ESA Astronaut Application Medical Certificate Grant

This year the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that for the first time in over a decade they have opened applications for a new generation of European Astronauts. For the 2021-2022 selection, applicants must obtain a European Part-MED, Class 2 (Private Pilot) medical certificate.

In order to encourage eligible SGAC members from ESA member states to apply for the Astronaut selection, we are proud to announce that, thanks to the generous support of the ISS Crew Fund Association, SGAC will offer a grant of up to 300€ for up to two SGAC members towards the expenses incurred in receiving the necessary medical certificate. 

Embracing diversity is the cornerstone of SGAC’s principles. The goal of this scholarship is to provide an opportunity for SGAC members, especially those who have historically been underrepresented in ESA astronaut selections. Through this grant, we hope to encourage an increase in diversity of ESA astronaut applicants, and so want to particularly encourage women and members of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and/or Person of Colour) community to apply.

Please note, this scholarship is for eligible nationals of ESA member states only.

Award

Two winners will be reimbursed up to 300€ to cover the expenses incurred in obtaining the European Part-MED, Class 2 (Private Pilot) medical certificate. We encourage potential applicants to not wait for the outcome of this award to make appointments for the necessary medical certificate, as the deadline for ESA astronaut selection is currently the 28th of May.

The winners will be also announced on the SGAC scholarship website. 

How to Apply

Applications to the ESA Astronaut Application Medical Certificate Grant are accepted via the Submission Form at the bottom of this section.

Applicants need to submit their CV and a motivation letter (no more than 500 words) describing why they want to apply to be an ESA astronaut, what they would hope to achieve if they were selected by ESA, and that they meet the minimum eligibility criteria for the astronaut application described by ESA here.

Applications have now closed.

Guidelines

Eligibility

  1. The scholarship is open to all students and young professionals that are nationals of an ESA member state (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom plus Slovenia and Latvia). Participants must be SGAC members (registered on the SGAC website) between the age of 18 and 35.

  2. To be eligible, applicants should include their CV and a motivation letter of no more than 500 words.

  3. Scholarship judges and organisers are ineligible for the award.

  4. The winners shall not receive external support from any other source towards the Astronaut Application medical expenses. Should the winners receive such, SGAC shall be informed as soon as possible and a solution will be sought.

  5. While this competition is open for any eligible person to apply, we hope to encourage applicants who were underrepresented in previous European astronaut selections, and so reserve the right to prioritise women and applicants with a BIPOC (black, indigenous, (and) people of colour) background when selecting the winners.

Submission

  1. The language of all submissions must be in English.

  2. It must be clear from the CV and motivation letter that the applicant is a national of an ESA member state and meets the minimum eligibility requirements described by ESA here

  3. Applicants that are women and/or members of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and/or Person of Colour) community will receive some benefit in the application marking criteria.

  4. Applicants will submit their application through the Scholarships Submission Form.

  5. CVs can be submitted via Word document or PDF file uploaded in the Scholarships Submission Form.

  6. All submissions must be made by the 6th of May 2021, 23:59GMT.

  7. Any submissions after the deadline will not be considered.

Responsibilities of Winners

The winner shall:

  1. Make an appointment (or have already had an appointment) with a licenced medical practitioner to obtain the European Part-MED, Class 2 (Private Pilot) medical certificate (or ESA accepted equivalent)

  2. Shall submit proof they have applied to the ESA astronaut selection

  3. Submit a head shot, short Bio and quote for inclusion on the SGAC website, newsletter or social media and that of our partners

Reimbursement

  1. The award will be paid out after the medical certificate is acquired and proof of this (via a copy of a receipt or invoice) is given to SGAC by the winners, and upon fulfilment of all requirements in a suitable manner as determined by the scholarship coordinators. It will be paid out no later than 30 days after the fulfilment of all responsibilities (input for announcement).

  2. The SGAC is not liable for any expenses incurred by applicants in any case where a grant is not awarded, or in excess of the value of the awarded grant.

  3. In the interest of spreading opportunities to more members, SGAC reserves the right to prioritise applicants who have not recently received another SGAC scholarship of a similar nature.

Copyright and Intellectual Property

By submitting an entry, applicants agree to permit SGAC to mention their names, affiliations, and headshot picture in connection with the scholarship.

Liability

  1. Organisers shall not be responsible in the event the winner cannot get medical appointments or the medical certificate will not be granted. SGAC is not responsible for the ESA astronaut selection.

  2. The grant will only be paid if there is a written proof of expenses in form of medical invoices or receipts from the doctors.

  3. The award is not transferable to another individual.

Evaluation

The assessment of applications for the ESA Astronaut Application Medical Certificate Grant will be evaluated by a panel of SGAC Scholarship Team Members and the Operations Manager.

Schedule

Entries accepted: 24nd of April 2021, 23:59 GMT
Submission Deadline 6th of May 2021, 23:59 GMT
Review of applications 6th – 9th of May 2021
Information of successful applicants 10th of May 2021

Contact

For any questions, please refer to SGAC Scholarships Team ([email protected]).