ESA issues research announcements at regular intervals. These announcements are the official access routes for institutional users to use the research facilities managed by ESA's Directorate of Human Spaceflight. Announcements of Opportunity are issued for each discipline: physical sciences, life sciences, technology, Earth observation and space science. Some announcements are coordinated with our International Space Station partners, for example in specific areas of life and physical sciences. These International Announcements of Opportunity allow for a worldwide scientific competition and cooperation, by forming the best scientific teams, as well as offering access to the instruments from all Space Station partners. The European announcements refer to pre-competitive application areas frequently involving European industries.

CURRENT OPEN RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENTS

Joint call for proposals for integrated projects utilising the space environment on ISS and CSS supported by ESA and CMSA

The Director Generals of both the European Space Agency (ESA) as well as of the Chinese Manned Space Agency (CMSA) agreed that the cooperation between the two agencies should be intensified in the area of human spaceflight, including cooperative projects making use first of the International Space Station (ISS) platform, followed by implementation on-board the Chinese Space Station (CSS), which is planned to become operational in the early part of the next decade.

Taking into account the boundary conditions that apply to the ISS (such as constraints with regard to development of new hardware and resources), it was deemed most pragmatic to identify already-selected experiment candidates with comparable scientific objectives, that are already in preparation for implementation on both sides. It was further agreed to promote coordination and cooperation between the respective teams in order to achieve maximum complementarity in joint experiments on the ISS and then the CSS, to the mutual benefit of all.Preparations have now reached a stage where both Agencies are releasing the Joint Call for proposals for joint experiments in Low Earth Orbit. The objective of this call is to enhance the cooperation on space science experiments that have already been selected in the European and Chinese programmes. 

• Joint call for proposals (PDF)
• Letter of Intent template (doc)
• Publication: 24 April 2017
• Letter of Intent: 15 May 2017
• Science workshop in Beijing with interested scientists: 21-23 June 2017
• Submission deadline: 18 August 2017
• Completion of Peer Review: September 2017
• Selection of proposals: November 2017

CONTINUOUSLY OPEN RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENTS (CORA)

Research capabilities offered by ground based facilities not only improve the preparation of space experiments, but can also further scientific knowledge of the basic influence of gravity or other space or planetary conditions on life-, physical-, and interdisciplinary- processes in general.

The advantage of using ground based facilities will also considerably increase the potential for experimenting under simulated space conditions as compared to real space and microgravity access possibilities, which at present are still limited.

This will allow for more comprehensive research programmes, making them compatible with Earth-based research activities, and will favour the development of a strong community of scientists from all disciplines keen to include space-relevant research into their daily scientific activities.

Fast-track evolution

In order to better respond to requests to access a ground-based facility, ESA has implemented a fast-track evaluation process for proposals with a maximum cost for ESA of 50 000 Euro. Proposals within that range are evaluated at any time, and independently of the classical international announcement of opportunities.

Downloads:
 - Continuously Open Research Announcement (pdf)
 - Continuously Open Research Announcement proposal form (doc)