Applications open for Alpbach Summer School 2008
Each summer, students from many different European countries descend upon a small, picturesque village in the Austrian Tyrol for a series of scientific workshops, lectures and presentations. This year, the Alpbach Summer School will be held from 22 – 31 July and the theme will be “Sample Return from the Moon, asteroids and comets.”
Applications are invited before the end of March 2008 from young science and/or engineering graduates from the ESA Member States and Co-operating States (Romania, Hungary and CzechRepublic).
Held annually since 1975, the Alpbach Summer School is renowned for providing in-depth teaching on aspects of space science and space technology, with the aim of advancing the training and working experience of European graduates, post-graduate students, young scientists and engineers.
The Summer School will foster the practical application of knowledge derived from lectures, improve organisational and teamwork skills, and encourage creativity. Participants are given the opportunity to expand and strengthen their knowledge of selected space issues in numerous workshops during the 10-day programme.
Student teams also develop space mission concepts based on the particular theme of the Summer School. Following a series of introductory lectures, four teams of students will compete to design the best project, judged by an independent jury. The teams themselves are responsible for the selection of the subject of the project, for the team structure and working methods.
Summer School students will meet great challenges, similar to those encountered in real life. These include 20-hour working days (before proposal submittal), and sudden immersion into new fields and techniques, as well as the difficulties of forming teams and working together, with scientists listening to engineers and engineers listening to scientists. However, on day ten, the reward will be a proposal for a unique space mission.
Application forms, duly endorsed by a University Professor, Head of Department or equivalent, should be submitted to the Aeronautics and Space Agency of FFG before 31 March 2008. The number of participants will be limited to 60 and confirmation of acceptance will be given by the end of April 2008.
A registration fee of €350 will be charged, but participants may be eligible for financial support from their national sponsoring agencies or universities. The working language of the Summer School will be English. Registration forms and further information are available here
The Alpbach Summer School 2008 is organised by the Aeronautics and Space Agency of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). It is co-sponsored by ESA and the national space authorities of its Member and Co-operating States, with the support of the International Space Science Institute and Austrospace.
