Summary of Proceedings:

FAST-TRACK ACTION COMMITTEE ON 

THE UTILIZATION OF THE 

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS) 

AS A NATIONAL LABORATORY

AUGUST 2013

PRODUCT OF THE

Committee on Science 

OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL
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THIS DOCUMENT IS A PRODUCT OF 

THE NATIONAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL’S 

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE

About the National Science and Technology Council

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is the principal means by which the 

Executive Branch coordinates science and technology policy across the diverse entities that make 

up the Federal research and development enterprise. A primary objective of the NSTC is 

establishing clear national goals for Federal science and technology investments. The NSTC 

prepares research and development strategies that are coordinated across Federal agencies to 

form investment packages aimed at accomplishing multiple national goals. The work of the 

NSTC is organized under five committees: Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainability; 

Homeland and National Security; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) 

Education; Science; and Technology. Each of these committees oversees subcommittees and 

working groups focused on different aspects of science and technology. More information is 

available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/nstc.

About the Office of Science and Technology Policy

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) was established by the National Science 

and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976. OSTP’s responsibilities 

include advising the President in policy formulation and budget development on questions in 

which science and technology are important elements; articulating the President’s science and 

technology policy and programs; and fostering strong partnerships among Federal, state, and 

local governments, and the scientific communities in industry and academia. The Director of 

OSTP also serves as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and manages the 

NSTC. More information is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp.

About the Committee on Science

The purpose of the Committee on Science (CoS) is to advise and assist the NSTC, under 

Executive Order 12881, to increase the overall effectiveness and productivity of federally 

supported efforts that develop new knowledge in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering (not 

including those areas primarily related to the environment and natural resources). The CoS 

addresses significant national and international policy, program, and budget matters that cut 

across agency boundaries and provides a formal mechanism for interagency science-policy 

development, coordination, and information exchange.

About the Life Sciences Subcommittee 

The Life Sciences Subcommittee (LSSC) contributes to the activities of the Committee on 

Science (CoS) of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). The purpose of the 

LSSC is to advise and assist the CoS and the NSTC on Federal policies, procedures, and plans in 

the life sciences. As such, and to the extent permitted by law, the LSSC defines and coordinates 

Federal efforts in the life sciences, identifies emerging opportunities, stimulates international 

cooperation, and fosters the development of life sciences. The LSSC also explores ways in which 

the Federal government can increase the overall effectiveness and productivity of its investments 
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in life sciences research and development, especially with regard to interagency and 

interdisciplinary efforts targeting grand challenges related to food, health, energy, and the 

environment. The LSSC comprises representatives from 15 Federal agencies.

About the Fast Track Action Committee on the Utilization of the International Space 

Station as a National Laboratory

The Fast Track Action Committee (FTAC) on “The Utilization of the International Space Station 

(ISS) as a National Laboratory” was formed in March 2012 under the auspices of the Life 

Sciences Subcommittee (LSSC) of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). It 

completed its work in August 2012. The FTAC comprised representatives from six Federal 

agencies. Its role was to address a range of issues and needs associated with developing a more 

coordinated Federal research agenda for the ISS National Laboratory, including identification of 

common life sciences research interests across Federal departments and agencies. 
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Introduction

The Fast Track Action Committee (FTAC) on “The Utilization of the International Space Station 

(ISS) as a National Laboratory” was formed in March 2012 under the auspices of the Life 

Sciences Subcommittee (LSSC) of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). It 

completed its work in August 2012. The LSSC comprised representatives from 15 Federal 

agencies. Its role was to conduct activities that foster and enhance communication and 

collaboration related to life sciences research across the Federal agencies. This document 

summarizes the proceedings of the FTAC between March and August of 2012. 

In 2005, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Authorization Act 

designated a portion of the U.S. segment of the ISS as a National Laboratory, and in 2011 NASA 

awarded a cooperative agreement to the independent, non-profit Center for the Advancement of 

Science in Space (CASIS) to manage research and development activities on the ISS National 

Laboratory (ISS-NL). CASIS has the mission of maximizing use of the ISS-NL resource, and 

serves as the primary entry point for support, coordination, and selection of research projects 

utilizing the ISS-NL, including those proposed by commercial entities as well as those 

supporting the missions of other (non-NASA) agencies.1 

At the time of the FTAC’s deliberations, the structure and operations procedures for CASIS were 

still under development and the FTAC did not directly address the impact of CASIS on Federal 

agencies or mechanisms for that engagement. The focus for the FTAC was on identifying ISSNL research activities and capabilities that serve the needs of multiple Federal agencies. The 

resulting information is expected to be useful in fashioning future NASA and CASIS priorities, 

solicitation topics, and review criteria. Note that while the ISS-NL supports a wide variety of 

research, the charge to the FTAC under the LSSC concentrated on biological and biomedical 

research (Appendix A - FTAC Charter).

