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A new chapter in doctoral candidate training: The Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife)
Acta Astronautica 68 (2011) 1620–1627
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Acta Astronautica journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/actaastro
A new chapter in doctoral candidate training: The Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife) C.E. Hellweg a,, R. Gerzer b, G. Reitz a a b
German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiobiology, Cologne, Germany German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
a r t i c l e i n f o
abstract
Article history: Received 11 November 2009 Received in revised form 12 March 2010 Accepted 15 March 2010
In the field of space life sciences, the demand of an interdisciplinary and specific training of young researchers is high due to the complex interaction of medical, biological, physical, technical and other questions. The Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife) offers an excellent interdisciplinary training for doctoral students from different fields (biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, physics, psychology, nutrition or sports sciences and related fields) and any country. SpaceLife is coordinated by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne. The German Universities in Kiel, Bonn, Aachen, Regensburg, Magdeburg and Berlin, and the German Sports University (DSHS) in Cologne are members of SpaceLife. ¨ The Universities of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Frankfurt, Hohenheim, and the Beihang University in Beijing are associated partners. In each generation, up to 25 students can participate in the three-year program. Students learn to develop integrated concepts to solve health issues in human spaceflight and in related disease patterns on Earth, and to further explore the requirements for life in extreme environments, enabling a better understanding of the ecosystem Earth and the search for life on other planets in unmanned and manned missions. The doctoral candidates are coached by two specialist supervisors from DLR and the partner university, and a mentor. All students attend lectures in different subfields of space life sciences to attain an overview of the field: radiation and gravitational biology, astrobiology and space physiology, including psychological aspects of short and long term space missions. Seminars, advanced lectures, laboratory courses and stays at labs at the partner institutions or abroad are offered as elective course and will provide indepth knowledge of the chosen subfield or allow to appropriate innovative methods. In Journal Clubs of the participating working groups, doctoral students learn critical reading of scientific literature, first steps in peer review, scientific writing during preparation of their own publication, and writing of the thesis. The training of soft skills is offered as block course in cooperation with other Helmholtz Research Schools. The whole program encompasses 303 h and is organized in semester terms. The first doctoral candidates started the program in spring 2009. & 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Space life sciences Doctoral program Young scientists Interdisciplinarity Radiation biology Gravitational biology Astrobiology Space physiology
1. Introduction Corresponding author at: Linder Hoehe, 51147 Cologne, Germany.
Tel.: + 49 2203 6013243; fax: + 49 2203 61970. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (C.E. Hellweg), [email protected] (R. Gerzer), [email protected] (G. Reitz). 0094-5765/$ - see front matter & 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2010.03.014
With respect to future long-term human space missions to Moon and Mars it is of utmost importance to enlarge our knowledge about life in extreme environments, to develop, not only adequate countermeasures to
C.E. Hellweg et al. / Acta Astronautica 68 (2011) 1620–1627
reduce the effects of low gravity, but also to perform research into the effects of space radiation on the human body [1]. Problems in space life sciences are generally complex and cross disciplinary boundaries. Efforts to address the open questions in space life sciences require collaborative research that integrates knowledge from different fields. The traditional model for training young scientists emphasizes personal independence and disciplinary focus [2], and especially in Germany, relies on a teacher–trainee relationship of doctoral candidate and supervisor without further support. During the last decade, an increasing amount of doctoral programs was established during which the doctoral candidates attend specific lectures and seminars in a broader field. Such programs may support the interdisciplinarity which is required in space life sciences. Therefore, the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at the DLR established the Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife) in order to provide training at the highest level for excellent young scientists. The mission of SpaceLife is to contribute to understanding the space frontier and the opportunities, capabilities, and limitations of humans living and working on that Frontier and of the spread of life in the universe. The program’s objective is to investigate the complex interactions of space environmental factors and humans or other organisms. To accomplish its mission, SpaceLife implements a broad range of applied and basic scientific research. Thereby it links theoretical and practical approaches of radiation dosimetry, microbiology, basic molecular and cellular research in radiation and gravitational biology with clinical studies. This research is accomplished using ground-based laboratories, microgravity environments, space-analog simulation facilities and if available, space flight opportunities. The long-term goal is to contribute to the ‘‘safe, sustained, affordable exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyondy’’.1 2. SpaceLife members and partners The German Universities in Kiel (CAU Kiel), Bonn, Aachen (RWTH Aachen), Regensburg, Magdeburg and Berlin, and the German Sports University (DSHS) in Cologne are members of SpaceLife. The Universities ¨ of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Frankfurt, Hohenheim, and the Beihang University in Beijing are associated partners. The ¨ universities of Erlangen-Nurnberg and Hohenheim contribute experience in gravitational biology of animals, the University of Frankfurt in cellular radiation biology and the Beihang University in space life sciences in general. The cooperation with the Beihang University builds a bridge to the Chinese space program. The Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics at the CAU Kiel has a long-lasting experience in extraterrestrial physics and heliospherical astro-particle physics. Since many years, a main focus at the Institute for Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology of Plants (IMBIO) 1 The former US President Bush spoke the words ‘‘the Moon, Mars, and beyond’’ when he outlined his goals for NASA on January 14, 2004.
