Welcome the Astrobiology Research Focus Group (RFG) Workshop 2013! This year marks
the fifth annual RFG Workshop for early-career astrobiologists. More information coming soon!
For questions related specifically to the RFG, please direct your emails to abgradcon2013gmail.com.
The Astrobiology Research Focus Group Workshop is an independent training workshop
that brings together early-career astrobiologists from diverse academic backgrounds for
an intensive three-day collaborative proposal writing experience. The central objective for
workshop participants is to create an original proposal on a topic relevant to the current
state of astrobiology research, which must be presented to a body of peers. Participants are
encouraged to use the workshop as a forum for exploring creative and original research topics.
The workshop culminates in a peer-review panel discussion on each team's presented work,
leading to a final anonymous vote on the best proposal.
The prior workshops produced several original research ideas. Highlights include:
work leading to a successfully funded research grant through the NAI director's discretionary
fund (Proposal Title: Perchlorate, Water and Life: the Geomicrobiology of Mars Analog Soils);
and an internationally recognized space policy paper proposing a METI protocol for messaging
extraterrestrial intelligence (Atri, DeMarines, and Haqq-Misra, 2011).
Although RFG 2013 is being held in conjunction with AbGradCon 2013, we are an independent
workshop and have a separate application form and deadlines.
To participate in the 2013 Workshop, please fill out our online application.
To participate in the RFG workshop you must be either:
1. A graduate student (Masters or PhD Level)
2. A Postdoctoral Researcher within two years of obtaining your PhD
Participants from prior RFG workshops are welcome to apply as long as they still meet the
eligibility requirements.
Lodging, meals and travel between the RFG venue and McGill will be provided for all
accepted participants.
Participants funded to attend AbGradCon will be allowed to schedule flights into Montreal, QC
early to participate in the RFG. All other participants are responsible for their own airfare/
travel to/from Montreal.
IMPORTANT NOTE: THERE IS NO FUNDING PROVIDED BY RFG FOR TRAVEL TO AND FROM
MONTREAL TO ATTEND RFG!
In order to have a successful grant writing workshop, we encourage both experienced and inexperienced early career proposal writers to apply!