In order to address a range of issues and needs associated with developing a more coordinated 

Federal life sciences research agenda for this unique laboratory, the FTAC was charged with: 

 Identifying the potential areas of life sciences research and experimentation in

the unique microgravity environment provided by the ISS-NL that would most

benefit the Nation.

 Identifying microgravity research of common interest across Federal departments 

and agencies.

 Improving the use of existing government interagency coordination mechanisms

that facilitate microgravity research by non-NASA Federal agencies as a

complement to the activities led by CASIS.

 As appropriate, establishing long-term, outcome-oriented goals for ISS-NL Federal

research.

The intent was to identify the agencies' areas of interest in life sciences research that could take

advantage of the microgravity environment, and to identify mechanisms for coordination across 

 

1 www.iss-casis.org
4

agencies and with the ISS-NL management. In this regard, the efforts of the FTAC-ISS

complement and facilitate CASIS’s mission to maximize the utilization of the ISS-NL, which 

includes responsibility for selecting and managing research projects.

The FTAC included representatives from the Department of Energy, NASA, National Institutes 

of Health, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, and 

United States Department of Agriculture (National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and

Agricultural Research Service). To support the FTAC’s charge, NASA briefed the FTAC on the 

ISS and its life sciences research facilities and capabilities, and presented overviews of the 

NASA biological and medical research programs. Additionally, representatives from the six 

participating FTAC agencies gave presentations on their agencies' missions and life sciences 

research goals, past research efforts in the domain of space and life sciences, and life science 

research interests that could be pursued utilizing the ISS-NL. Participants identified common 

research interests and discussed how the shared areas relate to long-term goals and societal 

benefits. Additionally, members considered interagency communication and collaboration 

strategies, and ways in which agencies might educate non-Federal scientists and those from other 

agencies about the ISS-NL. This report summarizes the deliberations of the FTAC.

Agency Life Sciences Research Interests

This section addresses the following two elements from the FTAC Charter:

 Identifying the potential areas of life sciences research and experimentation in

the unique microgravity environment provided by the ISS-NL that would most

benefit the Nation.

 Identifying microgravity research of common interest across Federal departments 

and agencies.

The ISS-NL provides access to the unique environment of space. The most salient characteristic 

of the ISS low-Earth orbit environment is microgravity. The lack of gravity can be exploited to 

study the role that this physical force—all-pervasive on Earth—may play in the regulation, 

control, and activity of living systems. Experiments in the microgravity environment can also 

provide novel insights into biological processes that may be masked by the gravitational 

environment. The breadth of areas that can be better understood through microgravity research 

was highlighted in a recent report by the National Research Council (NRC), Recapturing a 

Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era.

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The NRC 

report provides a comprehensive assessment of high-priority areas for life and physical sciences 

research on the ISS. These are detailed within seven broad categories: Plant and Microbial 

Biology; Behavior and Mental Health; Animal and Human Biology; Cross-cutting Issues for 

Humans in the Space Environment; Fundamental Physical Sciences in Space; Applied Physical 

Sciences in Space; and Translation to Space Exploration Systems. Several of the ISS research 

interests of the FTAC participating agencies align with specific recommendations in the NRC 

report. That report also addresses administrative and policy issues surrounding the science and 

 

2

National Research Council (NRC), Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research 

for a New Era, National Academies Press, 2011.
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engineering program, listing as one of eight overarching metrics: “The extent to which the results 

of the research can be synergistic with other [non-NASA] agencies’ needs.” It notes specifically 

that “Research productivity and efficiency will be enhanced if the historical collaborations of 

NASA with other sponsoring agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, are sustained, 

strengthened, and expanded to include other agencies.”

