ESA's postdoctoral Research Fellowship programme offers young scientists and engineers the possibility to carry out research in a variety of disciplines related to space science, space applications or space technology.

Research Fellowships in Space Science & Exploration specifically offer the opportunity to contribute to ESA's endeavour to explore our Solar System and the Universe in the fields of human and robotic exploration, heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics and fundamental physics.

Research Fellows also help foster a lively scientific environment in the directorate, inspiring ESA scientists to get involved in new scientific activities. The Research Fellowship programme nurtures and strengthens the links between ESA and the scientific communities in the Member States.

Approximately 18 ESA Fellowships will be offered this year, 9 in Space Science and 9 in Human and Robotic Exploration, joining the pool of about 30 research fellows in the two Directorates.

Duration: Appointments for an ESA Research Fellowship are initially for two years, with a third year extension frequently granted.

Location: Research Fellowship in Human and Robotic Exploration are located at

• European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands
• European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) in Harwell, United Kingdom
• European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Köln, Germany

Research Fellowships in Space Science can be taken at any of three locations:

• European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Villafranca del Castillo near Madrid, Spain
• European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands
• The ESA office at Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

The Space Science and Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes offer a wide diversity of exciting space research activities and opportunities.

This year, the Directorate for Human and Robotic Exploration is interested in research fellows working on various specific projects with brief descriptions under:
https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/science-faculty/hre
​​​​These fellowships are offered at ESTEC, EAC or ECSAT.

Within the Science Directorate, we are welcoming all proposals for innovative research associated with one or more of our missions. These fellowships can be taken at any of the three sites ESAC, ESTEC or STScI.
To learn more about the research conducted by the ESA scientists, please visit space science research activities.
For science groups by site, please see the pages for:

• ESAC
• ESTEC (See also the list of active scientists)
• ESA Office at STScI (See also the research of non-ESA scientists at STScI)

Applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Slovenia, as an Associate Member, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia as European Cooperating States (ECS).

According to the ESA Convention the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States. When inviting for an interview, strong preference will be given to candidates from under-represented members states in the green or yellow rows in http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/careers/NationalityTargets.pdf.

Applicants should have recently completed, or be close to completing their PhD in a technical or scientific discipline. Preference will be given to applications submitted by candidates within five years of receiving their PhD.

ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment.

Applications from female scientists are especially encouraged.

In the Science Directorate:
There is a single opening for all 9 positions. There are no pre-defined projects, applicants are invited to prepare a research proposal of a projects based on their interests and expertise. To apply, a link will be provided here to the application interface operated by Human Resources.

In Human and Robotic Exploration Directorate
​​​​​​​There are separate Vacancy Notices with pre-defined projects.
​​​​​​​The respective link to the application form can be found in the list of HRE Project Descriptions.

All ESA vacancy notices can be seen under: https://career2.successfactors.eu/career?company=esa.

Required application Materials:
​​​​​​​Three documents will need to be uploaded:

• A Cover/Motivation letter;
• Your CV (including a list of publications and other accomplishments);
• A research proposal (4 pages max. plus optionally 1 page for figures and tables, minimum font size 11pt). It is expected to include sections outlining (1) the research rationale, (2) impact and past achievements, (3) research plans for the fellowship (with rough time line), (4) synergies with mission-related activities at ESA.

Further information useful to be prepared for the online application form are the contact information of three references and, for Space Science: a prioritised list of one or more establishments that you would like to join (ESAC, ESTEC, or STScI).

The review committee will consist of members with diverse areas of expertise. Therefore the application should be written for a general audience of space scientists. The application will be evaluated with respect to scientific excellence of the candidate (past achievements), proposed research at ESA (feasibility, future impact), and synergies with existing ESA research activities at the selected site. See also Further Questions, Tips and Hints

Inquiries regarding the application process can be sent at any time to the fellowship coordinators.

Long-listed candidates will be contacted by the end of November to produce a video (answering pre-formulated questions). The concept is explained at https://www.sonru.com/, and tips on how to produce this video are also provided.

Short-listed candidates will be invited to an online video interview taking place in January 2021.

Offers are expected to be made starting end of January 2021.