Thank you for your interest in participating in, or organizing, a crew for the MDRS 2012-2013 season! Applications for the 2012-2013 season are closed and all crews have been selected. We will be announcing the application process for the next field season in Summer 2013. The below information is for reference only.
CREW APPLICATION PROCESSPlease follow the directions below in order to apply. We ask you to email us your resumé, biographical sketch and photo and to fill out a Crew Application webform. If you are interested in proposing a research project for your rotation, please fill out a Research Information webform for each project.
Volunteers should send their applications to: MDRSapplications@marssociety.org by September 30, 2012 in order to be considered. See below for all information required. The information you provide to us will only be seen by MDRS Crew Selection Committee members. Your privacy is important to us.
Crew members will be required to pay for their own transportation to/from Grand Junction, Colorado and also provide a $1,000 participation fee (reduced to $500 for students) to cover station expenses.
Both individual applications and group applications of up to an entire crew (6 people) will be considered.
Applications to MDRS should include:
+ Your full name,
+ Full contact information (home/work address, telephone numbers, email address(es),
+ 3 references from work or school environment,
+ A copy of your resume,
+ Proposed projects for your rotation,
+ A list of all crew rotation dates in which you would be available to participate,
+ The crew position (engineer, biologist, geologist, journalist, etc.) that you are seeking,
+ Experience in leading expeditions/teams if you wish to be considered for the position of crew commander,
+ Any food allergies / being a vegetarian or vegan (because of the ongoing food-study). In particular, please answer the following question: “Is there any specific food or drink that you cannot or will not consume for medical, ethnical, religious, cultural or other reasons?” Y/N. If the answer is yes, please describe the dietary restrictions you observe,
+ Research project(s) for your rotation or even several rotations during the season (having a research project aimed at publishable results is definitely a leg-up in getting selected).
To enhance your chance of finding a crew rotation, it is very important that you list ALL slots in which you could participate.
CREW APPLICATION FORMS:
Please fill out the Crew Application Webform below:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHR6YXBsUkJkWWdaZkhDanUzSFp4M2c6MQ
We encourage applicants and crews to propose research projects for their missions at MDRS. If you have one or more research projects in mind, please fill out the Research Information Webform below. Individual applicants may complete the Research Information form for a maximum of two projects; people applying on behalf of a team may complete research information forms for up to 5 projects.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dE91eFUxeGdYdjZfbVJuajBUVTBxX3c6MQ
CREW ONBOARDING DOCS
The documents referred to in the application webform may be downloaded here:
Click here to access the required crew onboarding documents.
Please note: these will need to be read and signed by every crewmember prior to their participation in the project.
RESUME REQUIREMENT
As part of the application process, we'd like a copy of your latest resume to : MDRSapplications@marssociety.org
Please make sure the following all appear on your resume : Full name, Contact Information, and ALL crew rotations you would be available for.
Also provide phone and email contact information for three references whom we can contact to discuss your qualifications and character.
Include a short (150 word) professional biography and a photo approximately 250 x 250 px that can be posted on the web with your bio if you are selected.
ADDITIONAL INFO
Included in the participation fee you pay to the Mars Society is:
+ Transportation from Grand Junction, Colorado to MDRS, where every participant is expected to arrive no later than the Friday night before the start of the rotation,
+ The return trip from MDRS to Grand Junction will usually be on the Saturday evening at the end of the two week rotation (Note: Flying out should not be booked before Sunday morning after your rotation),
+ Food during the rotation,
+ Water, heating, electricity,
+ Use of science and engineering and general equipment, science reagents, etc.,
+ ATVs, HabCar,
+ Use of EVA suits / backpacks
Not included in the participation fee:
Cost of gasoline for the trip from Grand Junction to the Hab and the return trip from the Hab to Grand Junction (160 miles one-way). Cost of two hotel nights for the overnight stay on Friday night before your rotation and Saturday night after your rotation. The Mars Society has an agreement for a competitive room rate in Grand Junction with the Sandman Best Western motel. Sharing of motel rooms is recommended. The Best Western room rate includes free breakfast and free Wi-Fi Internet, plus an airport shuttle between GJT Walker Airfield and the motel.