The FTAC identified the following overarching themes as representing the leading areas of life 

sciences research of interest to multiple agencies and enabled by the ISS-NL that could most 

benefit the Nation:

 Understanding the fundamental forces, forms, and functions of living systems across 

scales of time and size, from molecules, to cells, to organisms, to the environment

 Understanding disease processes in animals and plants that can be modeled or studied 

in the space environment that will contribute to improved human health and welfare

 Contributing to the growth of the bio-economy through advances in bio-energy, 

biomaterials, biotechnology and bio-pharmaceutics

The unique character of the ISS expands opportunities in these areas by removing effects such as 

gravity-driven convection, shear, and turbulence; allowing access to extremes of environment 

(including temperature and vacuum); and offering the versatility (not available in unattended 

space platforms) to adjust, tune, adapt, modify and install instruments to expand or add 

capabilities in onboard synthesis or measurement as well as observational tools. Examples of 

some specific kinds of work that fall within the above themes include examining the effects of 

microgravity and the space environment on gene mutation and expression, alterations in cellular 

structure and processes, and physiological systems and processes in living organisms from 

microbes to plants, animals or humans. Outcomes could lead to better toxicology tests, advances 

in tissue engineering and synthetic biology, and new treatments for various diseases. Beyond 

experiments that take advantage of the microgravity environment, ISS-enabled research could 

include remote sensing observations and analysis of environmental processes using hyperspectral 

analysis for agricultural applications and disease control, and the study of the ISS radiation 

environment to validate ground-based radiation models. 

FTAC members affirmed that access to ISS-NL resources should be based on scientific merit, 

which includes the importance of the questions being asked and the rigor of the methods to be 

employed to answer them, guided by implementation feasibility. 

The following sections describe the missions of the participating FTAC agencies and provide 

detailed information about each agency's specific life sciences research interests that could utilize 

the ISS-NL. 

Department of Energy

The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to ensure America’s security and prosperity 

by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science 

and technology solutions. It has established four goals in order to achieve its mission:
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 Catalyze the timely, material, and efficient transformation of the nation’s energy system and 

secure U.S. leadership in clean energy technologies. 

 Maintain a vibrant U.S. effort in science and engineering as a cornerstone of our economic 

prosperity with clear leadership in strategic areas.

 Enhance nuclear security through defense, nonproliferation, and environmental efforts. 

 Establish an operational and adaptable framework that combines the best wisdom of all 

Department stakeholders to maximize mission success. 

From a science perspective, the DOE addresses these goals through its Office of Science, which 

focuses (in its life sciences programs) on the development of biofuels from lignocellulosic

biomass and understanding the role of biological processes in environmental systems. In the 

past, DOE and NASA have jointly funded ground-based life science research in a variety of 

areas including cellular biology, genomics, and radiation effects on physiological systems. The 

DOE has identified the following specific topics as potential ISS-NL research areas:

 Mixed field radiation effects

 Biofilm research and/or altered gene expression patterns for plants and microbes

 Remote sensing and analysis of environmental processes

 Structural analysis of unique biomolecules and complex cellular components in a

microgravity environment

 On board "omics" analysis such as high-performance mass spectrometric 

instrumentation that is sufficiently compact and otherwise adapted to the space station 

environment and experimental requirements

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), within the Department of Health and Human Services, 

seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application 

of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and 

disability. NIH has a long history of involvement in space medical and biological research, 

spanning the early days of the space program, through the Shuttle era, and on the ISS. In 1994, 

NIH and NASA established the NASA/NIH Center for Tissue Culture, where intramural and 

extramural scientists work on various projects related to the effects of microgravity and modeled 

microgravity for the study of the physiology and pathophysiology of human cells and tissues. 

Although the Center was originally designed to promote the transfer of NASA bioreactor

technology to scientists at NIH, its role quickly expanded as discoveries were made about 

gravity’s influence on basic biological mechanisms underlying normal and pathological cell 

physiology and metabolism. The NASA/NIH Center was instrumental in developing new 

paradigms for onboard training of astronaut/scientists for experimental protocols, “lab meeting” 

type discussions between ground and crew to follow up on protocols, and progressive updating 

of experimental protocols after each procedure. In addition, the first ISS cell culture experiments 

on the human immune system were completed and published.

In 2000, in anticipation of a fully functional laboratory aboard the ISS, NIH began soliciting 

applications from its extramural research community for additional ground-based research on 

basic, applied, and clinical biomedical and behavioral problems that are relevant to human space 
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flight or that could use the space environment as a laboratory3. Through this solicitation, NIH 

stated its interest in supporting research on spatial orientation and sensory-motor processes, the 

nervous system, behavioral and psychological processes, the musculoskeletal system, pulmonary 

and cardiovascular functions, sleep and biological rhythms, immunology, 

pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics, hemodynamics, and response to injury. Ten NIH 

Institutes and Centers agreed to consider applications under this announcement.

