promote integration, ensuring that all members are vested in the collective “big picture” goals of the center rather than merely working in isolation within their own subfields.

Two prime examples of interdisciplinary synergy in our team arise out of ongoing work. Discussions between Wayne Roberge (computational astrophysicist) and Michael Gaffey (planetary scientist specializing in studies of asteroids) led to renewed interest in the question of heating mechanisms for asteroids in the early solar system. Developing a robust model for this process is important to astrobiology because heating is vital to the aqueous processes thought to drive production of amino acids and other biomolecules in the solar nebula. As a result of these discussions, Roberge and NAI-supported graduate student Raymond Menzel have discovered a new mechanism for heating asteroids and planetesimals (see Project 2 report). Work is still in progress but this idea has potential for a significant advance in our understanding of the thermal histories of asteroids.

The second example concerns a collaboration between John Delano (geochemist) and Jim Ferris (a pioneer in the field of catalytic RNA production). The Ferris group is investigating the efficiencies of various montmorillonite clays as catalysts, and Delano is investigating the properties (composition and structure) of those clays in order to understand which properties are vital to catalytic activity (see Project 7 report). The geological settings that lead to the origin of catalytic montmorillonite clays are also under intensive investigation. Thus, the integral goal of this research is to determine not only whether clay catalysis is a feasible route to RNA production in a favorable setting within the laboratory, but also whether good catalysts are likely to have been widespread on the planetary scale.

Important progress has been made on each of the research projects described in the individual reports. Our team contributed a total of 15 refereed journal articles during the year (submitted, in press, or in print). We also contributed 3 entries to the Encyclopedia of Astrobiology (Spinger, in press), one review chapter to the book “Dust Storms: Elemental Composition, Causes and Environmental Impacts” (Nova Science), and 24 conference talks or posters. One NAI-supported graduate student completed the PhD degree during the year, and two graduate students received significant awards. Amanda Cook (RPI) was awarded a NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship at Ames Research Center on completion of her PhD, where she is now working on the O/OREOS Mission, and David Gombosi (Syracuse University) was awarded a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship for the 2010/11 academic year.

Education and Public Outreach
Our education and public outreach program is led by John Delano (U Albany) in close collaboration with PI Doug Whittet (RPI) and other members of our faculty team. EPO partners include the Association for the Cooperative Advancement of Science Education (ACASE), the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp (EMBHSSC), and WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Other key members of our EPO team include Cynthia Smith (Assistant Dean of Students and EMBHSSC director at RPI) and Paul Mayeur (RPI graduate student specializing in Astrobiology education). Delano and Whittet participated in the NAI Astrobiology Education and Training Group telecons organized by Vicki Meadows and Monika Kress, and attended the in-person meeting of this group at AbSciCon 2010.

Our education program includes several distinct but related activities described in detail in the individual project reports. By analogy with our science projects that follow the path of emerging complexity from small molecules in interstellar space to biomolecules on planetary surfaces, our education program attempts to promote astrobiology at a progression of levels from K–12 though undergraduate courses to the training of future professionals in the field. Our Summer Science Camp (Fig.3) is effectively a recruitment tool to STEM disciplines and an opportunity to enthuse students about astrobiology at an early age. Our Astrobiology Teachers Academy provides a mechanism by which we can reach out to high-school students, effectively recruiting their teachers as our partners, at a time when those students are making decisions about college applications. At the college level, our astrobiology-related courses, undergraduate research opportunities and minor degree in Astrobiology fulfill two distinct roles: they provide an introduction to the multidisciplinary science of astrobiology for students with a general interest (and/or a need to fulfill science elective requirements!), and they also provide a bridge for those interested in proceeding to the next level and considering graduate school in this or a related field. Finally, our Astrobiology series on the public radio show “The Best of Our Knowledge” is a showcase for the NAI and for all our Center activities, featuring both educational opportunities and ongoing research at a level accessible to the general public.

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Excellent progress has been made in the last year in all of these activities. However, we focus here on one that was initially disappointing, and discuss strategies being implemented to improve its effectiveness. This experience may be of use to others involved in or considering similar initiatives. The activity in question is the Astrobiology Teachers Academy (ATA), held for the first time in July 2009 (as reported last year). Independent evaluation was overseen by our ACASE consultants, who carried out detailed questionnaire-type surveys of participants whilst the event was in progress, with subsequent follow-up in the 2009/10 school year. What emerged can best be described by this unhappy scenario: “The operation was a success but the patient died”. All nine teachers participating in the 2009 ATA reported satisfaction with the event and noted that it contributed to their professional growth; however, only one of the nine subsequently reported using what they had developed in the classroom. The most important reason for this is simply time pressure – developing effective modules for classroom use cannot be completed within the time frame of a 4-day Academy, so follow-up is essential for success, and once teachers return to their schools there is little time to accomplish this.

The recommendation of the independent evaluation team was to put in place a system of financial incentives, in the form of stipends paid to participants in return for reaching specific goals, and also to provide funding to cover release time that enables teachers to participate in follow-up activities such as consultation meetings during the school year. Our goal is to have the teachers make a long-term commitment and become fully vested in the Academy. In consultation with Daniella Scalice at NAI Central, we applied for and were awarded an augmentation grant to fulfill this need. The 2010 cohort included 13 teachers (increased from nine in 2009), several of whom will be reporting their progress at the Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS) meeting in November 2010.