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at the University of Bonn is gravitational biology. The ¨ Mikrobiologie’’ and the Archaea Centre of ‘‘Lehrstuhl fur the University of Regensburg bring excellent expertise in isolating, growing and characterizing extremophilic Bacteria and Archaea into the astrobiology field of SpaceLife. Expertise in astrobiology and in space physiology is contributed by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at the RWTH Aachen. The Institute of Botany at the RWTH has established expertise in cell biology, microbiology and plant biology, combined with experience in space life sciences, particularly by participation in the Space Research Group – Project Mars, a students’ working group ¨ contributes excellent at the RWTH Aachen. The DSHS Koln expertise in the development and evaluation of efficient countermeasures to muscle and bone degradation during space missions. The Institute of Mechanical Engineering of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Otto-vonGuericke-University Magdeburg, Germany, contributes excellent expertise in space biotechnology. The Center for Space Medicine Berlin (ZWMB) at the Charite´University Clinics in Berlin, Germany, investigates the anatomical, physiological and psychological adaptation of humans to microgravity.
3. SpaceLife management The scientific members of SpaceLife form the Faculty (Fig. 1). The Faculty elects a Faculty Panel who assists the supervisors and the spokesperson in the student selection process and in formation of the curriculum. The spokesperson bears responsibility for SpaceLife. SpaceLife is organized by the coordinator and the secretary. This includes initiation of cooperation contracts with the member universities, organization of the selection procedure, management of the scholarships and the financial resources, organization of the curriculum and general support for the doctoral candidates. The doctoral students elect a Doctoral Spokesperson during the first Students’ Workshop. The Doctoral Spokesperson participates in meetings of the Faculty Panel or the full SpaceLife Faculty. During these meetings, e.g. upcoming selection procedures, the curriculum and work progress of the doctoral students are discussed. In conflict situations, the Mentor (see below) and the Doctoral Spokesperson develop a solution together with the doctoral student and the supervisors, the head of department and the spokesperson.
4. Overview of the SpaceLife program The three-year program reflects the increasing importance of interdisciplinarity in life science research and provides comprehensive training for scientific, methodological and ‘‘soft’’ skills. The program provides training and research towards a career in life sciences and space research. The program of SpaceLife consists of a threeyear research project as well as introductory and advanced lectures, student workshops, journal clubs, the
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Fig. 1. Current management structure of SpaceLife. DLR, German Aerospace Center; CAU Kiel, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; RWTH Aachen, ¨ Technical University of Aachen; Uni Bonn, Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms-University Bonn; Uni Regensburg, University of Regensburg; DSHS Koln, German Sport University Cologne; PD, private lecturer (‘‘Privatdozent’’ – has passed the German ‘‘Habilitation’’).
attendance and presentation of congresses, participation in laboratory and transferable skills courses.
5. Thesis supervision Expert supervision throughout the research activities leading towards a doctoral degree within three years is regarded of the utmost importance. In addition to the dayto-day supervision, each doctoral student has a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). The main task of the TAC is to guide the doctoral students throughout their thesis work and to monitor and evaluate the progress of the research project and the individual development of the doctoral student. The TAC consists of three faculty members. First and second supervisors are chosen on the basis of their research specialty in order to provide as far as possible the complete scientific expertise required to realize the proposed thesis project. The DLR Supervisor is a scientist at the Institute of Aerospace in the laboratory where the research is being performed. At least one member of each TAC must be a university professor. The Mentor is a scientist from a different scientific field and gives general advise to the doctoral student, e.g. for career planning. The TAC will help to design and monitor the trainee’s thesis work and will help the trainee to establish contacts inside and outside the institution. Following the submission of a project proposal after one month, and an initial report meeting after 3–6
months, TAC meetings are scheduled on an annual basis. TAC meetings include a written report and an oral presentation which covers the theoretical background, research progress, results obtained so far and experiments to be done in the future. The Initial Report focuses on the detailed outline of the thesis project and planning for future experiments. The 3rd Annual Report meeting defines the work to be done prior to writing and submitting the thesis, and the time frame for obtaining the doctorate. TAC meetings can be integrated in the Students’ Workshop or organized separately. 6. Curriculum The three-year doctoral program is divided into six semesters (half-years). In addition to the laboratorybased experimental thesis work, doctoral students participate in a structured training program, which includes 303 h of practical courses, workshops, lectures, seminars, and journal clubs. The curriculum of training is composed of the following mandatory and elective modules:
Introductory Lectures during the 1st and 2nd semester (mandatory).
Advanced Lectures during the 3rd semester (mandatory). Students’ Workshop during the 1st, 4th and 6th semester (mandatory).
C.E. Hellweg et al. / Acta Astronautica 68 (2011) 1620–1627
Seminars, Workshops and Experimental Courses
(elective, 40 h during the program). Journal Club during the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th semester (mandatory). 212 days soft skill training per year (mandatory). Additional soft skill training based on individual needs (DLR education program), e.g. project management (optional). Active participation in a Workshop or Conference (mandatory). Internal Seminars (optional).
6.1. Introductory lectures As the doctoral program is open to candidates from diverse backgrounds, the first semester concentrates on the basics of space life sciences. Doctoral students participate in a mandatory lecture covering the topics space medicine, radiobiology, astrobiology and gravitational biology. The lectures introduce the space life sciences research program and the theoretical background of the topic and provide the scientific background of the applied methods. The lectures were held during the Summer school ‘‘Living with a star: Basics in Space Life Sciences’’ in Bad Honnef, Germany, August 23–28, 2009. 6.2. Advanced lectures During the 3rd semester, doctoral students participate in an advanced lecture in a topic of their interest.