After Congress established the U.S. portion of the ISS as a National Laboratory, NIH and NASA 

entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in space-related health 

research

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. As part of NIH’s commitment to “publicize, to the intramural and extramural 

communities, the availability of the ISS as a research environment that can accommodate a 

variety of experimental approaches and can address a vast range of research questions,” NIH 

requested applications related to the missions of nine Institutes5. 

Unlike the applications funded under the earlier solicitation, the grants funded in fiscal years 

2010, 2011, and 2012 are for research conducted on the ISS. Although NIH is evaluating the 

outcomes of the ongoing grants before it decides whether to specifically solicit additional 

applications for biomedical research on the ISS, investigators continue to be eligible to submit 

proposals for research that would use the ISS-NL through NIH’s Funding Opportunity 

Announcements for investigator-initiated research, as long as the proposed research relates 

directly to the NIH mission6. Topics need not be limited to the suggestions mentioned in the 

solicitations described above. 

National Institute of Standards and Technology

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is part of the U.S. Department of 

Commerce and serves as the US national metrology institute. Its mission is to promote 

innovation and industrial competitiveness, advance measurement science, and create standards 

and technology that help the economic security of the nation and improve the quality of life. The 

Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) is the part of NIST focused on measurements in the 

chemical, biological, and material sciences. MML’s biomedical and health program contains the 

majority of NIST’s life science projects, many of which are dedicated to reducing US health care 

costs and improving medical decision making by the introduction of innovative technologies and 

advanced measurement methods.

NIST has a long history of space-related research and partnership with both NASA and NASA’s 

predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), including a large 

amount of work from the 1950’s to the 1980’s. More recent efforts include microgravity and 

spacecraft fire safety research in the 1990’s, work by NIST Astronaut Greg Linteris (STS-83 and 

STS-94 in 1997), design and delivery of radiometers and calibrations for NASA’s Earth 

Observing System satellites, the Solar Ultraviolet Magnetograph Investigation (SUMI, launched 

 

3

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-00-088.html

4

http://www.niams.nih.gov/News_and_Events/NIH_NASA_Activities/nih_nasa_mou.asp

5

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-120.html

6

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/parent_announcements.htm#more
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July 2010), and partnership on the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory 

(CLARREO) mission.

Although NIST does not have a formalized extramural funding program, as the Nation’s 

metrology institute NIST can contribute to a wide array of ISS-based research topics by 

providing necessary measurement expertise as well as standard reference materials and methods, 

through collaborations with other Federal agency partners. Establishment of collaborative 

mechanisms such as the existing NSF-NIST MOU7can facilitate effective interaction and 

collaboration between NIST and other agency partners or grantees.

National Science Foundation

The mission of the National Science Foundation (NSF) is “to promote the progress of science; to 

advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for 

other purposes." The NSF is the only Federal agency whose mission includes support for all 

fields of fundamental science and engineering, except for medical sciences, and it is tasked with 

keeping the United States at the leading edge of discovery. 

The number of research areas and questions in which NSF investigators could make use of ISS 

resources is broad. A few examples are listed below:

 Microbial evolution

 Mechano-signal transduction

 Cell imaging: cell-to-cell variability

 Biology of stress/adaptation

 Neural systems

 Cell/tissue engineering – synthetic biology

A number of existing NSF award mechanisms could be applicable to ISS research including 

Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER), Integrated NSF Support Promoting 

Interdisciplinary Research and Education (INSPIRE), and supplements to active research grants 

in order to follow up on novel or unexpected research findings or opportunities not envisioned in 

the original project proposal. The BioMaPS (Research at the Interface of the Biological, 

Mathematical, Physical Sciences, and Engineering) initiative is considering including language 

describing capabilities potentially available via the ISS-NL in future BioMaPS announcements. 

BioMaPS is a multi-NSF Directorate activity to discover new knowledge at the intersections of 

the biological, mathematical and physical sciences and engineering by supporting collaborative 

proposals from interdisciplinary research teams. In addition, NSF principal investigators with 

current BioMaPS grants would be eligible for supplements to their existing awards in order to 

use ISS resources as part of their ongoing research.

