Call for the online 2020 ESA/ELGRA Gravity-Related Research Summer School

This exciting Summer School offers an overview of the current research under microgravity and hypergravity conditions in Life and Physical Sciences and explains the interest and benefits of performing research and technology demonstrations at different gravity levels. 

Due to the current Covid-19 situation, ESA and ELGRA have decided to convert this year’s edition to an online summer school. Over ten days, 30 university students will attend stimulating lectures and work in small groups to devise ideas for prospective experiments. These future scientists and engineers will understand the possibilities in research studies and careers in the European space sector.

The trainers are experts from across Europe and part of ESA and/or ELGRA, freely sharing their experience and know-how with the students, including their day-to-day work and research experience in biology, human physiology, physics and engineering. 

Upon completion of the training course students will be evaluated via a team project and will receive a certificate of participation and a course transcript, allowing them to request ECTS credit(s) from their respective universities.

Who can apply?

In order to participate, students must fulfil the following criteria at the time of application: 

• be aged between 18 and 32;
• be a citizen of an ESA Member State, Canada or Slovenia;
• be enrolled as a full-time BSc (starting from 2nd year) or MSc student in a university (not graduating before the summer school); 
• be studying an engineering or scientific subject;
• have never taken part in any gravity-related research activity and never been sponsored by ESA's Education Office or ELGRA.

Preliminary schedule:

Week 1 (22-26 June 2020)
Day 1	Introduction to ESA, its programmes and opportunities Introduction to ELGRA and SELGRA Gravity and gravity-related research platforms Gravity-related research overview ESA Education Office and hands-on programmes Develop a gravity-related experiment Presentations by former student teams of ESA Academy’s hands-on programmes Team project introduction
Day 2-4	Gravity-related research lectures Gravity machines and animal models Complex fluids in microgravity Space motion sickness and vestibular adaptation in microgravity Playing with gravity to modulate cells  How engineering can improve health in microgravity Multiphase thermal management research in microgravity Artificial gravity as a new space countermeasure Technology demonstrations in microgravity  Use of microbes to support humans in space Project management Team work
Day 5	Team project topic pitch
Week 2 (29 June-3 July 2020)
Day 6-9	Team work Team meetings with tutors
Day 10	Team project presentations

How to apply?

• Complete the application form;
• Upload a motivation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, no images);
• Upload a CV (Europass format, PDF, maximum 2 pages);
• Upload a formal recommendation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, including signature, no images) from a university professor or academic supervisor of current university (if not possible due to current confinement situation in your country please ask a university professor or an academic supervisor to send a recommendation email to tlp@esa.int);
• Upload a copy of academic records (PDF).

All answers and documents should be in English (except academic records if not available).  

The deadline for applications is 18 May 2020, 23:59 pm CEST.

For further information, please contact tlp@esa.int.