European Space Agency Post-graduate Research Grant Programme

European Space Agency Post-graduate Research Grant Programme at the European University Institute / Historical Archives of the European Union (Florence).

This call supports original research on the history of the European Space Agency (ESA) and its predecessor organisations, using the historical fonds deposited at the HAEU. The programme is aimed at postgraduate students and early career academics in history and related social sciences and humanities, including master's and doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and university teachers.

Funding: two grants of EUR 5,000 each year, funded by ESA and administered by the EUI. The grant is paid in two instalments (EUR 2,000 at the start of research and EUR 3,000 after publication of the results).

Eligibility highlights: applicants must be nationals of or affiliated with an academic institution in ESA Member, Associate, or Cooperating States. Research should contribute to an academic publication and preferably relate to the applicant's master's or doctoral field. Applications and supporting documents must be submitted in English or French.

Application window: the next call opens from 9 March to 15 May 2026. Required materials include a CV, research proposal, bibliography, justification for using the ESA archives, and a recommendation letter.

Research keywords: history of ESA, European space research, space diplomacy, archival research, European integration history, social sciences and humanities.