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space life science research. A series of laboratory courses that have already been installed by the partner institutions offers the trainees a special training in specific areas including laboratory as well as theoretical work. 6.5. Journal Clubs Journal Clubs are held during the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th semester in the working groups of the Institute of Aerospace Medicine and the Partner Universities. They offer the opportunity to read papers together and to discuss them with members of the working group. Each student is required to present an original paper and review. The topic of the original paper is always related to the general field of the student’s research project, requiring the student to research and subsequently present the topic in a succinct and critical way. Doctoral students familiarize with critical reading, preparation of manuscripts and scientific figures, and designing of a doctoral thesis and a research proposal in the Journal Clubs. 6.6. Internal seminars Doctoral students participate at the Internal Seminars organized by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine. International renowned scientists are invited to present their scientific work in Cologne. At least once during the doctoral thesis work, each doctoral student will have the opportunity to present the own scientific work to a large audience. 6.7. Conferences/symposia
6.3. Students’ workshop In the 1st semester, each student is given a worthwhile opportunity to present his/her research project including the hypothesis, methods to be applied and the work schedule. During the 4th Semester, students are once again given the opportunity to present the current findings of their research projects in front of the class and the TAC, giving the student valuable feedback on how they are progressing. This enables the student not only to develop his/her presentation skills but to critically analyze their own findings and those of others. During the last term, the students present the final report on their thesis. 6.4. Seminars, Workshops and Experimental Courses Elective Seminars, Workshops and Experimental Courses are offered in the 1st, 3rd and 5th semester of the program. During the three year period, doctoral students should participate in 40 h of electives courses. The participation in each course must be discussed with the primary Supervisor. The workshop ‘‘Biomathematics’’ combines lectures and exercises, and provides skills towards the quantitative analysis of experimental data and experimental and study design. Experimental Courses cover different methods in
Participation in national as well as international conferences will be encouraged. The trainee will have to present his work at least during one conference either by a poster or an oral presentation, which will be financially supported. 6.8. Career day During the 3rd year of the program, the doctoral students attend or organize and chair a Career Day, for example during the Space Life Science Congress (‘‘Medicine and Mobility’’) organized by members of the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, during which invited speakers from academia, industry, scientific journals and funding bodies present career paths to the students. 6.9. Optional lab rotations Optional lab rotations are encouraged on an individual basis, especially if
The graduate training is conducted in a research area different from the undergraduate studies.
The thesis work is interdisciplinary. The thesis requires methods which are not established in the hosting lab.
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6.10. External work of trainees If appropriate, the trainees will have the opportunity of a short-term stay in a partner institute or organization, in industry, or in a specialized laboratory to complement her/his skills or to carry out work that cannot be done within the partnering institutions. This might also be abroad. The trainees can apply for support through SpaceLife. 6.11. Final examination The doctoral examination can comprise a public presentation of the trainee in which she/he will present the results of her/his doctoral work which will subsequently be discussed with the auditorium, depending on the regulations of the university.
of the announcement (e.g. European Space Agency, international cooperation partners). Applicants were invited to send their curriculum vitae, list of publications, copy of their diploma/master theses, past and present research interests, copies of masters/ diploma certificates (with translation if not in German, English or French). The applicants had to ask two referees to submit confidential letters of recommendation. Linguistic proficiency in English could be demonstrated by taking a standardized test (e.g., the TOEFL). Application deadline was March 31, 2009. Selected applicants were invited for an interview with faculty members in March or April 2009. The members of SpaceLife jointly conducted the central selection procedure. The applications were subjected to a competitive multi-step evaluation procedure.
7.1. Evaluation of applications 7. SpaceLife application and selection procedure SpaceLife is open to highly qualified and motivated applicants from all countries, and it is committed to an equal opportunity policy. Applicants should hold a Master’s or other degree with excellent grades comparable to a German University Diploma in psychology, biology, physics, and nutrition or sports sciences. SpaceLife gives the opportunity to carry out a full-time doctoral thesis at the end of which the doctoral students will receive a German Dr. rer. nat., Dr. hum. biol., Dr. oec. troph. or Dr. rer. medic. Per age-group, up to 25 doctoral students can participate in the program. The first application round started in December 2008 with posting of job advertisements in the internet and printed journals. A detailed description was provided on the DLR webpage and announcements were posted on the web pages of the partner universities. Furthermore, existing contacts to international partners of the DLR and the partner Universities allowed well directed spread
The first evaluation took into account the applicants’ national education system, and was carried out by experts on the respective educational system. Applicants were contacted by phone for assessment of proficiency in English. Applications of candidates which meet the requirements of SpaceLife were recommended for further assessment by the faculty members, who jointly short-listed the candidates to be invited for the interview days in Cologne. Ninety nine applications were received, evaluated and forwarded to the supervisors. Twenty three applicants were invited to the interview day, 5 of them accomplished their interviews via the internet using Adobe Connect Pro Meeting (Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, CA, USA). The countries of origin of the applicants are shown in Fig. 2. Most of the candidates had studied biology (39%), the remaining part was more or less equally distributed between physics, biotechnology, engineering, sport science and other degree programs which are listed in Fig. 3A.
Fig. 2. Countries of origin of the SpaceLife applicants in 2008/2009. The legend is listed clockwise in lines, starting at 12 o’ clock.
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Fig. 3. Degree programs that the SpaceLife applicants had passed and gender distribution (A), and research field preference of the SpaceLife applicants in 2008/2009 (B). The legend is listed clockwise, starting at 12 o’ clock.
