Scholar Opportunity: Humanistic and Societal Implications of Astrobiology at the Library of Congress

December 1 Deadline to Apply for Distinguished Chair

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress is accepting applications and nominations for the Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology.  The chair, established in the fall of 2011, focuses on an important area of human inquiry—the cultural, philosophical, ethical and societal implications of astrobiology.

The NASA/Library of Congress Chair is a distinguished senior research position in residence at the Library of Congress for a period of up to twelve months. Using research facilities and services at the Library of Congress, the Scholar is expected to engage in research on the societal implications of astrobiology. The Chair holder will also organize workshops, symposia, small conferences or other activities that engage the broader academic community and the public. A stipend of $13,500 per month during the term of appointment supports the scholar.

Examples of research topics that might be addressed are: the societal implications of discovering life beyond Earth or discovering that life is rare in the universe; the ways in which astrobiology influences and is influenced by culture; the role of astrobiology in promoting science and technological education and public literacy; ethical considerations arising from in-situ exploration for life on the planets and moons of our solar system; and the role of astrobiology in contributing to and shaping the future of life on Earth and beyond.

The NASA/Library of Congress Chair is appointed by the Librarian of Congress on the recommendation of a selection committee, which considers both applications and nominations.

Apply for the NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology by visiting:

http://www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/fellowships/NASA-astrobiology.html

Through a generous endowment from John W. Kluge, the Library of Congress established the Kluge Center in 2000 to bring together the world’s best thinkers to stimulate and energize one another, to distill wisdom from the Library’s rich resources and to interact with policymakers in Washington. For further information on the Kluge Center, visit www.loc.gov/kluge/.

The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds more than 151.8 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. The Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill and through its award-winning website at www.loc.gov.