Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology

Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology is sponsored by American Philosophical Society (Administered in conjunction with the NASA Astrobiology Program). This fund supports field studies in any area of interest to astrobiology. It is open to graduate students and postdoctoral and junior scientists for field studies related to their theses or other purposes.

Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth and in the universe.

It encompasses research in, among others, the fields of astronomy, chemistry, evolutionary biology, field and population biology, geology, microbiology, molecular biology, oceanography, paleontology, and planetary science. Astrobiology includes investigations of the geologic and fossil record to understand the conditions of the early Earth when life arose.

Its scope also includes research of contemporary locations on Earth that might be similar to early Earth and to environments elsewhere in our Solar System (such as on Mars, Europa, and Titan), which may be, or have been in the past, suitable for life. Astrobiology is also about understanding the characteristics of life, which requires investigations into extreme natural environments on Earth and, eventually, elsewhere.

The Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology is open to field studies in any area of interest to astrobiology. Applications will be reviewed by a committee that includes members of the NASA Astrobiology Program, the APS, and the wider science community as needed. Recipients will be designated as Lewis and Clark Field Scholars in Astrobiology.

Ph. D. candidates wishing to pursue projects in disciplines with a large dependence on field studies, such as archeology, anthropology, biology, ecology, geography, geology, linguistics, paleontology, population genetics, and other fields, should consult the program description and forms for the Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research .

Additional information about the NASA Astrobiology Program and the scope of its research can be found at: https://astrobiology. nasa. gov/research/ .

Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research Deadline: November 2, 2026 Notification: March 2027, for work taking place in April or later Grants will be available to graduate students and postdoctoral and junior scientists who wish to participate in field studies for their theses or for other purposes. Eligibility for applicants with doctorates is limited to those five years or fewer beyond their Ph. D.

or equivalent degree, although, rarely, exceptions may be made. A graduate student applicant should ask his or her academic supervisor or field trip leader to write one of the two letters of recommendation, specifying the role of the student in the field trip and the educational contribution of the trip. Budgets should be limited to travel and related expenses, including personal field equipment.

The competition is open to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and foreign nationals formally affiliated with a U.S.-based institution, who may carry out research anywhere in the world. Applicants from outside of the United States and U. S citizens affiliated with foreign institutions may not apply.

Both members and non-members of the NASA Astrobiology Program are eligible. When appropriate, applicants should provide assurances that safety measures will be taken for potentially hazardous projects. When necessary, the applicant and his or her supervisor should describe the field training that will be provided and the provisions for experienced supervision.

The applicant should reference the connection of his or her project to astrobiology via the Astrobiology Roadmap . This information should be included in the Statement of Purpose. Amounts will depend on travel costs, but will ordinarily be in the range of several hundred dollars up to about $5,000.

Grants are payable to the individual applicant. Lewis and Clark Fund grants are taxable income, but the Society is not required to report payments. It is recommended that grant recipients discuss their reporting obligations with their tax advisors.

Grant funds are not to be used to pay income tax on the award. Each grant recipient will submit brief reports on his or her trip for archiving in the APS Library (where the Lewis and Clark and other early reports of exploration are also stored) and for distribution by the NASA Astrobiology Program.

The project and financial reports are due one month after completion of the funded portion of the work, per the time frame indicated on the proposal. Retrieve the four-page application form via the link to the right. Maintain the specified four-page format; do not add extra pages.

Type all information; use nothing smaller than 11 pt. Respond to every section in the space provided. The completed application should be submitted as an e-mail attachment to [email protected] .

Download the referee letter form, forward it to your letter writers, notify them of the deadline, and instruct them to send the completed form to [email protected] ; confirm with them that the letters have been sent in time. Lewis and Clark in Astrobiology 2026 application (17233 B) Lewis and Clark in Astrobiology 2026 referee form (12861 B) NASA Astrobiology Strategy Roadmap (17.

29 MB) Lewis and Clark in Astrobiology reporting instructions (13911 B) Questions concerning the eligibility of a project, applicant, or use of funds, as well as requests to confirm receipt of the application and required two letters of support, should be directed to Linda Musumeci, Director of Grants and Fellowships, at [email protected] , or 215-440-3429.

