NASA has selected 10 researchers to receive grants to develop advanced technologies needed to produce food, recycle water and air, and monitor spacecraft environments required for long-term human space exploration.

The grants, totaling approximately $5.4 million over three years, will create a vital knowledge base in these important areas.

NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research funds multi- disciplinary research that uses the space environment to address fundamental scientific questions and helps prepare for further human exploration of space. These grants will lead to technologies that can be used in low Earth orbit, on the International Space Station and for future human exploration of the solar system.

Four of the grants are for new technologies in advanced environmental monitoring of spacecraft habitats, one proposal addresses water processing technology, and the five others address plant growth in space.

NASA received 50 proposals in response to its research announcement in this research area. These proposals were all peer-reviewed by scientific and technical experts from academia, government, and industry.

A list of the selected principal investigators, institutions and research titles (by state) can be found on the Internet at: http://spaceresearch.nasa.gov.