The applicants were asked to indicate their research field preference in the application form. About one quarter of them was most interested in Astrobiology. Radiation Protection, Gravitational Biology of human cells, Cellular Radiation Effects and Space Physiology attracted 14–16% of the applicants, followed by 10% of the applicants who were interested in Gravitational Biology of animals and plants. Very few psychologists applied, and all of them were most interested in psychophysiological performance (Fig. 3B). During the interview days, each candidate conducted interviews with faculty members, the prospective supervisors, to discuss research experience, motivation and interests. The interviews with group leaders resulted in a first assessment of candidates. All applicants had the task to prepare a 5 min self presentation for the Selection Committee, which consists of five faculty members. The self presentation was followed by a 5–10 min question round by the Selection Committee. Taking the assessment of the interviewing faculty members into account, the Selection Committee evaluated the overall qualification of the candidate together
with the prospective supervisors, and recommended to the spokesperson and the coordinator of SpaceLife whom to admit to the program. In this application round, 21 applicants were admitted to SpaceLife. In the application form, the applicants were asked to specify from which source they were first informed about the SpaceLife program (Fig. 4A). A large proportion found out about the program on the DLR website or was directed by internet job advertisements to the program. Job advertisements were posted on the DLR webpage and in online job machines (jobvector.de and academics.de, academics.com). Announcements of SpaceLife on the websites of the partner universities and personal contacts also helped to spread the information. Educational fairs, posters and printed advertisements in scientific journal were only in very few cases the first point of contact with SpaceLife. For the applicants who were finally selected, the current supervisors and the DLR website are the most important first contacts with SpaceLife (Fig. 4B). Also, the frequency of personal invitation to apply or of information by colleagues and friends underlines the high
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Fig. 4. How the applicants in 2008/2009 made first contact with SpaceLife (A) and how the SpaceLife Doctoral Candidates first heard about SpaceLife (B).
importance of personal contacts in the recruitment of doctoral candidates. In fact, the recruitment process starts already during the bachelor and master or diploma period of the students, or even earlier by practical training at the DLR or the member and partner universities.
8. Conclusions A shift towards interdisciplinary research training programs occurs currently in many research fields, e.g. in environmental and ecological research [2–4], neuroscience [5] and nutritional sciences [6]. The programs suggest that an interdisciplinary approach might be more successful to solve complex problems and should be trained early in a research career.
The interdisciplinary approach requires the cooperation of many different institutions and distances have to be bridged for successful learning of the doctoral students. In SpaceLife, teleteaching using Adobe Connect Pro Meeting offers the possibility to involve all members and partners, creating a virtual learning environment. This report demonstrates that an interdisciplinary doctoral program can be initiated by a research center in close cooperation with several partner universities. The time span from the initial idea to the start of the program was ~18 months. SpaceLife should support the progress of the theses and allow the participants to make contacts in the scientific community. SpaceLife will give an overview on current research in space life sciences and will foster interdisciplinary
C.E. Hellweg et al. / Acta Astronautica 68 (2011) 1620–1627
thinking. Later on, elective courses allow specialization of the doctoral students in their specific domain. In Europe, SpaceLife is the counterpart to the United States’ Graduate Education Program in Space Life Sciences of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute NSBRI [7] which is conducted jointly at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology through the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) [8]. The TAMU Graduate Program focuses, as SpaceLife, on bone and muscle loss and effects on space radiation. The TAMU program also includes cardiovascular effects, while SpaceLife has a major research field in astrobiology. HST developed a Ph.D. degree program in medical engineering and medical physics with specialization in bioastronautics. Both US programs admit students with a bachelor degree, while SpaceLife admits only master or diploma alumni, allowing the reduction of training time to three years. Future employment possibilities in the field of space life sciences in Europe include the German Aerospace Center itself, the European Space Agency, other National Space Agencies in Europe or maybe also worldwide, universities performing space research, and space companies such as the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and the OHB Technology AG. Several candidates in SpaceLife committed to space research already early during their studies and intend to stay in this field. Others had no experience in the space field and discovered an exciting challenge in SpaceLife. These doctoral candidates might not plan a career in space life sciences, but in life sciences in general. They will profit from the interdisciplinary approach of SpaceLife as well as from the intensive fundamental research training in their specific field, e.g. physiology, cellular and molecular biology, or radiation physics.
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Acknowledgements The Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife) is funded by the Helmholtz Association (Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft) over a period of six years and receives additional funds from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), including the Aerospace Executive Board and the Institute of Aerospace Medicine. The authors would like to thank Anna-Maria Trautmann for support in processing the applicants’ data. The paper was presented at the 17th IAA Humans in Space Symposium Moscow, Russia, June 7–11, 2009 in the session ‘‘Education, outreach and spin-off activities’’. References [1] B. Hufenbach, G. Seibert, Human spaceflight: achievements, benefits and future opportunities from a European perspective, Earth, Moon, and Planets 94 (2005) 185–212. [2] J.M. Moslemi, K.A. Capps, M.S. Johnson, J. Maul, P.B. McIntyre, A.M. Melvin, T.M. Vadas, D.M. Vallano, J.M. Watkins, M. Weiss, Training tomorrow’s environmental problem solvers: an integrative approach to graduate education, BioScience 59 (2009) 514–521. [3] J.K. Graybill, S. Dooling, V. Shandas, J. Withey, A. Greve, G.L. Simon, A rough guide to interdisciplinarity: graduate student perspectives, BioScience 56 (2006) 757–763. [4] S.K. Jacobson, J.G. Robinson, Training the new conservationist-crossdisciplinary education in the 1990S, Environmental Conservation 17 (1990) 319–327. [5] D.G. Stuart, Reflections on integrative and comparative movement neuroscience, Integrative and Comparative Biology 47 (2007) 482–504. [6] L.H. Allen, M.E. Bentley, S.M. Donovan, D.M. Ney, P.J. Stover, Securing the future of nutritional sciences through integrative graduate education, Journal of Nutrition 132 (2002) 779–784. [7] Graduate Education Program in Space Life Sciences of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute: /http://www.nsbri.org/Educa tion/GraduateEducation.htmlS. [8] M.Y. MacLeish, W.A. Thomson, N. Moreno, P.J. Gannon, R.B. Smith, C.W. Houston, G. Coulter, G.L. Vogt, National Space Biomedical Research Institute education and public outreach program: education for the next generation of space explorers, Acta Astronautica 60 (2007) 599–606.