Current and Past Lewis and Clark Fund in Astrobiology Field Scholars Aran, Pablo , University of Arizona, Tucson Microbiology of High-Elevation Permafrost: Key to Understanding the Habitability of Ground Ice on Mars Ji, Aoshuang , University of California, Riverside Fingerprinting Biogenic Methane with Clumped Isotopologues: Advancing the Search for Life in the Solar System and Beyond Rappaport, Hannah Beryl , Syracuse University Expanding a Clade of Extremely Thermophilic Amoebae Saumya, Tuh i, Georgia Institute of Technology Spectral and Mineralogical Investigation of Terrestrial Lava Deltas as Analogs for Potentially Habitable Hydrovolcanic Environments on Mars Martinez, Eduardo , University of Nevada, Las Vegas Investigating the Oxygen Isotope Composition of Phosphate and Structural Water in Viviante in Mars Analog Environments as a Potential Biosignature Skaar, Cassandra Helena , New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Do Novel Phage-Microbe Interactions Control Microbial Activity in Extremely Acidic Environments?

Trethowan, Harrison , University of Miami Identification of RNA Viruses Infecting Biogeochemically Active Archaea in Anoxic, Sulfidic Lakes Yao, Yuanyue , University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Investigating Snowball Earth and Interglacial Paleoenvironmental Conditions in Oman in Relation to Co-Evolution of Complex Life Carman, Nancy Alejandra , University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Preservation of Biosignatures in Active and Inactive Hydrothermal Deposits: Insights From California's Lassen Volcanic National Park Freire, Paulo José Corrêa , University of North Carolina at Charlotte Chemosynthetic Microbes in California's Mono Lake: The Missing Link for Life in Ocean Worlds Gutoski, James R.

, University of Colorado, Boulder Deciphering Phosphorus Cycling and Biotic-Abiotic Interactions During the Great Oxidation Event: A Paleoproterozoic Perspective on Phosphorite Deposition and Its Role in Early Earth System Evolution in Western Australia Naseem, Mariam , University of Maryland, College Park Exposing Deep Antarctic Seawater to Vacuum to Inform the Design of Space Missions to the Solar System's Icy Ocean Worlds, Ushuaia, Argentina Pippenger, Katherine , Yale University Assessing the Intensity of Ecosystem-Shaping Biological Bulldozing in the Early Devonian of Southeastern Australia Prakash, Medha , University of Texas, Austin Episode I: The Phantom Crater-Thermal Evolution of the Rochechouart Hydrothermal System in France Wang, Justin , University of Southern California Microbial and Geochemical Dynamics of Taiwanese Hydrothermal Systems as Analogs for Martian and Icy Moon Astrobiology Azizpour, Yasaman , University of Illinois at Chicago Investigating High-Pressure Adaptation of Enzymes in Sulfate-Reducing Microorganisms from Yellowstone Hot Springs Brodsky, Harry , University of Colorado Boulder Phosphorus Redox Cycling in Serpentinite-Hosted Aquifers of the Samail Ophiolite, Oman Buchheister, Dani , Pennsylvania State University Searching for a Missing Iron-Sulfur Microbial Metabolism in Pyrite Biofilm Communities From Frasassi Cave System Lakes Fonseca Coelho, Ligia Patricia, Cornell University Color Catalog of Extremophile Communities in Ice on the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway Fulford, Avery Haydock , Massachusetts Institute of Technology In Hot (and Salty) Water: Correlating Microbial Metabolism with the Energy Landscape of Brine-Dominated Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents on the North Pacific Juan de Fuca Ridge Govinda Raj, Chinmayee , NASA Ames Research Center Assessing Anthropogenic Contamination in Extreme Terrestrial Analog Environments, Mauna Kea Lava Field Oliverio, Angela M.

