At the initiative of the International Space Education Board, ESA has decided to sponsor one European student to participate in the NASA Academy 2007 summer session.

Recognizing the importance of education for the benefit of the space sector, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), CSA (Canadian Space Agency) , CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) , JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and ESA have established the the International Space Education Board (ISEB), whose objective is to enhance cooperation in the field of education between its members.  

What is the NASA Academy?

The NASA Academy is a ten-week intensive summer research programme conducted in four of the NASA centres: Ames Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center and Marshall Space Flight Center. Designed for undergraduate and graduate students interested in aerospace engineering and space sciences, it allows them to participate in NASA cutting-edge research projects. The programme is built around the following activities:

  • Group projects: these allow the students to gain experience in terms of teamwork and leadership

  • Guided Laboratory research: under the supervision of a principle investigator, each student will be assigned to one of the research projects conducted in one NASA centre

  • Seminars and colloquia: students have the opportunity to meet top experts in their field of interest

  • Site visits: participants have a chance to visit NASA and American Universities impressive facilities

  • Presentation: each student will present the result of her/his work, with the opportunity to receive useful feedback and advice

  • Meetings with professionals: the academy represents a great opportunity to make contacts with experts and like-minded students More information about the programme is available on the NASA Academy website.

To apply please fill the application form and fax it with all the necessary documents to:

ESA contact point:

Olivier Ingold
Fax: +31.71 565 5590
email: Olivier Ingold @ esa.int
by Sunday 18 February, midnight.

Students who meet the eligibility criteria will automatically be considered for selection by the ESA and NASA group of experts.

  Eligibility Criteria:

In order to be eligible to apply for sponsorship, the following criteria must be fulfilled:

  • the student must be aged between 18 and 28 at the time of the conference

  • the student must hold the nationality of an ESA Member State or Cooperating State*

  • at the time of application, the student must be enrolled as a full-time graduate or PhD student in a University located in an ESA Member State or Cooperating State, studying or researching a subject which is related to one of the NASA Academy projects open to the ESA student

  • the student must have obtained high grades throughout her/his diploma with a major in engineering, science (physics, chemistry, biology, earth sciences, etc.), math, computer science or other areas of interest to the aerospace sector

* The 17 ESA Member States are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom. Canada, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic participate in some ESA projects under cooperation agreements.