Category: Master

ESA Graduate Trainee positions

ESA has just announced over a 100 of their Graduate Trainee positions for 2026 in a wide variety of fields of interest for students who are in their final year of their respective Master’s programmes.

The positions are for 1 year open to persons with nationalities of any of the ESA member states, and a good entry point for those interested in future careers at ESA. Of note, hiring follows Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness standards, and priority is given to applicants from under-represented ESA member states (see job posting for further details).

The deadline for applications is 28th of February 2026.

For more information, potential applicants should consult the following websites and contact the relavent persons indicated: The full list can be found at https://jobs.esa.int/ using the keywords ‘ESA Graduate Trainee‘.

For more information about the programme, visit https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Careers_at_ESA/Graduates_ESA_Graduate_Trainees

Master thesis in Aerospace Medicine (Bioinformatics), Cologne, Germany

The department of Applied Aerospace Biology at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), embedded within the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, offers a position for a highly motivated Master’s student in bioinformatics or computational biology to support ongoing research on molecular adaptations to altered gravity using proteomic datasets from spaceflight and ground-based experiments.

CyMoN (Cytoskeletal dynamics of Motor Neurons) investigates how altered gravity affects the function and maintenance of human iPSC-derived motor neurons. Within this framework, the project
applies proteomics and bioinformatic analyses to characterize gravity-dependent molecular adaptations in neuronal systems. These insights will advance understanding of neuromuscular deficits in astronauts and contribute to terrestrial models of neurodegeneration and muscle atrophy.

The bioinformatics student should possess a deep interest in leveraging computational tools to analyze biological datasets derived from unique spaceflight environments. Ideal candidates will have earned a a B.Sc. or equivalent degree in bioinformatics, computational biology or a related discipline.

Interested candidates should send their application (letter of motivation, academic CV, contact details for references) directly by email to Dr. Christian Liemersdorf, Department Head Applied Aerospace Biology (Christian.Liemersdorf@dlr.de).

Salary: The Master’s Student position is remunerated.
Start: Earliest April 2026

For more information, click here.

AbGradE’s 10th Anniversary – International Astrobiology School in Florence, Italy 

As of this year, AbGradE is 10 years old!🥳

We have had many really cool events, and to celebrate all these years of activity we have decided to organise our biggest event yet: a 4-day astrobiology school!

Held in beautiful Florence (Italy) May 21-24, this school is organised in collaboration with the Arcetri Astrobiology Laboratory.

At the moment, we are asking all interested people to record their interest by filling out this form by Sunday 11th of February.

🇮🇹We look forward to seeing you soon!🇮🇹

Upcoming info session for the new integrated Masters-PhD course in Earth-Life Sciences in Tokyo, Japan

Recently, the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) launched an integrated 5-year Masters-PhD course in Earth-Life Sciences. The course aims to train the next generation of students to contribute to astrobiology and related fields, and the next round of IGP(C) applications for international students to enter the program in September 2023 will open soon

Click here to go to the course’s website and learn more about it.

So that students can understand the application process and meet the ELSI faculty they may work with in the future, they will organize two webinars and Q&A sessions on January 26th (JST).

New integrated Masters-PhD course in Earth-Life Sciences in Tokyo, Japan

This year the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) is launching an integrated Masters-PhD course in Earth-Life Sciences. The course aims to understand how planets make life, and the research spans planetary formation, geochemistry, chemistry, molecular evolution, microbial ecology, and complex systems.

Click here to go to the course’s website. Applications are accepted twice per year, with the next application deadline being in October (deadline of October 16th) with entrance in April.

There is an upcoming information session on September 14th so interested students can ask questions directly (you can find more info about it here).

Interested students can also contact the listed faculty directly for more information.