, Syracuse University Uncovering the Metabolic Strategies of Extremophilic Eukaryotes in High-Temperature Geothermal Habitats in Lassen Volcanic National Park in California Sen, Pia , George Washington University Investigating Viral Diversity and Roles in Hawaiian Steam Vent Microbial Communities Apalara, Itunu , University of Oklahoma Understanding Chemical Weathering in a Euxinic Environment Using Bulk Sediment and Clay-Preserved Proxies, Anadarko Basin, Southwest Oklahoma Aran, Pablo , University of Arizona, Tucson Investigating Microbial Habitability of a High-Altitude Volcano in the Atacama Desert as a Mars Analog, Antofagasta, Chile Bimm, Jordan , University of Chicago Astrobiology in Action: Simulating Alien Life in the Desert, Hanksville, Utah Caterham, Catherine , University of Tennessee, Knoxville Herringbone Carbonate Through Time and Its Linkages to Ocean Chemistry, Belgium, Sardinia, and Canada Harris, Carolynn , Dartmouth College Life Detection Via Lipid Stable Isotope Probing in Mars Analog Soils from Atacama Salars, Atacama Desert, Chile Leapaldt, Hanna , Pennsylvania State University Identifying the Fingerprint of Microbial Autotrophy on Magnesium Carbonate and Implications for Mars Sample Return, Atlin and Cariboo Plateau, British Columbia, Canada Weyland, Walker , University of California, Riverside Springtime in the Precambrian: Comparing Community Composition for Evidence of Reproductive Strategies in Early Multicellular Ecosystems, Nilpena Ediacara National Park, South Australia Winnikoff, Jacob , Harvard University Cellular Membrane Responses to High Pressure and Dynamic Temperature at Deep-Sea Vents, Galapagos Rift Caro, Tristan , University of Colorado, Boulder Targeted Life Detection in the Terrestrial Serpentinite Subsurface of Oman Elkassas, Sabrina , Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Methanogens at the Serpentinite Mud Volcanoes of the Mariana Forearc: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle?

Corpolongo, Andrea , University of Cincinnati Marginal Lacustrine Carbonate Microbialites and Mudstones From the Eocene Lake Gosiute (Green River, Colorado) as Mars Jezero Crater Sample Analogs de la Higuera Hernandez, Ignacio , Portland State University Extreme Ecology of a Virus in Japanese Hot Springs Ethige, Isuru , University of Akron Light Energy Limits Necessary for Phototrophy Using Cave Entrance as a Model Hadland, Nathan , University of Arizona Investigating the Habitability of Mars Analog Lava Flow Fields in Iceland McCandless, Heather , University of California, Riverside Reconstructing Earth's Earliest Multicellular Pelagic Ecosystems: Implications for Ediacaran Ocean and Sediment Biogeochemistry Lopez, Jessica , University of Houston, Clear Lake Understanding the Microbial Impact on Source-to-Sink Processes in a Basaltic Fluvio-Lacustrine Martian Analog Environment Skoog, Emilie , Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Characterization of Bacteriophage From Early Branching Bacterial Lineages Isolated From Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents Hung, Caroline , University of California, Riverside A Novel Interdisciplinary Study of Microbial Habitats and Community Structure in a Nondessicated, Redox Stratified Evaporite-Forming Mars Analog, Salton Sea, California Meixnerova, Jana , University of Washington Preservation Potential and Extended Record of Geochemical Proxies for Microbial Metabolisms in the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia Mojarro, Angel , Massachusetts Institute of Technology Investigating Exceptional Soft-Tissue Preservation and the Role of Sulfur Diagenesis in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland Plattner, Taylor , Georgia Institute of Technology Potential Biomarkers in Planetary Analog Brine Environments, Western Australia Transient Lakes Spietz, Rachel , Montana State University Mineral Sources of Essential Elements in Wyoming and Montana Through Microbially Mediated Reduction of Metal Sulfides Stucky de Quay, Gaia , University of Texas at Austin Constraints on Habitability Timescales During Early Mars From Fluvial Modification in the Cape Verde Archipelago Trutschel, Leah , University of Cincinnati Exploring Microbial Habitability and Diversity in a Marine-Like Terrestrial Serpentinizing Spring, Ney's Spring, Mt.

