Call for the 2023 ESA/ELGRA Gravity-Related Research Summer School
In brief
ESA's Education Office and the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA) are joining hands again to organise the Eighth edition of the ESA/ELGRA Gravity-Related Research Summer School, which will take place from 19 to 30 June 2023.
In-depth
This unique Summer School offers an overview of the current research under microgravity and hypergravity conditions in both Life and Physical Sciences, and explains the interest and benefits of performing research and technology demonstrations in altered gravity.
The Summer School will be organised in a blended format: during the first week, university students will attend lectures and workshops at the ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Facility at ESEC-Galaxia (Transinne, Belgium) and in the second week, students will focus on team activities through online sessions from home.
During the Summer School, students will attend stimulating lectures and work in teams to devise ideas for prospective altered gravity experiments. They will learn the impact of altered gravity research, as well as career possibilities in the European space sector.
All trainers are international experts and part of ESA and/or ELGRA, freely sharing their experience and know-how with students, including their day-to-day work and research experience in biology, human physiology, physics and engineering.
Students will be evaluated via a team project and will receive a certificate of participation and a transcript upon completion of the Summer School, allowing them to request ECTS credit(s) from their respective universities.
The team project can also be a first step towards an application for the PETRI Programme.
Preliminary schedule
| Week 1 (19 – 23 June 2023) | |
| Day 1 |
Introduction to ESA, its programmes and opportunities Introduction to ELGRA and SELGRA Gravity-related research overview Gravity and gravity-related research platforms ESA Education Office and hands-on programmes Develop a Gravity-Related Experiment Team Project Introduction |
| Day 2 |
Life Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 1 Physical Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 1 Human Physiology Gravity-Related Research Lecture 1 Presentations by Former Student Teams of ESA Academy’s Hands-On Programmes Team Work |
| Day 3 |
Life Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 2 Physical Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 2 Human Physiology Gravity-Related Research Lecture 2 Team Work |
| Day 4 |
Life Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 3 Physical Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 3 Human Physiology Gravity-Related Research Lecture 3 Project Management Workshop Team Work |
| Day 5 |
Systems Engineering and Requirements Definition Workshop Team Project Topic Pitch Experience of an ESA Astronaut |
| Week 2 (26 - 30 June 2023) | |
| Day 6 |
Team Work Team Meetings with Tutors |
| Day 7 | Team Work |
| Day 8-9 |
Team Work Team Meetings with Tutors |
| Day 10 |
Team Project Presentations Conclusion |
Who can apply?
Applications are open to students enrolled in university who fulfil the following criteria:
- aged minimum 18 years old. ESA Academy and ELGRA will only appraise applications from students who have no or limited professional experience in relevant engineering or scientific topics;
- be a citizen of an ESA Member States, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia or Malta;
- be enrolled as a Bachelor (starting from 2nd year) or Master student in a university for the academic year 2022-2023 (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.
Selected students will be requested to attend the entire 10-day Summer School and will be sponsored by ESA to attend the first week at ESEC-Galaxia. This sponsorship will cover accommodation and meals as well as up to 300 Euros for travelling to Belgium.
How to apply
- Fill in 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 it is not possible to receive the recommendation letter from your referee, please ask them to send a recommendation email to tlp@esa.int before the application deadline);
- Upload a copy of transcript of records for academic year 2022-2023 (PDF).
All answers and documents should be in English (except transcript of records if not available).
The deadline for applications is 17 April 2023, 23:59 pm CEST.
For further information, please contact tlp@esa.int.