NASA's Human Research Program and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, or NSBRI, of Houston will fund 11 proposals to help investigate questions about astronaut health and performance on future space exploration missions. The selected proposals, representing 10 institutions in eight states, will receive a total of almost $10 million over a three- to four-year period.

The Human Research Program provides knowledge and technologies to improve human health and performance during space exploration. The program also develops possible countermeasures for problems experienced during space travel.

Goals include the successful completion of exploration missions and preservation of astronauts' health throughout their lives. The program quantifies crew health and performance risks during spaceflight and develops strategies that mission planners can use to monitor and mitigate health and performance risks.

The 11 projects were selected from 50 proposals received in response to a research announcement titled "Research and Technology Development to Support Crew Health and Performance in Space Exploration Missions."

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/apr/HQ_10-093_Crew_Health.html