Category: Study

PhD Studentship in Analytical Tools within Contamination in Spacecraft & Satellite Industry (UK)

The Open University (Milton Keynes, UK) would like to advertise the following PhD position:

Development and validation of innovative, near real-time analytical tools to enable mitigation of contamination within cleanrooms of the UK spacecraft & satellite industry.

Open University Supervisory team: Claire Batty; Vic Pearson; Geraint Morgan

Project Highlights: 

  • Opportunity to develop expertise in cutting edge volatile organic compound detection and analysis for contamination detection.
  • Opportunity to develop skills in analytical techniques, contamination control, and materials and process (M&P) protocols within the space sector.
  • This industrial CASE studentship is a collaboration between The Open University (OU) and Airbus Defence and Space Ltd (Airbus DS) providing both academic and industrial research experience.

The aims of this studentship are: 

  1. To identify, profile and catalogue volatile, semi-volatile and surface organic compounds in cleanrooms and understand the influence of VOCs on bonding, and cleaning methodologies.
  2. To develop techniques, in partnership with the Airbus technical team, to help identify individual contamination compounds, and assess risk of silicone contamination vs cure.
  3. To develop analytical strategies to then deal with real time contamination events.
  4. To develop and optimise analytical methods for flight hardware, cleanroom surfaces and air.

Application deadline: August 1st 2025, 5pm GMT

More information about the project and how to apply here.

PhD Position in Origins of Life research at the University of Amsterdam (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)

Are you interested in a PRELIFE PhD position in prebiotic laboratory (geo/photo)chemistry?

There’s an exciting opportunity to perform research on From Building Blocks to Polymerisation on Water-rich Worlds, an Experimental Exploration. A laboratory exploration of how planet- and space-born building blocks may polymerise into molecular structures under varying prebiotic conditions, such as level of oxygenation, UV radiation, and impacts.

Do you have a MSc degree in physics, physical chemistry, geochemistry or adjacent fields? Do you like working in an interdisciplinary environment, independently and within a team? Here is your chance to do a PhD in an inspiring and challenging environment, where you will be able to perform state-of-the-art experiments and collaborate with other disciplines, scientists, PhD students, artists, and the general public.

Apply for this PhD project >here<

🧪 Application deadline: June 10, 2025
🌍 Start date: Autumn 2025
📍 Open to candidates worldwide

👉 Explore all PRELIFE opportunities here

FALCON: Registration deadline soon!!!

Our co-organised FALCON event (26th to 29th of June on Iceland) is only 1 month away! That means that the deadline for registration is very soon, specifically 31st of May (next week)!

If you are planning to come, do not hesitate! Registration to our event can be done by the following link: FALCON registration form

The same deadline (31st of May) applies to the travel grant applications which are still OPEN. Grants are expected to be approximately €200 – 400 (final amount may vary). Our grants are not tied to EAI membership, so you are eligible to apply even if your University is not a member of the EAI. Please send your grant application of no more than 250 words as an attachment (PDF or Word document) to abgrade@eana-net.eu. Please title the email ‘FALCON Travel Grant’ and the attachment ‘Surname_Firstname_FALCON’.

Please include the following:
1. Funds available to you via your lab group/University
2. Your nationality/background
3. Distance you will travel to Iceland
4. Confirm whether you want to do a talk or poster (or neither, i.e. simply attending)

For more information please visit our event page https://abgrade.eu/falcon2025/ or send us a message via email at abgrade@eana-net.eu

We are looking forward to meeting you on Iceland!!!

Applications open: SPACE INDUSTRY WORKSHOP in Riga (Latvia)


Are you a student or academic interested in space science and industry collaboration? Join the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) hosted by Riga Technical University, in partnership with Aalto University and Stockholm University.

📅 In-person workshop: August 18–22, 2025 (Riga, Latvia)
💻 Virtual follow-up: 3 days post-workshop
🎯 Collaborate with space scientists, startups, and industry leaders on real mission design proposals
🎓 Earn 3 ECTS · No participation fees · Erasmus+ mobility funding available

📝 Deadline to apply: May 31, 2025
👉 Apply here

PhD Positions in Origins of Life Research (several locations in the Netherlands)

Curious about how life began—and where it might arise beyond Earth? PRELIFE is a new European doctoral network offering 15 fully funded PhD positions across disciplines like geochemistry, synthetic biology, complex systems, and astrobiology.

From simulating early Earth to building synthetic life, each project tackles a different piece of the puzzle.

🧪 Application deadline: June 10, 2025
🌍 Start date: Fall 2025
📍 Open to candidates worldwide

👉 Explore all opportunities here

PhD Opportunity in Space Microbiology at ZARM (University of Bremen, Germany)

Are you passionate about space and microbiology? The Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen is looking for a motivated PhD researcher to join the ERC-funded MarCyano project. This 3-year position offers the chance to explore how cyanobacteria could help sustain future human missions to Mars — by producing oxygen, food, and other essentials using Martian resources.