 

7

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11077/nsf11077.jsp
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United States Department of Agriculture

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) provides national leadership and 

administers Federal funding to support its research, education, and extension programs through 

partnership with the broad agricultural and food community (e.g., universities and colleges, 

commodity groups, states, individuals) to advance its mission in support of the strategic goals of 

the United States Department of Agriculture:

 Assist rural communities to create prosperity so they are self-sustaining, repopulating, 

and economically thriving

 Ensure our national forests and private working lands are conserved, restored, and made 

more resilient to climate change, while enhancing our water resources 

 Help America promote agricultural production and biotechnology exports as the Nation

works to increase food security

 Ensure that all Americans have access to safe, nutritious and balanced food

Over the past decade NIFA has funded a number of ground-based, space-related research 

projects having to do with gravity's effects on plant systems, and plant related life support and 

food processing technologies. NIFA identified a number of potential areas of interest for 

research in the ISS-NL:

 Food science (e.g., sensory/acceptability, food shelf life and radiation, nutritional 

countermeasures, food safety/sanitization, food packaging and preservation technologies)

 Plant science and entomology (e.g., microbes/pathogens/pests, sensing and response 

mechanisms of plant roots, gene expression, stress factors on plants, impact of 

environmental and climate change on physiology, nitrogen use efficiency, carbon 

sequestration in controlled environments)

 Precision, geospatial and remote sensor technologies for use in the food and agricultural 

domain (the effects of environmental stresses, crop growth, invasive species)

 Animal science (reproduction, animal health and diseases, waste management under 

sustainability consideration, new mechanisms of producing animal proteins, and 

organismal physiomics under microgravity)

Agricultural Research Service

The mission of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is to conduct research to develop and 

transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information 

access, and dissemination, to: 

 Ensure high-quality, safe food, and other agricultural products 

 Assess the nutritional needs of Americans 

 Sustain a competitive agricultural economy 

 Enhance the natural resource base and the environment, and 
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 Provide economic opportunities for rural citizens, communities, and society as a whole.

To achieve these goals ARS funds research projects in four areas:

 Nutrition, food safety, and quality

 Animal production and protection

 Natural Resources and sustainable agricultural systems

 Crop production and protection

Potential areas of life science ISS research include:

 3D in vitro models of animal organs (examples - test animal stem cell-derived organoid

formation and function in microgravity).

 Hyperspectral remote imaging and analysis.

o The hyperspectral remote sensing device proposed by NASA for the ISS could be 

used by agricultural scientists for instrument prototype and algorithm testing and 

faster imaging and analysis for multiple agricultural assessments (i.e., crop 

growth, forage land quality, irrigation methods, soil erosion, farm related 

pollution sources)

 Plant gene expression alteration and gene mutation analysis.

o functional genomic studies in commercially important plants to improve disease 

resistance, environmental stress resistance, structural attributes, nutritional content 

 Human nutrition countermeasures of microgravity-induced detrimental changes to the 

human body.

o Access to the space environment on the ISS provides a biological model that 

scientists within the USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Program can use to test 

the effects of bioactive food components on bone and muscle atrophy, immune 

function, and aging

 Crop Production/Protection.

o Proposed crop production and protection experiments offer the opportunity to 

assess (phenotype) plant populations and mutant sets under a low-gravity 

environment. There is much interest in altering the architecture of crop plants to 

facilitate automated harvesting and reduce the need for water and fertilizer 

inputs. These proposed experiments might identify unique genes that can be 

exploited for new production methods including greenhouse tunnels, urban 

architecture, etc.

Communication, coordination, and collaboration

This section addresses the following element from the FTAC Charter:

 Improving the use of existing government interagency coordination mechanisms that 

facilitate microgravity research by non-NASA Federal agencies as a complement to the 

activities led by CASIS.
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NASA ISS management and CASIS coordinate and manage the utilization of the ISS-NL to 

maximize the scientific research output of this valuable national resource. The FTAC discussed 

mechanisms to encourage and foster communication, coordination, and collaboration among the 

non-NASA Federal agencies as well as between the agencies and NASA and CASIS, and to use 

the ISS-NL, consistent with the agencies' missions, interests, priorities, and resources. The 

recommended approach would be to extend the dialogue begun under the FTAC within a 

continuing discussion group organized by the appropriate NASA organization(s) and including 

CASIS as well as all non-NASA Federal agencies with interests in life sciences research at the 

ISS-NL.

The FTAC also discussed other potential mechanisms for collaborating and exchanging 

information. For example, Federal agencies that support life-sciences research participate in a 

variety of multi-agency committees that could provide fora for exchanging information about 

ISS-NL research and encouraging their scientific communities to explore ISS-NL resources in 

specific research areas. These include the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), the MultiAgency Tissue Engineering Science (MATES) Interagency Working Group, and the Federal 

Working Group on Bone Diseases. Representatives of the agencies could also use these 

meetings to discuss the potential for outreach to scientific organizations and communities to 

make better known the opportunities for microgravity research.

