Apply now for the ESA Academy Gravity-Related Research Summer School

The objective of the summer school is to promote gravity-related research amongst future scientists and engineers and attract them to its multiple research opportunities available in the space sector.

This Gravity-Related Research Summer School is a joint venture between ESA and ELGRA (European Low Gravity Research Association) and is part of the new ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Programme. It is open to a maximum of 22 Bachelor and Master students.

The course will be taught at the new ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Centre located at ESA’s Redu Centre in Belgium.

The deadline for application is 2 May 2016 at 23:59pm CET.

Content of the summer school

Students will have the opportunity to attend lectures explaining the wide range of applications and advantages of performing life and physical sciences research at different gravity ‘levels’. Experts will offer an overview of current research being conducted in microgravity, for example in space, and hypergravity conditions.

The students will also learn about the several existing platforms available for this type of research: from parabolic flights to the human centrifuge to the International Space Station. They will also learn about the different educational opportunities offered by ESA to develop and perform projects and experiments in these areas.

ELGRA and ESA experts from across Europe will freely share their background and know-how with the students, including the day-to-day work and their research experience in biology, human physiology and physics.

Students will also be given the chance to work in small groups to come up with ideas for possible gravity-related experiments to be run through ESA’s educational programmes.

Who can apply?

Students enrolled in university sciences or engineering studies and who fulfill the following criteria at the time of the application may be eligible:

• Be aged between 18 and 32
• Be a citizen of an ESA Member or Cooperating State*
• Be enrolled as a full-time bachelor or master student in a university in an ESA Member State or Cooperating State, studying a scientific or engineering subject
• Have never taken part in any gravity-related activity and have never been sponsored by ESA's Education Office or ELGRA.

 

The selected students will be sponsored by ESA. The sponsorship will cover accommodation and meals as well as up to 200 euros for travelling expenses to Redu, Belgium.

How to register

Interested students should apply the following way:

1. Register on ESA Education Office's Projects Portal: they will receive an email confirmation with a username and password for your login.
2. Send a single email to esa.academy@esa.int, clearly stating 'ESA/ELGRA Gravity-Related Summer School 2016 application' and your name in the subject line of the email; the following 4 documents shall be attached:
   1. a motivation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, no images)
   2. your CV (PDF, maximum 2 pages, no images)
   3. a formal recommendation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, no images) from an university professor or academic supervisor
   4. a copy of your academic records.

* ESA Member States
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, Canada (Associate Member).

European Cooperating States
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Lithuania and Malta

Cooperating States
Latvia, Slovenia and Slovakia

If you are a citizen of a Cooperating State, obtain a letter of endorsement from your national agency stating that you will be financially supported to join this event and attach the document to your application.