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Acta Astronautica journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/actaastro
A new chapter in doctoral candidate training: The Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife) C.E. Hellweg a,, R. Gerzer b, G. Reitz a a b
German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiobiology, Cologne, Germany German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
a r t i c l e i n f o
abstract
Article history: Received 11 November 2009 Received in revised form 12 March 2010 Accepted 15 March 2010
In the field of space life sciences, the demand of an interdisciplinary and specific training of young researchers is high due to the complex interaction of medical, biological, physical, technical and other questions. The Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife) offers an excellent interdisciplinary training for doctoral students from different fields (biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, physics, psychology, nutrition or sports sciences and related fields) and any country. SpaceLife is coordinated by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne. The German Universities in Kiel, Bonn, Aachen, Regensburg, Magdeburg and Berlin, and the German Sports University (DSHS) in Cologne are members of SpaceLife. ¨ The Universities of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Frankfurt, Hohenheim, and the Beihang University in Beijing are associated partners. In each generation, up to 25 students can participate in the three-year program. Students learn to develop integrated concepts to solve health issues in human spaceflight and in related disease patterns on Earth, and to further explore the requirements for life in extreme environments, enabling a better understanding of the ecosystem Earth and the search for life on other planets in unmanned and manned missions. The doctoral candidates are coached by two specialist supervisors from DLR and the partner university, and a mentor. All students attend lectures in different subfields of space life sciences to attain an overview of the field: radiation and gravitational biology, astrobiology and space physiology, including psychological aspects of short and long term space missions. Seminars, advanced lectures, laboratory courses and stays at labs at the partner institutions or abroad are offered as elective course and will provide indepth knowledge of the chosen subfield or allow to appropriate innovative methods. In Journal Clubs of the participating working groups, doctoral students learn critical reading of scientific literature, first steps in peer review, scientific writing during preparation of their own publication, and writing of the thesis. The training of soft skills is offered as block course in cooperation with other Helmholtz Research Schools. The whole program encompasses 303 h and is organized in semester terms. The first doctoral candidates started the program in spring 2009. & 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Space life sciences Doctoral program Young scientists Interdisciplinarity Radiation biology Gravitational biology Astrobiology Space physiology
1. Introduction Corresponding author at: Linder Hoehe, 51147 Cologne, Germany.
Tel.: + 49 2203 6013243; fax: + 49 2203 61970. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (C.E. Hellweg), [email protected] (R. Gerzer), [email protected] (G. Reitz). 0094-5765/$ - see front matter & 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2010.03.014
With respect to future long-term human space missions to Moon and Mars it is of utmost importance to enlarge our knowledge about life in extreme environments, to develop, not only adequate countermeasures to
C.E. Hellweg et al. / Acta Astronautica 68 (2011) 1620–1627
reduce the effects of low gravity, but also to perform research into the effects of space radiation on the human body [1]. Problems in space life sciences are generally complex and cross disciplinary boundaries. Efforts to address the open questions in space life sciences require collaborative research that integrates knowledge from different fields. The traditional model for training young scientists emphasizes personal independence and disciplinary focus [2], and especially in Germany, relies on a teacher–trainee relationship of doctoral candidate and supervisor without further support. During the last decade, an increasing amount of doctoral programs was established during which the doctoral candidates attend specific lectures and seminars in a broader field. Such programs may support the interdisciplinarity which is required in space life sciences. Therefore, the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at the DLR established the Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife) in order to provide training at the highest level for excellent young scientists. The mission of SpaceLife is to contribute to understanding the space frontier and the opportunities, capabilities, and limitations of humans living and working on that Frontier and of the spread of life in the universe. The program’s objective is to investigate the complex interactions of space environmental factors and humans or other organisms. To accomplish its mission, SpaceLife implements a broad range of applied and basic scientific research. Thereby it links theoretical and practical approaches of radiation dosimetry, microbiology, basic molecular and cellular research in radiation and gravitational biology with clinical studies. This research is accomplished using ground-based laboratories, microgravity environments, space-analog simulation facilities and if available, space flight opportunities. The long-term goal is to contribute to the ‘‘safe, sustained, affordable exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyondy’’.1 2. SpaceLife members and partners The German Universities in Kiel (CAU Kiel), Bonn, Aachen (RWTH Aachen), Regensburg, Magdeburg and Berlin, and the German Sports University (DSHS) in Cologne are members of SpaceLife. The Universities ¨ of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Frankfurt, Hohenheim, and the Beihang University in Beijing are associated partners. The ¨ universities of Erlangen-Nurnberg and Hohenheim contribute experience in gravitational biology of animals, the University of Frankfurt in cellular radiation biology and the Beihang University in space life sciences in general. The cooperation with the Beihang University builds a bridge to the Chinese space program. The Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics at the CAU Kiel has a long-lasting experience in extraterrestrial physics and heliospherical astro-particle physics. Since many years, a main focus at the Institute for Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology of Plants (IMBIO) 1 The former US President Bush spoke the words ‘‘the Moon, Mars, and beyond’’ when he outlined his goals for NASA on January 14, 2004.
