ASEN 5016 Homework 3 Guidelines

 

Space Life Science Research Proposal

 

Using the same general formatting as specified for HW1, again 5 page, double spaced maximum text, not counting bibliography, separate title page, budget or CV, prepare a research proposal in response to an RFP soliciting space life sciences experiments for ISS space flight opportunities.  This should ideally be a follow on to your review paper topic. If you want to switch to a different area than what you did in homework 1, check with me for approval first.

 

The proposals can be for basic or applied studies, including further characterization of a physiological response or evaluation of a potential countermeasure to a known detrimental physiological phenomenon.

 

Submit electronic file (MS Word, PC compatible) via email and 1 hardcopy in class.  (Note: CAETE students can submit electronic version only.)

 

Please title the electronic submittal with your last name only (e.g., Smith.doc), and embed the budget and CV into one single comprehensive file with the proposal text, do not submit as 3 separate files!

 

The following outline is intended to help you organize your proposal.  There are certain circumstances that will not fit cleanly within each of the categories outlined below, so use as applicable with content added/deleted where needed.  Check with me if you have questions. Be sure to use subheaders to clearly indicate the different sections:  Intro, Background/Rationale, Hypothesis/Aims, Methods for isolating/measuring/controlling the relevant variables, Expected Results and Conclusions.

 

 

  1. State the title of your proposed research project, your name, affiliation (CU), submittal date, and course info on a cover page – this is not included in 5 page limit

 

  1. Briefly summarize the literature (from your HW1 review article) that leads up to and logically supports the need for continued experimentation on your selected topic and in Introduction to the proposed study.  This should present the basic underlying premises/arguments/need/speculation for additional research that you are proposing.

    Note: You should explicitly cite NASA programmatic rationale in this section from the NASA Human Research Roadmap http://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov/

 

  1. State your specific hypothesis, including sub-hypotheses if needed. (Ideally, in the form of true/false or yes/no oriented statement.)  These can also be stated as specific ‘aims’ of the research. What are your ‘success criteria’?

 

  1. What is/are the primary Dependent Variable(s) associated with your experiment?

 

  1. What is the primary (ideally only one) Independent Variable?

 

  1. What are the relevant Constant parameters that must be monitored and/or controlled?

 

  1. Are there any other potentially confounding variables not described above?

 

  1. Describe the general protocol and supporting hardware for the tests that you will need to conduct in your lab (on Earth) to give evidence that reproducible results can be expected. You can cite prior similar studies for this.

 

  1. Discuss why/how you would expect space flight to affect these ground-based results.  Be as specific as possible, including duration of study.

 

  1. Describe the functional requirements and/or any unique capabilities of hardware that you will need to conduct this experiment in space.

 

  1. Define the general flow of pre-flight events that must take place in the days/hours prior to launch such as final sample preparation, subject baseline data collection, hardware loading, etc.

 

  1. Describe the general in-flight operations needed to carry out your experimental objectives and whether they involve crew time or can be automated.  If crew time is needed, give estimated event durations and periodicity.

 

  1. Describe your plan for post-flight sample processing or data collection that requires immediate attention after the shuttle lands.

 

  1. What analyses will need to be done to either prove or disprove your above stated hypothesis?

 

  1. Describe in general how you will present the results for publication. Plots, bar charts, etc. showing notional or predicted trends, labeled as ‘expected outcomes’.  Did you answer the hypothesis and/or meet the aims?

 

  1. Describe the conclusion(s) that you will be able to firmly draw from these results and any further speculation/suggestions you care to offer. Think of this as assessing if the ‘success criteria’ were met.

 

  1. Bibliography (same format as HW1) – not included in 5 page limit

 

  1. Provide a detailed budget breakdown needed to support this project from CU.  Include relevant salaries, equipment and/or travel costs with overhead and benefits (we will discuss this in class at a later date) – not included in 5 page limit

 

  1. Provide a Curriculum Vitae, (CV) 2 page max (also will be discussed later) – not included in 5 page limit

 

 

If you have any questions regarding how the needs for your proposal might differ from the list suggested above, let me know before you go too far along. 

 

The following link to ISS research projects may be of use in writing your proposal as an additional resource for ideas and approaches.

Current Space Research: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news.html