Mechanisms for interagency collaboration 

A number of the FTAC participating agencies have supported and conducted life sciences 

research in space on the Space Shuttle or the ISS. In general these efforts have been carried out 

through one-on-one agreements between the agency and NASA. An example of an MOU to 

encourage research on the International Space Station is available at: 

http://www.niams.nih.gov/News_and_Events/NIH_NASA_Activities/nih_nasa_mou.asp.

Cross-agency collaborations to engage in space-based research have been much less frequent. 

However, precedent for large, multi-agency missions exists: Shuttle mission STS-90 

(Neurolab)8is one example of a life-sciences research effort that could be used as a model for 

other trans-agency activity (other agencies participated via individual MOUs with NASA, but the 

effort involved multiple agencies).

Effective engagement among the agencies to discuss proposed research plans is critical to 

developing potential collaborations. Many of the FTAC agencies have Memoranda of 

Understanding (MOU) with each other. These existing MOUs could be amended to include 

possible engagement in joint ISS research collaborative efforts, or new multi-lateral MOUs could 

be established specifically for ISS collaboration. 

Collaborations across the agencies can include activities such as joint planning for research 

solicitations or joint implementation of selected research proposals. Consistent with agencies’ 

priorities and budgets, and their research communities’ needs, joint funding opportunity 

announcements can be issued by collaborating agencies. Such solicitations could range from a 

general call for proposals that utilize the ISS life sciences research capabilities to targeted 

 

8

Neurolab Spacelab Mission: Neuroscience Research in Space, Results From the STS-90, Neurolab Spacelab Mission, 2000.
12

requests for proposals that address specific common research interests of the collaborating 

agencies. Individual agencies other than NASA have issued ISS-specific solicitations previously: 

an example of an NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement that solicited applications for NIHmission-relevant research proposals that would use ISS-NL resources is available at 

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-120.html. 

A key component of any joint solicitation would be agreement between the participating 

agencies on the mechanism for scientific peer review. Additionally, coordination with NASA 

and CASIS will be necessary to provide a technical feasibility evaluation of candidate studies. 

Engaging the scientific community 

While some federally funded investigators have been engaged in space life sciences research for 

years, many more are unfamiliar with the opportunities that the ISS-NL may offer in their areas 

of interest. The ISS provides a unique environment in which to answer important scientific 

questions, but there are special requirements and constraints that investigators need to be familiar 

with when designing an experiment. Providing information to non-NASA research communities 

about the capabilities of the ISS-NL and familiarizing them with the properties and research 

potential of the microgravity environment by NASA and CASIS will be necessary to stimulate 

their interest and potential engagement in life sciences research in space. 

Many of the Federal agencies that support life-sciences research primarily fund ideas that 

originate from the investigators who will be conducting the experiments relevant to the agency’s 

mission (i.e., “investigator-initiated” research). Engaging these researchers directly via 

webinars, with opportunities for interaction in real time, could help to disseminate background 

information about the research capabilities of the ISS and the kinds of research it can support. 

Conducting 'Wiki' interactions, where a researcher with a potential idea for an ISS study could 

get technical and feasibility feedback from appropriate technical experts, would facilitate 

research planning and enhance the efficiency of implementing ISS studies. 

Summary and Findings

Clearly there is a wide range of life sciences activity that can effectively utilize the unique 

capabilities of the ISS and that directly relates to the varied missions of Federal agencies. 

Review of proposals and allocation of ISS resources should recognize and take consideration of 

these agency priorities, for the benefit of the Nation. 

Three broad themes in life sciences research enabled by the ISS-NL, spanning various agencies, 

were identified:

 Understanding the fundamental forces, forms and functions of living systems across 

scales of time and size, from molecules, to cells, to organisms, to the environment

 Understanding disease processes in animals and plants that can be modeled or studied in 

the space environment that will contribute to improved human health and welfare

 Contributing to the growth of the bio-economy through advances in bio-energy, 

biomaterials, biotechnology and bio-pharmaceutics
13

Specific activities in microgravity research, or other uniquely ISS-enabled research, of common 

interest across Federal departments and agencies include:

 Capabilities for monitoring and investigating gene mutation and expression, for 

microbes, plants, and animals (NSF and USDA), and humans (NIH and NASA)

 Development, deployment, and utilization of a versatile hyperspectral remote sensing 

device on the ISS to enable or facilitate: monitoring of crop growth, soil erosion, and 

related phenomena (USDA); albedo, ice, and related measurements (NIST & NOAA); 

and environmental processes, particularly relating to biofuels (DOE and NSF)

While these do not necessarily constitute the highest individual agency or interagency priorities 

or represent specific commitments of resources, they serve as illustrative examples of ISS 

research areas and capabilities that are of substantial interest to multiple Federal agencies.

