Renee Juhans
Headquarters, Washington, DC                    August 6, 1999
(Phone:  202/358-1712)

RELEASE:  99-89

NASA ANNOUNCES RESEARCH GRANTS 
IN BIOLOGY-INSPIRED TECHNOLOGY

     NASA has selected 14 researchers to receive grants totaling 
approximately $6.5 million over four years to conduct research in 
biology-inspired technologies as part of a $12 million program.  
These grants represent new research efforts.

     Sponsored by NASA's Office of Life and Microgravity Science 
and Applications, this research opens a new area of technological 
development that could have tremendous impact on the future of 
NASA's human exploration program. Also, the technologies could 
have a beneficial effect on the quality of life on Earth through 
development of noninvasive medical monitoring, safer automobiles 
and aircraft, and other uses only imagined today. 

     The results of this work will enable more efficient 
exploration of the near Earth environment in which the 
International Space Station operates.  The research will develop 
these technologies so they can be used to explore other parts of 
the solar system. Biologically inspired research involves smaller 
systems or machines with lower power requirements and much greater 
capability.  NASA will issue a cooperative agreement notice for a 
virtual center in advanced biotechnology that will tie together 
"ongoing" results and research and provide broader distribution of 
results from this research.

     Ten grants are for innovative technologies in early 
conceptual stages and based on biological materials or concepts 
inspired by biological functions found in nature.  Four grants 
look at extending the capabilities of human interactions with 
machines through enhanced computational capabilities or improved 
sensor and data-handling capabilities.  

     NASA received 123 proposals in response to this research 
announcement.  The proposals were peer-reviewed by scientific and 
technical experts from academia, government and industry.  In 
addition to technical and scientific merit, relevancy to NASA 
programs also was one of the selection criteria.

     A list of awardees (by state), their institutions, and 
research titles can be found via Internet at:

      ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/1999/99-089a.txt

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