The NASA Astrobiology Program element of the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) provides opportunities for Ph.D. scientists and engineers of exceptional promise and ability to perform research on projects largely of their own choosing, yet compatible with the research interests of the NASA Astrobiology Program.
Applications to the Astrobiology Program are accepted twice each year: March 1 and November 1. Note that the Astrobiology Program does not participate in every application/award cycle. For additional information about the program see https://npp.orau.org/index.html.
Astrobiology Fellows may act as ‘Ambassadors’ amongst the Exobiology Program, Planetary Science and Technology Through Analog Research, MatiSSE, PICASSO and the Habitable Worlds teams of researchers, the Research Coordination Networks (NExSS, NfoLD, Prebiotic Chemistry and Early Earth Environments (PCE3), Network for Ocean Worlds) , and between the Astrobiology Program and the broader scientific community, helping to define and lead the field of astrobiology.
The intent of this program is to develop outstanding early career astrobiology researchers, broaden the scope of Astrobiology Program research, and continue to build and integrate the astrobiology community. Selection priority will be given to applicants whose proposed research is particularly interdisciplinary and that extends the individual’s research beyond its current focus.