Shasta, California Aronson, Heidi , University of Southern California Searching for a Thermodynamically Predicted Novel Microbial Metabolism in the Sulfidic Karst Caves at Frasassi, Italy Buffo, Jacob , Georgia Institute of Technology Biosignature Dynamics in British Columbia's Frozen Hypersaline Lakes: Implications for the Habitability and Bioburden of Ice-Brine Environments Garczynski, Bradley , Purdue University An Orbital and in-Situ Analysis of Lake Salda Microbialites as a Modern Analog for Jezero Crater, Mars Kipp, Michael , University of Washington Phosphorites of the Paleoproterozoic Aravalli Supergroup, India: A Window to Earth's Early Phosphorus Cycle Mayer, Marisa , Stanford University Environmental Relevance of Lipid Biomarkers in Hot Spring Mars Analogues Osterhout, Jeffrey , University of California, Los Angeles Organic Biosignatures in the Pilbara Craton of Western Australia: Insights to Earth's Archean Biosphere and the Search for Past Life on Mars Surprenant, Rachel , University of California, Riverside Ediacaran Test Tubes: Earth's Earliest Experiments in Multicellularity Recorded in the Ontogeny and Ecology of Three Tubular Taxa Riedman, Leigh Anne , University of California, Santa Barbara Eukaryotic Evolution in Heterogeneous Proterozoic Seas Agic, Heda , University of California, Santa Barbara Investigating Habitats of Early Eukaryotes, Shanxi Province, Northern China Candela Garza , Alberto, Carnegie Mellon University Automated Detection of Biosignatures in the Atacama Desert, Chile Dhaliwal, Jasmeet , Pennsylvania State Univesity A Fieldwork and Geochemical Study of Holuhraun Volcano, Iceland, as an Analog for Hydrothermal Vents and Martian Volcanism Johnson, Benjamin , University of Colorado, Boulder Paleoarchaen Seawater Temperature, Nutrient Levels, and Depth: Reconstruction From Altered Oceanic Crust in the Pilabara Craton, Northwestern Australia Lee, Bridget , University of California, Riverside Banded Iron Formations, Minas Garais, Brazil, as Key to the Rise of Atmospheric Oxygen Millan, Maeva , Georgetown University The Preservation of Organic Molecules in New Zealand Hydrothermal Environments as Mars Analogs Nichols, Claire , Massachusetts Institute of Technology Determining the Earliest History of Earth's Ancient Magnetic Field, Greenland and Its Implications for the Origins of Life Park, Yuem , University of California, Berkeley Dramatic Global Change During the Era of Animal Evolution: A New Archive of Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth Glaciation From the Tambien Group of Ethiopia Seyler, Lauren , Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution From the Frying Pan to the Fire: How Microbes Survive Rapidly Changing Conditions in Flat Cone Spring, Sentinel Meadows, Yellowstone National Park Zaloumis, Jonathan , Arizona State University Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars-Analog Sulfate Deposits From the Atacama Desert, Chile Boag, Thomas , Stanford University Oxygen, Temperature, and the Deep-Water Evolution of Animals: Investigating Fossil Occurrences Across an Ediacaran Shelf-to-Slope Transect in Northwest Canada Buessecker, Steffen , Arizona State University Entangled Abiotic and Biotic N2O Fluxes in Iron-Rich Soils of Peru Colman, Daniel , Montana State University Quantifying the Influence of Tectonic Regime on Hot Spring Microbial Diversity Dunham, Jeremy , University of Tennessee Variation in Microfabric Within Proterozoic Early Diagenetic Chert and Implications for Genesis Dzombak, Rebecca , University of Michigan Iceland as an Analogue for Unvegetated Precambrian Soils During Oxygenation of the Atmosphere Gangidine, Andrew , University of Cincinnati Exploration and Collection of Sinter Deposits and Biofilms in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, for the Development of Novel Trace Element Biosignature Analysis Moore, Kelsey , Massachusetts Institute of Technology Evolution of Cyanobacteria Peoples, Logan , University of California, San Diego Comparing Pressure-Retained and Decompressed Microbial Communities from the Greatest Ocean Depths Zaikova, Elena , Georgetown University Investigating the Role of Microbes in Secondary Mineral Deposits in Lava Caves as Analogs for Subsurface Mars Babilonia, Joany , University of Florida Unraveling the Global Microbiome Core of Stromatolites at Ruidera Pool in Spain Bedell, Megan , University of Chicago Exploring the Formation of Rocky Worlds With the Solar Twin Planet Search Chile Black, Sarah , University of Colorado Boulder Characterization of Secondary Mineralogy in Hydrothermal Systems in Costa Rica and Iceland via Multiple Instrumentation Methods: Implications for Mars Craft, Kathleen , Johns Hopkins University Exploring Hydrothermal Sinter Sites in Iceland and Molecular Biosignature Detection Techniques: A Mars Mission Analog to Exploring Nili Patera Jenson, Aubri , Texas State University Detecting Evidence of Microbially Mediated Carbonate Dissolution in a Submerged Cave: Cenote San Carlos, Quintana Roo, Mexico Smith, Emily , Smithsonian Institution The Lat of the Ediacara Biota at Mt.

