Is there life on Mars?

The next generation of Canadian explorers is ideally positioned to find out, says a University of Western Ontario astrobiologist.

Starting next spring, five Canadian universities -- Western, McGill, McMaster, the University of Toronto and the University of Winnipeg -- will start Canada's first astrobiology training program.

The goal is to create a place for Canada in space, said Dr. Neil Banerjee, co-investigator of the Canadian Astrobiology Training Program and associate professor of earth science at Western.

"We are training the next generation of Canadian explorers," he said.

CATP will be the first program to shift the focus of astrobiology to Mars from its existing focus on the moon. The shift is in support of the proposed 2018 Mars return mission, said project co-ordinator Robert Oxley.

The program is the first multi-institutional, cross-disciplinary program for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students in Canada, he said.

This will give students the opportunity to work with multiple researchers from different institutions, said Banerjee.

McGill is accepting applications for the program, which is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and it hopes to fill 70 positions over the next six years. (www.create-astrobiology.mcgill.ca/apply.html)

"It's important to train students now, so we can be ready when it's time to launch," said Banerjee.