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at the University of Bonn is gravitational biology. The ¨ Mikrobiologie’’ and the Archaea Centre of ‘‘Lehrstuhl fur the University of Regensburg bring excellent expertise in isolating, growing and characterizing extremophilic Bacteria and Archaea into the astrobiology field of SpaceLife. Expertise in astrobiology and in space physiology is contributed by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at the RWTH Aachen. The Institute of Botany at the RWTH has established expertise in cell biology, microbiology and plant biology, combined with experience in space life sciences, particularly by participation in the Space Research Group – Project Mars, a students’ working group ¨ contributes excellent at the RWTH Aachen. The DSHS Koln expertise in the development and evaluation of efficient countermeasures to muscle and bone degradation during space missions. The Institute of Mechanical Engineering of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Otto-vonGuericke-University Magdeburg, Germany, contributes excellent expertise in space biotechnology. The Center for Space Medicine Berlin (ZWMB) at the Charite´University Clinics in Berlin, Germany, investigates the anatomical, physiological and psychological adaptation of humans to microgravity.
3. SpaceLife management The scientific members of SpaceLife form the Faculty (Fig. 1). The Faculty elects a Faculty Panel who assists the supervisors and the spokesperson in the student selection process and in formation of the curriculum. The spokesperson bears responsibility for SpaceLife. SpaceLife is organized by the coordinator and the secretary. This includes initiation of cooperation contracts with the member universities, organization of the selection procedure, management of the scholarships and the financial resources, organization of the curriculum and general support for the doctoral candidates. The doctoral students elect a Doctoral Spokesperson during the first Students’ Workshop. The Doctoral Spokesperson participates in meetings of the Faculty Panel or the full SpaceLife Faculty. During these meetings, e.g. upcoming selection procedures, the curriculum and work progress of the doctoral students are discussed. In conflict situations, the Mentor (see below) and the Doctoral Spokesperson develop a solution together with the doctoral student and the supervisors, the head of department and the spokesperson.
4. Overview of the SpaceLife program The three-year program reflects the increasing importance of interdisciplinarity in life science research and provides comprehensive training for scientific, methodological and ‘‘soft’’ skills. The program provides training and research towards a career in life sciences and space research. The program of SpaceLife consists of a threeyear research project as well as introductory and advanced lectures, student workshops, journal clubs, the
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Fig. 1. Current management structure of SpaceLife. DLR, German Aerospace Center; CAU Kiel, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; RWTH Aachen, ¨ Technical University of Aachen; Uni Bonn, Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms-University Bonn; Uni Regensburg, University of Regensburg; DSHS Koln, German Sport University Cologne; PD, private lecturer (‘‘Privatdozent’’ – has passed the German ‘‘Habilitation’’).
attendance and presentation of congresses, participation in laboratory and transferable skills courses.
5. Thesis supervision Expert supervision throughout the research activities leading towards a doctoral degree within three years is regarded of the utmost importance. In addition to the dayto-day supervision, each doctoral student has a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). The main task of the TAC is to guide the doctoral students throughout their thesis work and to monitor and evaluate the progress of the research project and the individual development of the doctoral student. The TAC consists of three faculty members. First and second supervisors are chosen on the basis of their research specialty in order to provide as far as possible the complete scientific expertise required to realize the proposed thesis project. The DLR Supervisor is a scientist at the Institute of Aerospace in the laboratory where the research is being performed. At least one member of each TAC must be a university professor. The Mentor is a scientist from a different scientific field and gives general advise to the doctoral student, e.g. for career planning. The TAC will help to design and monitor the trainee’s thesis work and will help the trainee to establish contacts inside and outside the institution. Following the submission of a project proposal after one month, and an initial report meeting after 3–6
months, TAC meetings are scheduled on an annual basis. TAC meetings include a written report and an oral presentation which covers the theoretical background, research progress, results obtained so far and experiments to be done in the future. The Initial Report focuses on the detailed outline of the thesis project and planning for future experiments. The 3rd Annual Report meeting defines the work to be done prior to writing and submitting the thesis, and the time frame for obtaining the doctorate. TAC meetings can be integrated in the Students’ Workshop or organized separately. 6. Curriculum The three-year doctoral program is divided into six semesters (half-years). In addition to the laboratorybased experimental thesis work, doctoral students participate in a structured training program, which includes 303 h of practical courses, workshops, lectures, seminars, and journal clubs. The curriculum of training is composed of the following mandatory and elective modules:
Introductory Lectures during the 1st and 2nd semester (mandatory).
Advanced Lectures during the 3rd semester (mandatory). Students’ Workshop during the 1st, 4th and 6th semester (mandatory).
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Seminars, Workshops and Experimental Courses
(elective, 40 h during the program). Journal Club during the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th semester (mandatory). 212 days soft skill training per year (mandatory). Additional soft skill training based on individual needs (DLR education program), e.g. project management (optional). Active participation in a Workshop or Conference (mandatory). Internal Seminars (optional).
6.1. Introductory lectures As the doctoral program is open to candidates from diverse backgrounds, the first semester concentrates on the basics of space life sciences. Doctoral students participate in a mandatory lecture covering the topics space medicine, radiobiology, astrobiology and gravitational biology. The lectures introduce the space life sciences research program and the theoretical background of the topic and provide the scientific background of the applied methods. The lectures were held during the Summer school ‘‘Living with a star: Basics in Space Life Sciences’’ in Bad Honnef, Germany, August 23–28, 2009. 6.2. Advanced lectures During the 3rd semester, doctoral students participate in an advanced lecture in a topic of their interest.
