Cultivating Long-Term Planning, Collaboration, and Mission Continuity in Astrobiology Through Support of Early Career Researchers

Abstract

A white paper submitted to the 2025 NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (DARES) on the importance of early-career training, support, and retention. The paper identifies two goals for NASA Astrobiology regarding early career researchers (ECRs): (1) Knowledge Retention and Workforce Stability, and (2) Foster Collaboration & Strengthen Community. The paper outlines the challenges of achieving these goals and offers recommendations for actions that NASA Astrobiology can take to further train, support, and retain ECRs in NASA Astrobiology.