ONE OF THE KEY AREAS OF INVESTIGATION IN THE EXOBIOLOGY PROGRAM IS THAT OF BIOSIGNATURES AND LIFE ELSEWHERE. THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROPOSAL AIMS TO SUPPORT THIS TOPIC BY CONTRIBUTING TO A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION AND INTERPRETATION OF HABITABILITY AND BIOSIGNATURES FOR PLANETARY BODIES WITHIN THE SOLAR SYSTEM. THIS FRAMEWORK MOVES BEYOND A BINARY CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF WATER OR WHETHER A BIOSIGNATURE IS BIOTIC OR ABIOTIC. INSTEAD THE NEW FRAMEWORK AIMS TO CHARACTERIZE THE DEGREE OF HABITABILITY OF DIFFERENT PLANETARY ENVIRONMENTS BY ASSESSING THE ABILITY OF A BIOSPHERE TO PRODUCE DETECTABLE BIOSIGNATURES AFTER CONSIDERING ENERGY LIMITATIONS ON PRODUCTIVITY AS WELL AS BIOSIGNATURE PRESERVATION AND DEGRADATION PROCESSES. THE PROPOSED SUPPORT APPLIES THIS NEW FRAMEWORK TO THE EARLY EARTH MARS AND OTHER ROCKY PLANETARY BODIES WITHIN THE SOLAR SYSTEM.