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space life science research. A series of laboratory courses that have already been installed by the partner institutions offers the trainees a special training in specific areas including laboratory as well as theoretical work. 6.5. Journal Clubs Journal Clubs are held during the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th semester in the working groups of the Institute of Aerospace Medicine and the Partner Universities. They offer the opportunity to read papers together and to discuss them with members of the working group. Each student is required to present an original paper and review. The topic of the original paper is always related to the general field of the student’s research project, requiring the student to research and subsequently present the topic in a succinct and critical way. Doctoral students familiarize with critical reading, preparation of manuscripts and scientific figures, and designing of a doctoral thesis and a research proposal in the Journal Clubs. 6.6. Internal seminars Doctoral students participate at the Internal Seminars organized by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine. International renowned scientists are invited to present their scientific work in Cologne. At least once during the doctoral thesis work, each doctoral student will have the opportunity to present the own scientific work to a large audience. 6.7. Conferences/symposia
6.3. Students’ workshop In the 1st semester, each student is given a worthwhile opportunity to present his/her research project including the hypothesis, methods to be applied and the work schedule. During the 4th Semester, students are once again given the opportunity to present the current findings of their research projects in front of the class and the TAC, giving the student valuable feedback on how they are progressing. This enables the student not only to develop his/her presentation skills but to critically analyze their own findings and those of others. During the last term, the students present the final report on their thesis. 6.4. Seminars, Workshops and Experimental Courses Elective Seminars, Workshops and Experimental Courses are offered in the 1st, 3rd and 5th semester of the program. During the three year period, doctoral students should participate in 40 h of electives courses. The participation in each course must be discussed with the primary Supervisor. The workshop ‘‘Biomathematics’’ combines lectures and exercises, and provides skills towards the quantitative analysis of experimental data and experimental and study design. Experimental Courses cover different methods in
Participation in national as well as international conferences will be encouraged. The trainee will have to present his work at least during one conference either by a poster or an oral presentation, which will be financially supported. 6.8. Career day During the 3rd year of the program, the doctoral students attend or organize and chair a Career Day, for example during the Space Life Science Congress (‘‘Medicine and Mobility’’) organized by members of the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, during which invited speakers from academia, industry, scientific journals and funding bodies present career paths to the students. 6.9. Optional lab rotations Optional lab rotations are encouraged on an individual basis, especially if
The graduate training is conducted in a research area different from the undergraduate studies.
The thesis work is interdisciplinary. The thesis requires methods which are not established in the hosting lab.
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6.10. External work of trainees If appropriate, the trainees will have the opportunity of a short-term stay in a partner institute or organization, in industry, or in a specialized laboratory to complement her/his skills or to carry out work that cannot be done within the partnering institutions. This might also be abroad. The trainees can apply for support through SpaceLife. 6.11. Final examination The doctoral examination can comprise a public presentation of the trainee in which she/he will present the results of her/his doctoral work which will subsequently be discussed with the auditorium, depending on the regulations of the university.
of the announcement (e.g. European Space Agency, international cooperation partners). Applicants were invited to send their curriculum vitae, list of publications, copy of their diploma/master theses, past and present research interests, copies of masters/ diploma certificates (with translation if not in German, English or French). The applicants had to ask two referees to submit confidential letters of recommendation. Linguistic proficiency in English could be demonstrated by taking a standardized test (e.g., the TOEFL). Application deadline was March 31, 2009. Selected applicants were invited for an interview with faculty members in March or April 2009. The members of SpaceLife jointly conducted the central selection procedure. The applications were subjected to a competitive multi-step evaluation procedure.
7.1. Evaluation of applications 7. SpaceLife application and selection procedure SpaceLife is open to highly qualified and motivated applicants from all countries, and it is committed to an equal opportunity policy. Applicants should hold a Master’s or other degree with excellent grades comparable to a German University Diploma in psychology, biology, physics, and nutrition or sports sciences. SpaceLife gives the opportunity to carry out a full-time doctoral thesis at the end of which the doctoral students will receive a German Dr. rer. nat., Dr. hum. biol., Dr. oec. troph. or Dr. rer. medic. Per age-group, up to 25 doctoral students can participate in the program. The first application round started in December 2008 with posting of job advertisements in the internet and printed journals. A detailed description was provided on the DLR webpage and announcements were posted on the web pages of the partner universities. Furthermore, existing contacts to international partners of the DLR and the partner Universities allowed well directed spread
The first evaluation took into account the applicants’ national education system, and was carried out by experts on the respective educational system. Applicants were contacted by phone for assessment of proficiency in English. Applications of candidates which meet the requirements of SpaceLife were recommended for further assessment by the faculty members, who jointly short-listed the candidates to be invited for the interview days in Cologne. Ninety nine applications were received, evaluated and forwarded to the supervisors. Twenty three applicants were invited to the interview day, 5 of them accomplished their interviews via the internet using Adobe Connect Pro Meeting (Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, CA, USA). The countries of origin of the applicants are shown in Fig. 2. Most of the candidates had studied biology (39%), the remaining part was more or less equally distributed between physics, biotechnology, engineering, sport science and other degree programs which are listed in Fig. 3A.
Fig. 2. Countries of origin of the SpaceLife applicants in 2008/2009. The legend is listed clockwise in lines, starting at 12 o’ clock.
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Fig. 3. Degree programs that the SpaceLife applicants had passed and gender distribution (A), and research field preference of the SpaceLife applicants in 2008/2009 (B). The legend is listed clockwise, starting at 12 o’ clock.