Dunfee, Nevada Stanford, Joshua , Georgia Institute of Technology Assessing the Plausibility of Long-Term Sedimentary Recycling of Sulfur Isotope Anomalies in the Northern Amazon Craton, Brazil, and the Implications for Atmospheric Evolution on Earth Tang, Qing , Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Paleobiology of the Tonian Chuar Group in North America and Its Implications for the Evolution of Complex Eukaryotes Uckert, Kyle , New Mexico State University Characterizing the Biogenicity of Manganese Oxides in an Extreme Environment: Fort Stanton Cave as a Solar System Analog Ward, Lewis , California Institute of Technology Investigating Uncharacterized Iron-Rich Hot Springs in Japan as Early Earth and Exoplanet Analogues Berg, Ashley , University of Tennessee, Knoxville Preservation of Prtoerzoic Microbial Mats Cole, Devon , Yale University Oxygenation in the Late Mesoproterozoic Greenberger, Rebecca , Brown University Mapping Mineralogies of Serpentine Seeps at the Phiolite in Oman: Insights Into Microbial Activity Hancock, Leanne , University of California, Riverside Redox Variation and Nutrient Controls on Monterey Formation Deposition: A Case Study on Methan Cycling in Borderland Basins and Proximity Controls Kasun, George , Portland State University Recombination Between RNA and DNA Viruses in an Acidic Hot Spring Magnabosco, Cara , Princeton University A Comparison of Subsurface Microbial Communities and Function in Northern Portugal Phillips-Lander, Charity , University of Oklahoma Trace Metals as Indicators of Microbially-Induced Weathering in Water-Limited Systems: The Snake River Plain as an Analog for Post-Noachian Weathering on Mars Farris, Holly N .

, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Survivability of Halophiles through Deliquescence in the Atacama Desert, Chile: Implications for Liquid Water Stability and Habitability of the Martian Surface Roy, Arpita , Pennsylvania State University Exploring the Full Potential of the PARAS Spectrograph in India Anderson, Ross , Yale University Preservational Controls on Neoproterozoic-Cambrian (1000 MA–485 MA) Eukaryotic Fossil Diversity in the Zavkhan Terrane of Southwestern Mongolia Bellefroid, Eric , Yale University Assessing the effects of Tectonic Change on the Marine Paleoenvironment and Biogeochemical Cycles During the Mesoproterozoic, Borden Basin, Northern Canada Cammack, Jacob , University of Wisconsin, Madison Secondary Ion Microprobe Microanalysis of the Strelley Pool Cherts, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia: Insight Into Fluid Sources, Alteration, and Paleoenvironmental Conditions Evans, Scott , University of California, Riverside Paleoecology of the Iconic Ediacaran Genera Dickinsonia, South Australia Hashman, Breana , University of Wisconsin, Madison Constraining Redox Conditions and Their Potential Role in Climactic Variations of the Mesoarchean as Recorded in the South African Witwatersrand and Pontola Supergroups of the Kaapvaal Craton Patterson, Molly , University of Connecticut Thrombolite Fabric Development in Hardwater (Green Lake, New York), Marine (Highborne Cay, Bahamas), and Hypersaline (Lake Clifton, Australia) Environments Simpson, Anna , University of Washington Assessing the Effects of Alpine Nitrogen Deposition, Mount Rainier, Washington Stueeken, Eva , University of Washington Characterizing Nutrient Cycles in Late Precambrian Lakes, Late Mesoproterozoic Torridonian Supergroup, Scotland Tarhan, Lidya , Yale University The Silicification of Soft-Bodied Biotas: A Model for Exceptional "Ediacara-Style" Preservation, Flinders Ranges, South Australia Amador, Elena , University of Washington Revealing the Habitability and Microbial Diversity of Icelandic Lava Fields: An Interdisciplinary Approach Cable, Morgan , California Institute of Technology Biodiversity and Habitability in Icelandic Lava Fields Ibarra, Yadira , University of Southern California Paleoenvironmental Significance of Microbialites From the Upper Triassic, Southwest United Kingdom, and Relevance to the End Triassic Mass Extinction Lynch, Ryan , University of Colorado, Boulder Mansor, Muammar , Pennsylvania State University Detecting Biosignatures From Biominerals Formed in Subsurface Frassasi Caves, Italy: Analogue to Mars Schwieterman, Edward , University of Washington Assessing the Habitability, Diversity, and Productivity of Mars Analog Environments in Iceland Solon, Christine , University of California, Riverside Morphology and Ecology of an Enigmatic Ediacaran Taxon, South Australia Som, Sanjoy , Blue Marble Space Institute of Science Hydrogen Production in Basalt-Hosted Hydrothermal Systems in Iceland Woycheese, Kristin , University of Illinois at Chicago Biogeochemistry and Depositional Facies of a Serpentinizing Fluid Seep in the Zambales Range Ophiolites, the Philippines Gallagher, Timothy , University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Life on Land During the Mesoproterozoic: Evidence from the Midcontinent Rift System in Michigan, Minnesota, and Ontario Harwood, Cara , University of California, Davis Thrombolites as Records of Microbial-Metazoan Ecosystems in Cambrian Carbonates of the Southern Great Basin, Nevada Johnson, Jena , California Institute of Technology Manganese and the Evolution of Oxygenic Photosynthesis in Northern Cape Province, South Africa Marnocha, Cassandra , University of Arkansas Geomicrobiology of Rock Coatings from Karkevagge, Swedish Lapland Price, Roy , University of Southern California Expanding Frontiers for Origin of Life Research: Serpentine-Hosted Shallow-Sea Hydrothermal Vents in New Caledonia Sibert, Elizabeth , Scripps Institution of Oceanography Ichthyoliths Across the KPG Boundary: Response of Pelagic Consumers to a Mass Extinction, Gubbio, Italy Sperling, Erik , Harvard University Oxygen, Ecology, and the Cambrian Radiation of Animals: Insights Into the Origins of Complex Life From the Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada Wilbanks, Elizabeth G.

