NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Solar System Exploration Division, Washington, selected two Tennessee universities for grants to support the agency’s Mars Fundamental Research Program.
The maximum grant value for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is $210,000 and for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, $120,880.
NASA solicited proposals to cultivate and pursue the most innovative scientific research concerning the myriad of unknowns about atmospheric, climatological, and geologic processes on Mars. The program offers opportunities to researchers interested in Mars but who are not yet prepared to work exclusively with actual mission data.
The research also supports the Vision for Space Exploration, NASA’s long- term plan to return astronauts to the moon and extend exploration to Mars and beyond.
For a list of selected companies on the Web, visit: http://sbir.nasa.gov