An ongoing discussion to facilitate the planning and implementation of non-NASA life sciences 

research projects proposing to use the ISS-NL, as well as outreach to the research community, 

would be of value. This might be accomplished by leveraging participation in existing 

interagency efforts in a variety of related areas, and by having NASA regularly convene 

stakeholders from other agencies to discuss evolving opportunities and priorities.
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Appendix A

 

CHARTER

of 

the

FAST-TRACK ACTION COMMITTEE ON THE UTILIZATION OF THE

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS) AS A NATIONAL LABORATORY 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON LIFE SCIENCES

COMMITTEE ON

SCIENCE

NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

COUNCIL

A. Official Designation

The Fast-Track Action Committee on the Utilization of the International Space Station as a 

National Laboratory (FTAC-ISS) is hereby established by action of the National Science

and Technology Council (NSTC), Committee on Science (CoS), Life Sciences 

Subcommittee (LSSC).

B. Purpose and Scope

The NASA Authorization Act of 2005 designated the U.S segment of the International

Space Station (ISS) as a National Laboratory, and the operational life of the ISS was extended

through 2020 by the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 and international partner agreements. 

Pursuant to the 2010 Act, the independent, non-profit Center for Advancement of Science in

Space (CASIS) was awarded a Cooperative Agreement by NASA in 2011 to manage research

and development activities on the ISS National Laboratory (ISS-NL). The purpose of the

FTAC-ISS is to help identify opportunities to expand on existing Federal utilization of the

ISS-NL and to facilitate research collaborations among departments and agencies.

A major capability of the ISS is the capacity to support a broad scope of biological and

medical research. Available facilities and resources support molecular, cellular, and 

physiological studies using a variety of plant and animal models, as well as human medical

research. The FTAC-ISS will identify common research interests across Federal departments

and agencies in order to enhance collaboration within the U.S. Government and leverage a

more integrated approach informed by cross-agency expertise. The FTAC-ISS will address a

range of issues and needs associated with developing a more coordinated Federal 
15

research agenda for this unique laboratory. In this regard, the efforts of the FTAC-ISS will

complement and facilitate CASIS’s mission to manage and prioritize research efforts for the

ISS-NL.

To achieve its goals, the FTAC-ISS will:

1. Identify the potential areas of life sciences research and experimentation in the

unique microgravity environment provided by the ISS-NL that would most benefit the 

Nation.

2. Identify microgravity research of common interest across Federal departments 

and agencies.

3. Improve the use of existing government interagency coordination mechanisms 

that facilitate microgravity research by non-NASA Federal agencies as a complement

to the activities led by CASIS.

4. As appropriate, establish long-term, outcome-oriented goals for ISS-NL Federal

research.

These efforts will result in a list of integrated, cross-cutting agency life sciences 

research priorities of national interest that could take advantage of the microgravity

environment—a list that will be provided to the LSSC. The FTAC-ISS will identify

mechanisms for coordination with the ISS-NL management in order to incorporate these 

projects into the planned research portfolio, subject to available funding and to the extent 

feasible in light of other ISS-NL priorities. In addition, the FTAC-ISS may produce other

work products (e.g., reports, joint requests for proposals, schedules) that support its stated 

purpose.

C. Functions

The functions of the FTAC-ISS are to:

1. Identify life sciences research areas of agency and/or interagency interest, 

and opportunities for collaborations among them.

2. Identify opportunities to increase use of the ISS-NL and facilitate better interagency 

alignment in terms of collaborations for flight and supporting ground-based research.

As possible, review existing MOUs, existing grants, and current plans of nonNASA agencies for ISS.

3. Report the activities and progress of the FTAC-ISS, and make recommendations to

the LSSC for appropriate forwarding to NASA by the Director of the Office of Science

and Technology Policy.

D. Membership

The following NSTC departments and agencies are represented on the FTAC-ISS: 

Department of Agriculture;

Department of Commerce;

Department of Defense;

Department of Energy;
16

Department of Health and Human Services;

Department of the Interior;

Department of State;

Department of Veterans Affairs;

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Co-chair); and

National Science Foundation.

The following organizations in the Executive Office of the President shall also be represented 

on the FTAC-ISS:

Office of Management and Budget, and

Office of Science and Technology Policy (Co-chair).