, University of California, Davis A Sulfurous Symbiosis: The Dynamic Metatranscriptome of Pink Berries in the Sippewissett Salt Marsh, Falmouth, Massachusetts Adam, Zachary , Montana State University Characterizing the Mesoproterozoic Microfossil Record of the Belt Supergroup, Montana Caporaso, James G .

, University of Colorado, Boulder Microbial Community Characterization of the Atacama Desert Soils, Chile Claire, Mark , University of Washington Searching for the Driest Place on Earth Conrad, Alison , University of California, Santa Cruz The Microbial Ecology of Anoxygenic Arsenite Oxidizing Photoautotrophs in Extreme Environments Corman, Jessica , Arizona State University Nutrient Limitation as a Factor for Microbialite Formation in Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico Hendrickson, Sarah , New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Dissolved Organic Carbon Cycling in the Deep Crustal Biosphere Levy, Joseph , Portland State University Chimerya: Cryosphere-Hydrothermal Interactions: Mars-Yellowstone Research for Astrobiology Marlow, Jeffrey , California Institute of Technology Carbonate-Based Anaerobic Methane Oxidation at Hydrate Ridge Methane Seeps McCauley, Rebecca , Pennsylvania State University Energy-Limited Microbial Communities as an Analog for Archean Life Robador Ausejo, Alberto , University of Hawaii NASA Astrobiology Institute Biosphere of Subseafloor Basaltic Crust Shirey, Timothy B.

, University of Alabama Perchlorate Reduction and Biochemistry in the Atacama Desert, Chile: The Search for Biosignatures of Life in a Martian Analog Environment Webb, Amelinda E. , Yale University Measuring the Effects of Stress on Communities During the Ordovician-Silurian Mass Extinction on Anticosti Island, Quebec, Canada Colon, Knicole D.

, University of Florida Characterizing Transiting Extrasolar Planets with GTC/OSIRIS Czaja, Andrew , University of Wisconsin, Madison Field Trip to Explore Archean and Proterozoic Geology of Western Australia Huberty, Jason , University of Wisconsin, Madison 5IAS Field Trip to the Pilbara Craton, Including the Fortescue and Hamersley Basins Knowlton, Michele L.

