NASA Mission Directorate
Research Participation Program

ORISE Research Participation Program with NASA

The NASA Mission Directorate Research Participation Program provides opportunities for postdoctoral researchers, postgraduates, and university faculty to conduct research that supports NASA’s Mission Directorates, Program offices, and institutes. The program encourages scientific research in disciplines relevant to NASA; creates the next generation of American scientists; and addresses issues relevant to these strategic goals:

Expand the frontiers of knowledge, capability, and opportunity in space
Advance our understanding of Earth and develop technologies to improve the quality of life on our home planet
Serve the American public and accomplish NASA’s mission by effectively managing people, technical capabilities, and infrastructure

Research Profile – Rubab Khan

Rubab Khan has experienced a very exciting career journey from his home in Bangladesh to his appointment as a postdoctoral researcher at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. More than 13,000 people contribute to NASA’s mission at GSFC, making it the largest NASA research center in the United States. One exciting element of Khan’s appointment with NASA is the opportunity to collaborate with other researchers to advance our body of knowledge in space science. To achieve that goal, Khan uses data from the Hubble and Spitzer space telescope to further the understanding of distant celestial bodies. Learn more about Rubab’s experience with NASA.

Research Profile – Dr. Anirudha Dixit

Dr. Anirudha Dixit, a participant in the NASA Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education Program participant, uses Arabidopsis to model plant growth in environments similar to that of the International Space Station. This environment exhibits high levels of carbon dioxide, and the effects of this heightened CO₂on plant growth is not well characterized. He hopes that, through his research, long-term, manned space missions will become more viable. Read more about Dixit's experience.

Research Profile – Melak Mekonen Zebenay

Melak Mekonen Zebenay conducts research at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, where he develops simulators in an effort to refine the capture and docking of satellites in microgravity or almost weightless environments. He hopes that in the future his research will lead to effective maintenance, supply and repair of space-borne objects. Read more about Zebenay.