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

Approximately ~5-7 ESA Fellowships will be offered this year in Space Science, joining the pool of about 25 Research Fellows currently hosted in the Directorate of Science.

Duration: Appointments are for a maximum of three years. The initial project is for two years. An extension for a third year requires a dedicated proposal and is very frequently granted.

Location:

Research Fellowships in Space Science (SCI) can be taken up 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 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), within ESA's Directorate for Science, 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 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. The Science Engagement and Oversight Office also supports research activities, which are coordinated by the ESA Science Faculty. Research Fellows are encouraged to take leading roles in Faculty research programmes and initiatives, in close collaboration with scientific staff. The Research Fellowship programme nurtures and strengthens the links between ESA and the scientific communities in the Member States.

Research Fellows in Space Science spend their time on their independent scientific research and can choose to spend up to 20% of the time on scientific activities in support of ESA science-related activities (e.g., archive/data science, citizen science, operations, calibration, communication). Research Fellows have no teaching obligations, but do have various opportunities to supervise undergraduate or masters-level student trainees.

Within the Science Directorate, we welcome all independent proposals to conduct innovative research associated with any of the scientific areas covered by the Science Programme missions and projects. The Space Science fellowships can be taken at any of the three sites ESAC, ESTEC or STScI and we encourage applicants to choose a site that allows for best local collaborations. To learn more about the research conducted by the ESA scientists at different sites, please visit the Faculty Member Directory and the pages for the Faculty research groups. You can also directly reach out to ESA scientists whose research you are especially interested in. There is a separate page for research at the 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, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia as Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta 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. 

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 with up to five years of experience after their PhD.

ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. For this purpose, we welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from female scientists are encouraged.

There is a single opening for all offered positions. There are no pre-defined projects, applicants are invited to prepare an independent research proposal of a project based on their interests and expertise. To apply, please use the "apply now" function on the ESA careers portal.

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

Required application Materials:
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 with a minimum font size of 11pt, including all figures or tables and all references; for references, a smaller font is allowed). The proposal is expected to cover (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 and scientists at ESA. Please also indicate computational or other ressouces needed for the proposed research. [LastName_proposal]

Further information required for the online application form includes: the contact information of three persons willing to provide references and a prioritised list of which ESA establishment(s) you would like to join (ESAC, ESTEC, or STScI). Note that at the time of application, reference letters are not required, only the contact information of three possible references.

You will be asked to indicate your research area. Please lists one of the following topics that most closely matches your research: fundamental physics, gravitational waves, cosmology & galaxy evolution, extragalactic astronomy, galactic astronomy - general, galactic astronomy - populations (incl. Gaia), exoplanets, planetology - geology, planetology - non-geology, solar physics, space plasmas.

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 and astrophysicists. 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 coordinator. The expected timeline for the 2025 campaign is listed below. Please note that the dates are not final and may change:

Long-listed candidates will be contacted  early November for a recorded video interview and they will be invited to a science jamboree for an exchange with the Faculty scientists and the current fellows. The jamboree will take place on 18-20 November 2025.

Short-listed candidates will be invited mid-December to a short online interview taking place on 19-20 January 2026.

Offers are expected to be made by the first week of February 2026.

Start of the fellowship: autumn 2026 (special arrangements for an earlier or later start can be negotiated on a case by case basis if necessary).

Research expenses: publication charges, attendance of conferences, participation in observing campaigns and/or research visits, etc., for the ESA Research Fellows are covered by the programme.

Science Visitor Programme: Science Research Fellows have access to the Science Visitor Programme, funded by the ESA Faculty, which facilitates visits of external collaborators to ESA sites.

Student/trainee supervision: Research Fellows have various opportunities to request funding for and/or supervise undergraduate or masters-level students, for example through ESA traineeship programmes, through the Leiden/ESA Astrophysics Program for Summer Students or through collaborations with local universities for master thesis supervision.

Additional research funding: as faculty members, Research Fellows are eligible to request funding through the faculty for activities requiring substantial additional funding (e.g. for hardware, organisation of conferences and workshops, kickstarting new collaborative projects, etc.).

Mentorship Programme: as independent early-career researchers, Research Fellows are more in need of guidance than supervision. New fellows are thus invited to select a main mentor who will guide and support with general issues, including those not necessarily related to the direct research field. Mentors are especially meant to support fellows with their future orientation and job search. Any member of ESA science faculty can act as mentor. Candidates are welcome and encouraged to contact any scientist within the Directorate of Science as a prospective mentor prior to their application.

Science Platform access: access to hardware and services facilitating (collaborative) data-intensive research, including pre-configured environments, GPUs, and a community of experienced users.

For terms and conditions we refer to the General Description.

Typical net monthly remuneration varies between circa 3200 and 4100 Euros depending on the local purchasing power at duty station (ESAC or ESTEC) and years of experience after the PhD. The net monthly remuneration is around $4500 for the fellows at STScI. Additional allowances are provided for family members (registered partners and children), subject to conditions. Relocation support is offered.

Health coverage under ESA’s social security scheme includes medical expenses, invalidity and death benefits. Pension benefits are also included.

Research Fellows working at STScI (Baltimore, USA) will be issued a G4 visa.