Our team and mission

The Advanced Concepts and Studies Office ensures the overall coordination, coherence and performance of programme and studies in support to the preparation of the Agency’s future activities, in line with its long-term strategic objectives and priorities. This includes discovery activities via the Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) and the Advanced Concepts Team (ACT), ESA’s in-house research think tank.

ACT performs beyond-the-horizon multidisciplinary research for space, exploring new approaches to space-related R&D (including competitions, prizes and games) and research for disruptive innovation, developing an expert network in academia and providing a capability for fast first-look analysis of problems, challenges and opportunities. ACT engages in collaborative research relations with universities and research institutes, focusing on advanced research topics of potential strategic interest to the space sector and in experimenting with new forms of teamwork. To this end, a multidisciplinary research environment is provided, in which young scientific and engineering post-doctoral and post-graduate researchers carry out work on emerging technologies and innovative concepts

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Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

You will investigate advances in the research area of nanophotonics focusing on future space applications. Depending on your specific background and expertise, you will focus on one to three specific projects. These could include topics such as small lasers and small photodetectors, small optical circuits, novel optical sensors, overcoming diffraction limits via nanophotonic surface and material treatments, space-time wavefront shaping, and non-conventional methods of imaging in scattering materials. Another broad area of interest could be developments in optical computation considering both classical and quantum aspects, and neuromorphic, reversible and other novel models of computation.

Tasks will depend on your expertise and motivation and may include:

• Analysis of recent advances in nanophotonics for detection/measurement applications in space;

• Analysis of theoretical options and limitations of photonic detection techniques;

• Creation and development of at least one specific research study in nanophotonics.

• Basic modelling of sensor characteristics and/or behaviour;

• Providing expertise on nanotechnology and photonics to the team’s other research projects.

Depending on the nature of the project, you may also be required to interface with the relevant academic community.

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Technical competencies

Knowledge of relevant technical domains

Relevant experience gained during internships/project work

Breadth of exposure coming from past and/or current research/activities

Knowledge of ESA and its programmes/projects

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation

Operational Efficiency

Fostering Cooperation

Relationship Management

Continuous Improvement

Forward Thinking

Education

You should have just completed, or be in your final year of, a university course at Masters level in a technical or scientific discipline, in particular in physics (nanotechnology, (non-linear) optics, nanophotonics) or related fields.

You will be a full member of ACT and therefore expected to contribute to the development and assessment of new concepts and technologies for space applications in close interaction with ACT researchers, who work on a broad range of disciplines, including informatics, artificial intelligence, climate modelling, energy systems, fundamental physics, biomimetics, computational management science and mission analysis. On the basis of your detailed background and interests and the needs of and the opportunities presented by the team, you will be involved in a number of other ACT initiatives, including studies conducted via the Ariadna scheme (www.esa.int/ariadna), and will also participate in reporting and communicating the results of the team, both internally and externally.

Additional requirements

You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and should be able to work in a multi-cultural environment, both independently and as part of a team.

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.

During the interview motivation and overall professional perspective/career goals will also be explored.

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Location

ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

The closing date for applications is 1 March 2021.

For more information, and applying, see this website.

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