The NASA Astrobiology Program is pleased to announce the selection of three faculty members from Minority Serving Institutions who will participate in the 2016 Minority Institution Research Support (MIRS) Program.

Dr. Guillermo Nery, University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo
Hosts – Laurie Barge and Michael Russell, JPL
“A Proposal for Developing and Applying a Habitability Index for Europa’s Ice-Covered Ocean“

Dr. Hemayat Ullah, Howard University
Host – Dr. Shiladitya DasSarma, University of Maryland School of Medicine
“Co-evolution of Retinal pigments with Chlorophyll: Does the spectroscopic complementarity signal one of the oldest metabolic capabilities on Earth?“

Dr. Rakesh Mogul, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Host – Rachel Machelprang, California State University, Northridge
“Community Metabolomics Along a Permafrost Age Gradient and Formation of a Network for Astrobiology Science in the California State University System”

More information about the award and past recipients is available at http://nai.nasa.gov/funding/nasa-astrobiology-minority-institution-research-support-mirs-program/.