ESA

The European Space Agency maintains a world-leading Science Programme with missions in heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, and fundamental physics. Within ESA’s Directorate of Science, the Science Engagement and Oversight Office (SCI-E) and the Department for Science and Operations (SCI-S) host the scientists and engineers that oversee the space missions from study to end of operations; they develop the science operation systems for the missions and conduct the mission science operations in flight; they archive and curate the mission data during operations and beyond. The main objective is to maximise the scientific return of the missions for the benefit of humankind.

Homepage: https://www.esa.int/

We are pleased to announce the 2025 Call for Applications for the European Space Agency’s Research Fellowships in Space Science. We expect to hire 5 to 6 postdoctoral fellows who will start their fellowship in fall 2026.

ESA’s postdoctoral Research Fellowship programme offers early-career researchers the possibility to carry out independent research in a variety of disciplines. Research Fellowships in Space Science offer the opportunity to contribute to ESA’s endeavour to explore our Solar System and the Universe in the fields of heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, and fundamental physics.

ESA Research Fellow contracts have a maximum duration of three years. Projects initially last two years and are frequently extended to a third year upon submission of a dedicated proposal.

Research Fellowships in Space Science can be located at any of the following institutes:
- European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Villafranca del Castillo near Madrid, Spain
- European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands
- ESA Office at Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Detailed information and a link to the application portal can be found on the fellowship webpage: https://www.cosmos.esa.int/fellowship

Please carefully read the fellowship webpage and apply using the ESA careers portal

Four separate documents are required. Please upload your documents using the naming convention listed in square brackets:

• A motivation letter. [LastName_letter]
• Your CV. [LastName_CV]
• A list of publications. This needs to be separate from the CV. For publications that are not first-authored, please shortly explain your individual contribution. [LastName_publications]
• A research proposal (4 pages maximum including any figures or tables with a minimum font size of 11pt and references, where a smaller font is allowed). [LastName_proposal]