The applicants were asked to indicate their research field preference in the application form. About one quarter of them was most interested in Astrobiology. Radiation Protection, Gravitational Biology of human cells, Cellular Radiation Effects and Space Physiology attracted 14–16% of the applicants, followed by 10% of the applicants who were interested in Gravitational Biology of animals and plants. Very few psychologists applied, and all of them were most interested in psychophysiological performance (Fig. 3B). During the interview days, each candidate conducted interviews with faculty members, the prospective supervisors, to discuss research experience, motivation and interests. The interviews with group leaders resulted in a first assessment of candidates. All applicants had the task to prepare a 5 min self presentation for the Selection Committee, which consists of five faculty members. The self presentation was followed by a 5–10 min question round by the Selection Committee. Taking the assessment of the interviewing faculty members into account, the Selection Committee evaluated the overall qualification of the candidate together
with the prospective supervisors, and recommended to the spokesperson and the coordinator of SpaceLife whom to admit to the program. In this application round, 21 applicants were admitted to SpaceLife. In the application form, the applicants were asked to specify from which source they were first informed about the SpaceLife program (Fig. 4A). A large proportion found out about the program on the DLR website or was directed by internet job advertisements to the program. Job advertisements were posted on the DLR webpage and in online job machines (jobvector.de and academics.de, academics.com). Announcements of SpaceLife on the websites of the partner universities and personal contacts also helped to spread the information. Educational fairs, posters and printed advertisements in scientific journal were only in very few cases the first point of contact with SpaceLife. For the applicants who were finally selected, the current supervisors and the DLR website are the most important first contacts with SpaceLife (Fig. 4B). Also, the frequency of personal invitation to apply or of information by colleagues and friends underlines the high
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Fig. 4. How the applicants in 2008/2009 made first contact with SpaceLife (A) and how the SpaceLife Doctoral Candidates first heard about SpaceLife (B).
importance of personal contacts in the recruitment of doctoral candidates. In fact, the recruitment process starts already during the bachelor and master or diploma period of the students, or even earlier by practical training at the DLR or the member and partner universities.
8. Conclusions A shift towards interdisciplinary research training programs occurs currently in many research fields, e.g. in environmental and ecological research [2–4], neuroscience [5] and nutritional sciences [6]. The programs suggest that an interdisciplinary approach might be more successful to solve complex problems and should be trained early in a research career.
The interdisciplinary approach requires the cooperation of many different institutions and distances have to be bridged for successful learning of the doctoral students. In SpaceLife, teleteaching using Adobe Connect Pro Meeting offers the possibility to involve all members and partners, creating a virtual learning environment. This report demonstrates that an interdisciplinary doctoral program can be initiated by a research center in close cooperation with several partner universities. The time span from the initial idea to the start of the program was ~18 months. SpaceLife should support the progress of the theses and allow the participants to make contacts in the scientific community. SpaceLife will give an overview on current research in space life sciences and will foster interdisciplinary
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thinking. Later on, elective courses allow specialization of the doctoral students in their specific domain. In Europe, SpaceLife is the counterpart to the United States’ Graduate Education Program in Space Life Sciences of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute NSBRI [7] which is conducted jointly at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology through the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) [8]. The TAMU Graduate Program focuses, as SpaceLife, on bone and muscle loss and effects on space radiation. The TAMU program also includes cardiovascular effects, while SpaceLife has a major research field in astrobiology. HST developed a Ph.D. degree program in medical engineering and medical physics with specialization in bioastronautics. Both US programs admit students with a bachelor degree, while SpaceLife admits only master or diploma alumni, allowing the reduction of training time to three years. Future employment possibilities in the field of space life sciences in Europe include the German Aerospace Center itself, the European Space Agency, other National Space Agencies in Europe or maybe also worldwide, universities performing space research, and space companies such as the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and the OHB Technology AG. Several candidates in SpaceLife committed to space research already early during their studies and intend to stay in this field. Others had no experience in the space field and discovered an exciting challenge in SpaceLife. These doctoral candidates might not plan a career in space life sciences, but in life sciences in general. They will profit from the interdisciplinary approach of SpaceLife as well as from the intensive fundamental research training in their specific field, e.g. physiology, cellular and molecular biology, or radiation physics.
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Acknowledgements The Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife) is funded by the Helmholtz Association (Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft) over a period of six years and receives additional funds from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), including the Aerospace Executive Board and the Institute of Aerospace Medicine. The authors would like to thank Anna-Maria Trautmann for support in processing the applicants’ data. The paper was presented at the 17th IAA Humans in Space Symposium Moscow, Russia, June 7–11, 2009 in the session ‘‘Education, outreach and spin-off activities’’. References [1] B. Hufenbach, G. Seibert, Human spaceflight: achievements, benefits and future opportunities from a European perspective, Earth, Moon, and Planets 94 (2005) 185–212. [2] J.M. Moslemi, K.A. Capps, M.S. Johnson, J. Maul, P.B. McIntyre, A.M. Melvin, T.M. Vadas, D.M. Vallano, J.M. Watkins, M. Weiss, Training tomorrow’s environmental problem solvers: an integrative approach to graduate education, BioScience 59 (2009) 514–521. [3] J.K. Graybill, S. Dooling, V. Shandas, J. Withey, A. Greve, G.L. Simon, A rough guide to interdisciplinarity: graduate student perspectives, BioScience 56 (2006) 757–763. [4] S.K. Jacobson, J.G. Robinson, Training the new conservationist-crossdisciplinary education in the 1990S, Environmental Conservation 17 (1990) 319–327. [5] D.G. Stuart, Reflections on integrative and comparative movement neuroscience, Integrative and Comparative Biology 47 (2007) 482–504. [6] L.H. Allen, M.E. Bentley, S.M. Donovan, D.M. Ney, P.J. Stover, Securing the future of nutritional sciences through integrative graduate education, Journal of Nutrition 132 (2002) 779–784. [7] Graduate Education Program in Space Life Sciences of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute: /http://www.nsbri.org/Educa tion/GraduateEducation.htmlS. [8] M.Y. MacLeish, W.A. Thomson, N. Moreno, P.J. Gannon, R.B. Smith, C.W. Houston, G. Coulter, G.L. Vogt, National Space Biomedical Research Institute education and public outreach program: education for the next generation of space explorers, Acta Astronautica 60 (2007) 599–606.