, Arizona State University An Interdisciplinary Look at Nitrogen (n) Fixation Occurring Within the Microbial Mats at Yellowstone National Park McKeown, Nancy , University of California, Santa Cruz Hyperspectral Study of the Painted Desert, Arizona, to Provide Implications for Mawrth Valis, Mars, a Likely Science Laboratory Landing Site Percak-Dennett, Elizabeth , University of Wisconsin, Madison Linking Laboratory and Field Studies of the Mineralogical and Iron Isotope Composition of Banded Iron Formations in Western Australia Urschel, Matthew , Montana State University Iron Reduction in the Subglacial Sediments of Robertson Glacier, Canada Glass, Jennifer , Arizona State University Evaluation of Molybdenum Diagenesis in Sediments of Castle Lake, California Papineau, Dominic , Carnegie Institution of Washington Influences of Phosphorous on the Carbon Cycle in the Paleoproterozoic Aravalli Supergroup Saw, Jimmy , University of Hawaii, Manoa Single-Cell Genome Sequencing of a Novel Gloeobacter From an Epilithic Biofilm in a Hawaiian Basaltic Cave Smith, David J.

, University of Washington Measuring Polymorphism in Northern Hemisphere Snow Algae Populations Trail, Dustin , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute A Field and Geochemical Investigation of the Oldest Known Rocks on Earth, in Acasta Gneiss Complex, Canada Wright, Katherine , University of Colorado, Boulder Biomarkers for Sulfur Metabolism in Icy Non-Terrestrial Environment Black, Benjamin , Massachusetts Institute of Technology Delayed Organic Recovery After End-Permian Mass Extinction and Connections with Siberian Traps, Igneous Province, Russia Cavalazzi, Barbara , Universita' di Bologna/Portland State University The Problem of Biogenicity and Its Detection in El Tatio, Chile Denson, Jackie , University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Survey of Microbial Diversity and Microbial Biomarkers, Kenya Eloe, Emiley , Scripps Institution of Oceanography Influence of High Hydrostatic Pressure on Microbials in Puerto Rico Trench Johnson, Ian , Penn State Astrobiology Research Center Earth's Oldest Paleosol, Australia Meyer, Michael , University of South Florida, Tampa Morphological Change Through Time in the Ediacaran Fossil/Pteridinium in Africa Myshrall, Kristen , University of Connecticut Evaluating the Microbial Constituents and Their Metabolisms in Modern Thrombolites at Green Lake, New York Nunez, Jorge , Arizona State University Mineralogy of Spring Deposits in New Zealand With Applications to Mars Planavsky, Noah J.

, University of California, Riverside Sulphur Isotopes in Paleoproterozoic Carabonates Labrador Trough, Canada Adams, Melissa , Stanford University Elucidating the in situ Metabolism of Novel Phosphorus Species by Thermophilic Cyanobacteria, Yellowstone National Park Barge, Laura M.

, University of Southern California Precipitation in Diffusion-Controlled Systems and the Formation of Terrestrial (Utah) and Martian Hematite Concretions Hage, Melissa , University of Tennessee Geologic Investigation of Banded Iron Formation from the Isua Greenstone Belt, Southwest Greenland Harris, Katherine J.

, University of Oxford Geomicrobiology of Mars Analog Lakes in the Andes-High Lakes 2007 Science Expedition Sobron, Pablo , Centro de Astrobiologia, Spain Raman Spectroscopy in an Extreme Environment with Astrobiological Implications, Iron Mountain, California Warner, Nicholas , Arizona State University Identification and Collection of Subglacially Derived Volcanic Material on the Outwash Plains of Southern Iceland Fuchsman, Clara , University of Washington Expedition to the Mid-Proterozoic: Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle in the Black Sea Suboxic Zone Gleeson, Damhnait , University of Colorado, Boulder, The Unique, Sulfur-Rich Icy Ecosystem at Borup Fiord Pass, Ellesmere Island, in the Canadian High Arctic Hynek, Brian , University of Colorado, Boulder Mars' Astrobiology Potential from Cerro Negro Volcano, Nicaragua Lopez-Morales Mercedes , Carnegie Institution of Washington Search for Transits of Extrasolar Planets Using the Swope Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile Morrill, Penny , Carnegie Institution of Washington Identification of Gaseous Hydrocarbon Formation from Ultrabasic Springs in Sonoma County, California Swanson-Hysell, Nicholas , Princeton University Integrated Magnetic and Chemical Stratigraphy of the Bitter Springs Stage, Australia