NSF Workshop “Building Partnerships and Pathways to Address Engineering Grand Challenges” at U.T. El Paso, Texas Kamlesh Lulla, Ph.D.; Ph.D. Deputy Director, University Research and Affairs Office NASA Johnson Space Center National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collaboration is our focus at Johnson: “Bringing the best minds from universities and other research groups to collaborate with the best minds from NASA Johnson Space Center”

What is in our portfolio? The University Research and Affairs Office links the university, federal and other research communities with JSC for synergistic science and engineering efforts. Long-term Relationships: To enhance JSC’s long-term relations with academic community for increased research and technical support for exploration Enhance Engineering Education: To improve JSC involvement in higher education (undergraduate, graduate to faculty outreach) for workforce development Engage Space Grant Consortia: To engage Space Grant universities’ and Minority serving institutions to ensure that they have NASA relevance, especially with a focus on exploration goals and increase their participation in NASA education programs

Examples of recent activities: Engineering Deans’ Conference Systems Engineering Curriculum development Systems Engineering Educators’ workshop Engineering Skills Enhancement initiatives Networking opportunities for new and recently hired employees

How can you and your students get involved? Graduate student programs Doctoral fellowships Postdoctoral fellowships Faculty NASA program (selective) Faculty Guest/Visitor (selective) Pre-KindergartenPost-doctorate

Discovery of a New Mineral from a Cometary Particle Brownleeite discovery flowchart. NASA JSC scientist and a Postdoctoral fellow discovered a new mineral in a Cometary particle 2009

Stardust Sample The Stardust sample return capsule on display in the National Air and Space Museum. Graduate students worked with NASA science team on this project

Johnson Space Center Areas of Collaboration

Engineering: Johnson is an Engineering center Structural Engineering Crew and Thermal Systems Avionic Systems

Engineering Aeroscience / Flight mechanics Energy Systems Systems Architecture and Integration Systems Engineering

Robotics and Automation Engineering Centaur stowing sample box.Centaur bending over and acquiring a sample. Centaur acquiring sample box from crew rover testbed. Robonaut manipulating truss couplers.Robonaut preparing to weld. Two Robonauts assisting a suited astronaut.

White Sands Test Facility

Space Life Sciences: Human system research Space Flight Medicine Human Adaptation to Space flight Habitability Human Factors

Habitability in Space Rotating Reverse Osmosis for Water Recovery on Long-term Space Missions

Human Adaptation: Countermeasures to Space-flight-induced Orthostatic Hypotension NASA’s AGS currently worn with the advanced crew escape suit post-bedrest. Russia’s Kentavr suit worn by cosmonauts under the Sokol suit during re-entry and landing.

ARES – Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science

How do we implement collaborations? Space Act Agreements (SAA’s) with universities to enhance research and technology development and to promote science and engineering education IPAs: Personnel Agreements for Exchanges of JSC staff and academic faculty and students to increase research and education for technical needs for space exploration. Special programs (e.g. NASA Administrator’s Fellows) Other avenues that institutions develop

For more discussions and information: Thank you!