The Science Innovation Fund (SIF) invests in highly innovative, exploratory, and high risk – high return scientific research that directly supports advancing the strategic direction of Ames and the Agency.  It also promotes the vitality of Ames through strategic investments in scientific research, capabilities, and people. The SIF encourages development of new investigations that stress innovation, exploration, and/or the interdisciplinary nature of the proposed work.

Past SIF Winners

2017

Please join us in congratulating the FY2017 SIF awardees:

• Brad Bebout, Biology IS the Technology: Microbial Ecology of Space Food Production
• Brad Bebout, Measuring Ancient Air Pressure Using Fossil Bacteria
• Diana Gentry, Coastal California’s Fog Aerobiology and Ecology: A Local-Scale Survey of Potential Geochemical Impact
• Andrew Mattioda, ICEE (In-Situ Carbon Exposure Experiment) Proof of Concept – ICEE PoC
• Christopher Potter, New Fusion of NASA Remote Sensing Data to Validate Terrestrial Carbon Cycle Models Using Measured Fluxes of Carbonyl Sulfide
• David Smith, Survey of Airborne Microorganisms in Earth’s Stratosphere: Acquiring Samples in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere with Ride-Along Flights on NASA Aircraft
• Meyya Meyyappan, Disinfection of Food Produce Using Atmospheric Pressure Cold Plasma

2016

Please join us in congratulating the FY2016 SIF awardees:

• Mark Ditzler, Direct Observation of Co-Evolution at the RNA-Protein Interface
• Richard Elphic, Radiolysis of Organic Compounds on Icy Moons: Surface vs. Plume Materials
• Liane Guild, Coastal High-Resolution Observations and Remote Sensing of Ecosystems (C-HORSE)
• Linda Jahnke, Preservation of Ancient Biomarkers in a Hyperarid Desert
• Jessica Koehne, Advanced Bio-Detection Sensors for Icy World Exploration
• Wenonah Vercoutere, Origins of life: Non-Enzymatic Synthesis of Duplex Nucleic Acid