If you’ve ever dreamed of working at the frontier of human space exploration, this is the kind of opportunity that doesn’t come around often. The ESA-FAIR Space Radiation School 2026 Scholarship is now on the radar for graduate-level researchers who want to understand one of the biggest threats to future Moon and Mars missions: cosmic radiation.
Space radiation is not just a theoretical challenge — it is considered the main health hazard for astronauts traveling beyond Earth’s protective atmosphere. And because countermeasures are still limited, the world urgently needs new experts who can study the biological and physical effects of heavy-ion radiation. This is exactly what this elite ESA-backed summer school is built for.
Hosted in Darmstadt, Germany, at the heart of Europe’s most advanced radiation research ecosystem, this program is expected to attract serious international attention — and only 15 students will be selected worldwide.
What Makes the ESA-FAIR Radiation School 2026 So Special?
This is not a typical summer course. The ESA-FAIR Radiation Summer School is a unique training initiative created through cooperation between ESA and GSI-FAIR, home to Europe’s only accelerator capable of simulating cosmic radiation.
Participants will gain direct exposure to:
- ESA’s space research activities
- Space radiation physics and biology
- Particle accelerators and applied heavy-ion science
- Particle therapy and biomedical radiation applications
- Hands-on lab teamwork at GSI/FAIR facilities
From theory at ESA’s ESOC center to practical beamtime training at GSI, this is a full immersion into the science shaping the future of human spaceflight.
Offerings and Benefits of Winning This Scholarship
The ESA-FAIR Space Radiation School 2026 Scholarship is fully designed to remove financial barriers for talented researchers, making participation almost unheard-of in terms of support.
Successful applicants receive:
- 100% free participation in the entire summer school program
- Free hotel accommodation in Darmstadt provided by organizers
- Full travel reimbursement (airplane or train) for students from ESA Member States
- Direct access to ESA, GSI, and FAIR research environments
- Practical laboratory teamwork using real accelerator beamtime
- Opportunity to develop and submit your own space radiation experiment proposal
- Eligibility to apply for ECTS academic credit recognition through your home university
In short: this is a rare blend of elite training, full funding, and real-world space biomedical research exposure.
Eligibility Requsites
This summer school is aimed at high-level graduate and early-career professionals already working in radiation-related disciplines.
To qualify, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Must be a student from an ESA Member State
- Up to three students from non-ESA Member States may also be accepted
- Must hold an MSc degree (graduate-level participants only)
- Must be in a radiation-related field such as:
- Physics
- Medicine
- Biology
- Biomedical research
- Must be affiliated with a university, company, or research institute during the school
- Should have strong academic or professional interest in space radiation and heavy-ion biophysics
Apply: https://www.gsi.de/work/forschung/biophysik/esa-summer-school_1
Programme Dates and Location
The ESA-FAIR Radiation Summer School will take place in Darmstadt, Germany, allowing students to commute easily between ESA’s ESOC center and the GSI/FAIR accelerator facilities.
Programme Duration: August 16 – September 1, 2026.
Application Deadline (Last Date to Apply)
The application portal for the ESA-FAIR Space Radiation School 2026 Scholarship will open on January 12, 2026, and the last date to apply is April 12, 2026. Selected applicants will be informed by May 8, 2026, and participation must be confirmed by May 22, 2026.