Our team and mission

This position is based at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) – Noordwijk, Netherlands

Within ESA’s Human and Robotic Exploration Directorate, the Human Exploration Science Office has the mission to advance human exploration into deep space, harvesting unique knowledge that can improve life and health in space and on Earth. The main objectives of the team are to better understand the fundamental mechanisms and responses to the different deep space stressors on biological and physiological processes; to optimise and personalise countermeasures to manage spaceflight adaptation and mitigate the risks of deep space; to push the frontiers of habitability to advance sustainable human exploration in deep space; and to foster and inspire translation of space-acquired scientific knowledge to address terrestrial challenges.

Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Generation of a research handbook for life science research in Space

We are offering an exciting internship opportunity to establish a handbook on designing life science experiments for space flight. This handbook will help the research community plan their experiments as the handbook will provide insights to what has and has not worked for a space biology experiment in the past.

The objective of the internship is to mine internal documents (requirements, post-flight reviews, lesson’s learned reports) and published work from life science projects, possibly with the use of AI, for recurrent findings that could help plan future experiments. Examples include optimal upload temperatures for various cell types, medium adjustments that were necessary to ensure the survival of samples in space, and operational scenarios that may have worked in the past. You will have internal support as well as the support of the scientific community which will aid in synthesising lesson’s learned into a handbook. The aim is to publish this handbook in a peer reviewed, open access journal.

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

Education

You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of a university course at Master’s level and you need to remain enrolled at your University for the entire duration of the internship.

Additional requirements

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

Knowledge and a background in the field of life sciences and/or biology.