Who can apply?
If you have (or are about to complete) a Master’s in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or a related field, and you’re excited about space research and hands-on lab work, this could be a great fit!

Location: Bremen, Germany
Deadline to apply: June 1, 2025
Find out more and apply: Click here

Harding Essay Competition 2025

Are you a UK university student passionate about writing, science, and questioning humanity? The UK Centre for Astrobiology (UKCA) is now accepting entries for its 2025 Harding Essay Competition! This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your perspective, get featured on the UKCA website, and win prizes.

🎓 Open to both undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in UK universities.

📅 Submission deadline: 31st July 2025

📩 Submit your essay to: UKCA-info@ed.ac.uk. Topics can span culture, science, society, engineering, and more — whatever sparks your voice. Visit: www.astrobiology.ac.uk/opportunities/competitions

Update on FALCON: Frontiers in Astrobiology & Origins of Life Conference

Our co-organised FALCON event (26th to 29th of June on Iceland) is only 3 months away!

Registration to our event can be done by the following link until May 31st: FALCON registration form

We want to remind you that the abstract submission deadline of March 31st is approaching soon. For more information, refer to this link: FALCON website

Travel grant applications are now open. Grants are expected to be approximately €200 – 400 (final amount may vary). Our grants are not tied to EAI membership, so you are eligible to apply even if your University is not a member of the EAI. Please send your grant application of no more than 250 words as an attachment (PDF or Word document) to abgrade@eana-net.eu. Please title the email ‘FALCON Travel Grant’ and the attachment ‘Surname_Firstname_FALCON’.

Please include the following:
1. Funds available to you via your lab group/University
2. Your nationality/background
3. Distance you will travel to Iceland
4. Confirm whether you want to do a talk or poster (or neither, i.e. simply attending)

    The deadline for travel grants is May 31st, the same day as our registration deadline. However, we will award grants on a rolling basis from next week.

    Furthermore, event organised accommodation booking deadline has been extended to April 15th, and managed through the BEACON registration platform at the following link, which is also used for the processing of all associated payments of our event: Accomodation registration (through BEACON)

    We want to remind you that on those premises, accommodation will likely still be possible for the same dates but at different rates.

    For more information please visit our event page https://abgrade.eu/falcon2025/ or send us a message via email at abgrade@eana-net.eu

    We are looking forward to meeting you on Iceland!!!

    3rd OHP International Summer School (23-27th June 2025; Observatoire de Haute Provence, France)

    Institut Origines is pleased to announce the 3rd OHP International Summer School. This exceptional event invites you to explore the frontiers of life through an interdisciplinary approach!

    Program highlights: Lectures and round-table discussions featuring renowned experts in prebiotic chemistry, microbiology, exobiology, planetology, astrophysics, philosophy, and law. These sessions will be moderated by an award-winning science journalist, offering a unique opportunity to delve into the fundamental questions surrounding the origin and evolution of life.

    Don’t miss this chance to discover the latest research and connect with scientists from around the world in a unique setting!

    Pre-register via this link: https://institut-origines.univ-amu.fr/fr/formation/ecoles-ete

    Speakers: Chantal Abergel, Mélanie Baroni, James Bradley, Jean-Michel Claverie, Magali Deleuil, Simon Duval, David Ehrenreich, Gaël Erauso, Vincent Hue, Frédéric Laurie, Dominique Leglu, Martina Preiner, Pascal Taranto, Nicolas Thouveny, and more…

    Poster credit: Sarah Anderson

    PhD Opportunity: Studying Biosignatures Under Martian Irradiation in Orléans (France)

    A PhD position at CNRS in Orléans, France, offers a unique opportunity to investigate how biosignatures survive in the harsh environment of Mars.

    Mars was once habitable, with liquid water on its surface, but over time, its atmosphere thinned, and radiation exposure increased. Despite this, ancient rocks on the Martian surface might still hold evidence of past microbial life. This PhD project will explore how cosmic radiation affects these biosignatures over billions of years, helping refine the search for life on Mars—especially for upcoming missions like ESA’s ExoMars.

    The research involves using a particle accelerator (CEMHTI Pelletron) to simulate Martian irradiation, analyzing how different minerals protect biosignatures, and collaborating with space mission teams. It’s a fantastic chance to contribute to astrobiology and planetary exploration.

    📅 Application deadline: March 14
    📍 Location: CNRS, Orléans, France

    🔗 More details & application: CNES Website

    For further inquiries, feel free to reach out to Dr. Frédéric Foucher.