For a list of what to bring in gear and clothes, please read the crew briefing documents carefully. (see link above)
Every crew is expected to participate in a number of season-long projects. At the moment that includes:
The ongoing food study in cooperation under the supervision of Prof. Jean Hunter of Cornell University. All food including snacks at the MDRS will be provided by the Mars Society.
Other season-long research projects determined by the MDRS Remote Science Team will be added before the season starts in December.
Anyone applying for the position of crew engineer, a vitally important job for the station as a whole and your crew in particular, needs to have a varied background in many engineering/handyman duties, and needs to be willing to be trained on the systems of the station by the Engineering Team. You must follow instructions from Mission Support.
Please note that no modifications or additions to the facility will be conducted without prior approval from Mission Support Engineering.
CREW ROTATION OPTIONS:
Currently we plan 11 crew rotations for the 2012-2013 season. However, not all of these crew rotations are guaranteed to be offered. In addition, we expect a large number of applications for missions in late February through mid-April. Therefore it is very important that you fill out ALL slots you could participate in during the season. Please include your available dates on your resume also. After the application deadline the selection committee will work with Dr. Robert Zubrin, President of the Mars Society, to decide which rotations will be approved.
SKILL SET OF CREW POSITIONS:
COMMANDER, and EXECUTIVE OFFICER (XO) or SECOND IN COMMAND (2IC)
Essential Skills
* Experience leading expeditions or field teams
* Good communication skills in English: reading, writing, listening, speaking
* Well organized: able to plan ahead, communicate plans, and stick to a schedule
* Absolute integrity
* Respect for rules, order, and cleanliness
* Sense of humor
Highly Desirable
* Scientific and/or engineering experience
* First aid or first responder training
* Prior space analog experience (e.g. MDRS, FMARS)
CREW ENGINEER
Essential skills
* The ability to observe closely, listen to people, ask questions, and communicate with Mission Support when you're not sure about something is an absolute must!
* The willingness to ask permission for more than minor changes to the machines or systems BEFORE you start executing the changes.
* Mechanical aptitude and abilities: Basic mechanical and DIY Skills. Safe and correct use of saws, drills and other power tools.
* Can-Do mentality: competent, quick-thinking, flexible, eager to learn, willing to experiment.
* Communication: Can observe, describe, explain malfunctions, clearly propose options for repair, document steps taken.
* Cooperation: Can give orders and take them.
* Some or all of the following skills: Electrical, Mechanical, Carpentry, General troubleshooting, Computing, Soldering, Copper and PVC pipe repair, Caulking.
Highly Desirable:
* Knowledge of diesel and gasoline generators.
* Knowledge of small gasoline engines, automobile, or All-Terrain-Vehicle repair and upkeep.
* Working knowledge of household electrical systems.
CREW BIOLOGIST:
Essential Skills:
* Microbiological technique: sterilization, benchtop sterile technique, pouring plates/tubes, culture streaking, bacteriological plating, incubator maintenance
* Basic chemistry: preparing buffers, culture media, plating media, use of e. coli kits.
* Experimental design, sampling methods, research documentation in a lab book
* Ability to read, understand, and exactly follow scientific protocols.
Highly Desirable
* Plant identification, plant care, plant sampling
* Collection, recording, description and preservation of biological samples
The Crew Biologist may be asked to collect biological/geological samples using sterile protocol, possibly using a penetrometer, to test a portion of these
samples in the MDRS laboratory (bacteriological plating, microscopy, e-coli kits, etc) and to prepare samples for shipment.
CREW GEOLOGIST
Essential Skills
* Basic field geology skills including safe use of geological field tools. Photography
* Identification of geological materials
* Experimental design, sampling methods, research documentation in a lab book
* Mapping and GPS Location skills
Highly Desirable
* Prior study of the San Rafael Swell area in advance of the mission
* Desert safety experience and/or training
HSO
Essential Skills
* Excellent English language skills in listening and speaking
* Respect for crewmember privacy
Highly Desirable
* First aid or first responder training
* Driver's license valid in the US
JOURNALIST
Essential Skills
* Ability to write short interesting daily reports of the crew's main activities
* Sense of humor
* Imagination
Highly Desirable
* Blogging or journalism experience
* Writing skill in English