Cooperating departments and agencies shall include other such Executive organizations, 

departments, and agencies as the Co-chairs may, from time to time, designate.

E. Termination Date

This charter shall terminate 120 days from the date of inception, unless renewed by the Cochairs of the LSSC.

F. Determination

I hereby determine that the establishment of the Fast-Track Action Committee on the

Utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory is in the public interest

in connection with the performance of duties imposed on the Executive Branch by law, and

that such duties can best be performed through the advice and counsel of such a group.

Approve

d:
17

3/14/2012

 03/14/2012

John C. Wingfield Date

Co-chair of Subcommittee on Life Sciences, 

and Assistant Director for Biological Sciences 

National Science Foundation

 03/14/2012 

Sharlene Weatherwax Date

Co-chair of Subcommittee on Life Sciences, and

Associate Director of Science for Biological and Environmental Research

Office of Science

Department of Energy
18

Appendix B

FAST-TRACK ACTION COMMITTEE ON THE UTILIZATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE 

STATION (ISS) AS A NATIONAL LABORATORY

SUBCOMMITTEE ON LIFE SCIENCES

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE

NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

Co-Chairs:

Dr. David R. Liskowsky

Director, Medical Policy & Ethics

Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer

NASA Headquarters

Washington, DC 20546

T: 202-358-1963

david.r.liskowsky@nasa.gov

Dr. Joan McGowan

Director, Division of Musculoskeletal Diseases

National Institute of Arthritis and 

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

National Institutes of Health

Building: Democracy I, Room 864

Bethesda, MD 20892

T: 301-594-5055

mcgowanj@ep.niams.nih.gov

Members:

Dr. Hongda Chen

National Program Leader, Bioprocessing 

Engineering/Nanotechnology

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

U.S. Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Ave. SW, Mail Stop 2220

Washington, DC 20250-2220

T: 202-401-6497; F: 202-401- 4888 

hchen@nifa.usda.gov

Dr. Dean A. Cole

Biological Systems Science Division

Office of Biological and Environmental 

Research

U.S. Department of Energy

1000 Independence Ave. SW

Washington, DC 20585

T: 301-903-3268

Dean.Cole@science.doe.gov

Dr. Jonelle K. Drugan

Science Policy Analyst

Office of Science Policy, Planning and 

Communications

National Institute of Arthritis and 

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 

National Institutes of Health

Building 31, Room 4C13

Bethesda, MD 20892-2350

T: 301-496-8271

druganj@mail.nih.gov

Dr. Penelope Firth

Division Director (Acting)

Division of Environmental Biology

National Science Foundation

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-8480 

pfirth@nsf.gov
19

Dr. Charles D. Liarakos

Senior Policy Advisor & Director, Office of 

Emerging Frontiers

Office of the Assistant Director

Directorate for Biological Sciences

National Science Foundation

4201 Wilson Blvd.

Arlington, VA 22230

T: 703-292-7904

cliarako@nsf.gov

Dr. Mervalin Morant

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition

U.S. Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Ave SW, Stop 2225

Washington, DC 20250-2225

T: 202-401-6602

mmorant@nifa.usda.gov

Dr. Keana Scott

Materials Measurement Science Division

Material Measurement Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

100 Bureau Drive

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8372

T: 301-975-4579

keana.scott@nist.gov

Dr. Neil Talbot

Research Animal Scientist

Animal Bioscience and Biotechnology 

Laboratory

Agricultural Research Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

BARC-East, Bldg. 200, Rm. 13

Beltsville, MD 20705

T: 301-504-8216 or -5307; F: 301- 504-8623

neil.talbot@ars.usda.gov

Dr. Joshua Zimmerberg

Senior Investigator, 

Head, Section on Membrane and Cellular 

Biophysics

Head, Program in Physical Biology

Director, NASA/NIH Center for ThreeDimensional Tissue Culture

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of 

Child Health & Human Development

National Institutes of Health

Bethesda, MD 20892

T: 301-496-6571

zimmerbj@mail.nih.gov

OSTP Liaisons:

Dr. Mary Maxon

Assistant Director for Biological Research

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Executive Office of the President

Washington, DC 20502

Mary_E._Maxon@ostp.eop.gov

Dr. Altaf H. Carim

Assistant Director for Nanotechnology

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Executive Office of the President

Washington, DC 20502

acarim@ostp.eop.gov

OMB Liaison:

Mary S. Fischietto

Program Examiner

Office of Management and Budget

Executive Office of the President

725 17th St. NW

Washington, DC 20503

Mary_S._Fischietto@omb.eop.gov